Taubman Martin A, Nash David A
Department of Immunology, The Forsyth Institute, 140 Fenway, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Nat Rev Immunol. 2006 Jul;6(7):555-63. doi: 10.1038/nri1857. Epub 2006 May 26.
Dental caries is caused by one of the most ubiquitous bacterial infections of humans. In many countries such as Brazil and China, this disease is reaching epidemic proportions, and it is clear that a more effective public-health measure to combat dental caries is needed, because disadvantaged children are the most severely affected. One of the main groups of oral microorganisms, the mutans streptococci, has been associated with the aetiology of dental caries, and preclinical studies of immunological interventions have shown the feasibility of interfering with this disease. Moreover, clinical trials have indicated that a mucosal immune response to a crucial antigen(s) of mutans streptococci can influence the pathogenesis of dental caries. Evidence that this antigen(s) is appropriate for use in a vaccine against dental caries, as well as evidence for an appropriate target population of individuals and a logical time of administration, has now emerged.
龋齿是由人类最普遍的细菌感染之一引起的。在许多国家，如巴西和中国，这种疾病正呈流行态势，显然需要采取更有效的公共卫生措施来防治龋齿，因为弱势儿童受影响最为严重。口腔微生物的主要群体之一——变形链球菌，已被认为与龋齿的病因有关，免疫干预的临床前研究表明干预这种疾病具有可行性。此外，临床试验表明，对变形链球菌关键抗原的黏膜免疫反应可影响龋齿的发病机制。现在已经出现了该抗原适用于龋齿疫苗的证据，以及适用于特定目标人群和合理接种时间的证据。
