title: [Anticaries vaccine: myth or reality?].
abstract: Streptococcus mutans is the most important micro-organism in the etiology of dental caries. But this bacterium is implicated in cross-reactions with human cardiac tissue. Antigens (proteins, polysaccharides,...) extracted from the cell wall of S. mutans can be used as antigens for an anticaries vaccine. These components will stimulate the production of specific antibodies which should protect teeth against S. mutans fixation on the enamel surface, and thus against caries lesions. Such antibodies will not cross-react with human tissues. Vaccination aims to stimulate the production of specific secretory antibodies in saliva or specific serum antibodies in gingival fluid. Rats, hamsters and monkeys have been used and interesting results were obtained with different antigens in animal experiments. In man, passive immunization using monoclonal antibodies was applied with success; and specific antibody stimulation was obtained with whole killed S. mutans or glycosyltransferases. Vaccination against dental caries is a difficult challenge. Recent developments in mucosal immunity and in purification characterizations, DNA-recombination of S. mutans cell wall proteins turns the possibility of an anticaries vaccine into a near reality.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ackermans
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001428:Bacterial Vaccines
vernacular_title: Vaccin anticarie: mythe ou réalité.