Project Description:

There are ~500,000 dental implants placed annually in the United States, with ~5-10% developing peri-implantitis, leading to bone loss and implant failure. Peri-implantitis is caused by biofilms, layers of bacteria that form a protective extracellular matrix. Treatment starts with antibiotics, but biofilms can be up to 1000-fold more antibiotic resistant than regular bacteria. When antibiotics fail, the only remaining option is surgical implant removal. Antibiotic overuse worldwide has resulted in the current antibiotic resistance epidemic. Combined with an aging world population and increasing demand for dental implants, the problem of peri-implantitis is growing in size and urgency.

Our team has developed a solution. Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect and lyse bacteria. Our team has worked to harness these viruses in an oral microbiome-balancing gel, with phages discovered in lab to target and destroy biofilm-causing microbes. Our product, DentiPhage, will prevent the progression and facilitate treatment of peri-implant disease.

Project Photo:

Team Photo for WSE Design Fund Award

JHU ChemBE

This work was made possible by the generous support of Dennis Chien, Engr ’84