Claims
- 1) A method for treating bacterial dental caries wherein the method comprises delivering to a mouth, gums, and teeth a lozenge comprising:
(i) an effective amount of at least one lytic enzyme genetically coded for by a specific bacteriophage specific for a bacteria causing bacterial dental caries, said bacteria selected from the group consisting of Actinobacillus, Actinomyces, Bacteroides, Capnocytophaga, Eikenella, Eubacterium, Fusobacterium, Haemophilus, Lactobacillus, Peptostreptococcus, Porphyromonas, Prevotella, Rothia, Selenomonas, Streptococcus, Treponema, and Wolinella, and combinations thereof, wherein said at least one said lytic enzyme is specific for, and has the ability to digest, a cell wall of one of said bacteria, said at least one lytic enzyme being coded for by the same said bacteriophage capable of infecting said bacteria being digested, wherein the lytic enzyme has been made chimeric through genetic manipulation; and (ii).a dental carrier for delivering said enzyme to the mouth, gums, and teeth.
- 2) The method according to claim 1, wherein said bacteria being treated is selected from the group consisting of Actinomyces viscosus, A. naeslundii, and Streptococcus mutans, S. sobrinus, Lactobacillus casei, and combinations thereof.
- 3) The method according to claim 1, further comprising a holin protein.
- 4) The method according to claim 1, wherein the lytic enzyme has been made chimeric through shuffling.
- 5) A method for treating bacterial dental caries wherein the method comprises delivering to a mouth, gums, and teeth a candy comprising:
(i) an effective amount of at least one lytic enzyme genetically coded for by a specific bacteriophage specific for a bacteria causing bacterial dental caries, said bacteria selected from the group consisting of Actinobacillus, Actinomyces, Bacteroides, Capnocytophaga, Eikenella, Eubacterium, Fusobacterium, Haemophilus, Lactobacillus, Peptostreptococcus, Porphyromonas, Prevotella, Rothia, Selenomonas, Streptococcus, Treponema, and Wolinella, and combinations thereof, wherein said at least one said lytic enzyme is specific for, and has the ability to digest, a cell wall of one of said bacteria, said at least one lytic enzyme being coded for by the same said bacteriophage capable of infecting said bacteria being digested wherein the lytic enzyme has been made chimeric through genetic manipulation; and (ii).a dental carrier for delivering said enzyme to the mouth, gums, and teeth.
- 6) The method according to claim 5, wherein said bacteria being treated is selected from the group consisting of Actinomyces viscosus, A. naeslundii, and Streptococcus mutans, S. sobrinus, Lactobacillus casei, and combinations thereof.
- 7) The method according to claim 5, further comprising a holin protein.
- 8) The method according to claim 5, wherein the lytic enzyme has been made chimeric through shuffling.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/671,881, filed Sep. 28, 2000, which is a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 09/497,495, filed Apr. 14, 2000, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/395,636, filed Sep. 14, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,056,954 which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/962,523, filed Oct. 3, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,862.
Continuations (2)
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09395636 |
Sep 1999 |
US |
Child |
09497495 |
Apr 2000 |
US |
Parent |
08962523 |
Oct 1997 |
US |
Child |
09395636 |
Sep 1999 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (2)
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09671881 |
Sep 2000 |
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10176375 |
Jun 2002 |
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09497495 |
Apr 2000 |
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09671881 |
Sep 2000 |
US |