A team led by two UW researchers has found that a transplant drug with anti-aging properties can regenerate bone and decrease gum inflammation, pointing the way toward new treatments for common dental problems in aging patients.
Dr. Jonathan An and Dr. Matt Kaeberlein of the School of Dentistry, along with their colleagues across the country, have been studying rapamycin. Rapamycin is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent organ transplant rejection and has been shown in pre-clinical studies to slow aging and increase lifespan in a variety of species, from worms to mice.
Until now, however, nobody has explored the effect of rapamycin in the aging mouth. There, people also commonly experience age-related decline and diseases, such as bone loss and gum inflammation leading to periodontal disease.
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