A recent study received FDA approval to evaluate the use of the drug rapamycin in older adults with periodontal disease.
Aging greatly impacts overall health and is the greatest risk factor for cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, and periodontal disease. However, treatment for these conditions is often done on a case-by-case basis rather than targeting the underlying aging process. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a first-of-its-kind study that will evaluate the effect of rapamycin in older adults with periodontal disease. Rapamycin is an FDA-approved drug that is often used in anti-aging research and has been shown to prolong lifespan and improve health.
Previous research has shown that rapamycin can improve the aging process in mice by inhibiting a process called the mTOR pathway, which cells use to control growth and energy use based on nutrients and signals they receive from the environment. Although rapamycin and its derivatives have already been used in humans in some studies, this study is the first approved by the FDA to study its effects on oral health and periodontal disease.
“If periodontal disease is age-related, and rapamycin can target and improve the aging process, then we want to find out what happens to periodontal disease when rapamycin is used,” Dr. Jonathan Ahn, assistant professor of dental hygiene at Washington University, said in a press release. university.
In the study, adults over 50 years of age who have had periodontal disease for more than eight weeks will receive rapamycin. Participants will then undergo professional teeth cleaning.
“Currently, if you are diagnosed with periodontal disease and you are 40 years old, you receive the same treatment as you would if you were 50 or 60 years old,” Dr. Ahn noted. “So if we give rapamycin to these older adults up front, we may be able to alter their immune responses so that they get a better treatment outcome than just surface-level symptom relief.”
“Treating periodontal disease with rapamycin could not only change the way we practice dentistry, but also have a positive impact on aging around the world.”
In addition, the researchers plan to collaborate with local clinics and research groups to study the effects of rapamycin on the overall health of participants. For example, they will analyze markers of biological aging and the oral microbiome.
“Periodontal disease has been thought to be correlated with heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, all of which share a common underlying risk factor: age,” Dr. Ahn commented. “Tackling periodontal disease with rapamycin could not only change the way we practice dentistry, but also have a positive impact on aging around the world,” he concluded.