Patients treated for head and neck cancer often pay a hidden price: radiotherapy damages their salivary glands, and without saliva's constant protection their teeth rapidly deteriorate. Researchers at the Universidade de São Paulo's Bauru School of Dentistry have developed an answer in the form of an artificial saliva, a mouthwash whose active ingredient is CANECPI-5, a protein extracted from sugarcane and modified in the laboratory.
The protein forms a protective layer on tooth enamel that resists attack from the acids in fruit juices, alcoholic drinks and gastric reflux. In tests on animal teeth, reported in the Journal of Dentistry, a once-daily, one-minute application proved most effective when the protein was combined with fluoride and xylitol, significantly reducing bacterial activity and demineralisation. The team has also produced gel and orodispersible film versions for patients who struggle with rinsing.
The project, developed with collaborators in Brazil, the United States and South Korea, is a neat example of molecular bioprospecting in Brazil's most iconic crop. A patent has been filed, and the group's next challenge is scaling production with industrial partners so that an affordable, locally sourced product can reach the oncology patients who need it, in a country where sugarcane is hardly in short supply.