Oral lichen planus (LP) and recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) are common chronic inflammatory diseases that can affect patients' quality of life. Current treatment approaches are mostly palliative and often ineffective because the contact time of the therapeutic agent with the lesions is insufficient. But recently, researchers have developed a patch to better hold in the mouth and provide sustained release of clobetasol-17-propionate, a first-line drug for both conditions.
In a study titled “Rigid Adhesive Hydrogel for Intraoral Adhesion and Drug Delivery,” scientists at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine in Boston also examined the adhesion properties of a new bioadhesive patch, called DentalToughAdhesive (DenTAl), to various oral tissues. They subjected DenTAl to ex vivo mechanical testing, assessed its in vitro biocompatibility and in vivo and ex vivo adhesion, and examined in vitro drug release upon administration of clobetasol.
They found that DenTAl has superior physical properties such as extensibility and adhesion compared to existing oral technologies and strong adhesion to various types of wet and dynamic intraoral tissues. They also reported that clobetasol was eliminated in a regulated, sustained manner over a period of four weeks and demonstrated immunomodulatory properties in vitro, resulting in a reduction in several pro-inflammatory cytokines.
The results of the study suggest that DenTAl may be a promising device for intraoral delivery of small molecule drugs as a treatment for painful oral lesions associated with chronic inflammatory diseases such as oral lichen planus and recurrent aphthous stomatitis. The researchers said that future clinical applications could include the delivery of antimicrobial and chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of periodontitis, precancerous conditions, and malignant lesions.