Detoxification of microbial virulence factors in oral cavity

Abstract

A method for identifying constituents for detoxifying oral virulence factors and a method for determining the effectiveness of detoxifying agents.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for identifying agents for detoxifying oral virulence factors comprising:
 a) providing a reporter cell that expresses at least one of TLR2 or TLR4; 
 b) providing an oral virulence factor derived from dental plaque; 
 c) providing a potential detoxifying agent; 
 d) combining oral virulence factor and potential detoxifying agent with a reporter cell; 
 e) measuring binding of potential detoxifying agents using at least one of BODIPY method or LAL method of low EC50 virulence factor; 
 f) determining EC50 of virulence factor; 
 g) distinguishing healthy gingivae from an inflamed site suffering from the symptoms of gingivitis. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the oral virulence factor is lipopolysaccharide. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the lipopolysaccharide is from a Gram negative bacterium. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the oral virulence factor is lipoteichoic acid. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the lipoteichoic acid is from a Gram positive bacterium. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the potential detoxifying agent is at least one of myristyl-gamma-picolinium chloride; potassium linoleate; sodium hexadecyl sulfate; fenugreek; steapyrium chloride; alpha-glyceryl monooloeate; stearyldiethanolamine; dimethylaminopropyllaurylamide; stearylamidopropyldimethylamine ; linoleamide; N-lauryldiethanolamine; steartrimonium chloride; hexaethylene glycol, monodecyl ether; laureth-6; laureth-9; quaternium-17; bromoenol lactone; oleyl amine; cetrimonium chloride; or palmitamide monoethanolamine. 
     
     
       7. A method for identifying agents for detoxifying oral virulence factors comprising:
 a) providing a reporter cell that expresses at least one of TLR2 or TLR4; 
 b) providing oral matter comprising at least one oral virulence factor derived from dental plaque; 
 c) providing a potential detoxifying agent; 
 d) combining oral matter and potential detoxifying agent with reporter cell; 
 e) measuring binding of potential detoxifying agents using at least one of BODIPY method or LAL method of low EC50 virulence factor; and 
 f) determining EC50 of each virulence factor; 
 g) distinguishing healthy gingivae from an inflamed site suffering from the symptoms of gingivitis.