Periodontal Vaccines

Periodontitis is an infectious disease caused by predominantly gram-negative, anaerobic bacteria like P. gingivalis, A. actinomycetemcomitans T. denticola and T. forsythus etc.. Various immunization approaches both as active and passive immunization, against periodontal pathogens have been explored either using the whole microorganism or their specific virulence factors. Non-human primate and other study models have demonstrated raised production of specific antibody titers against various antigens without any recognizable systemic side-effects. But, the current status of our understanding in the field of vaccines against periodontal disease is incomplete. Ongoing research & collaborative efforts can result in development of functional periodontal vaccine for human use in future