Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

A genetically modified bacterium that outcompetes bacteria causing tooth decay

astralcodexten.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 158 posts

Re: A genetically modified bacterium that outcompetes bacteria causing tooth decay

#61

Post by JR1427 »

It would be nice to see some positive examples of where species (GM or otherwise) have been artificially introduced to an ecosystem and not ended up doing more harm than good.

Otherwise, this kind of thing makes me sceptical, as there are always unintended consequences.

I would only use this treatment if (amongst other things) the strain was engineered to be very sensitive to a very specific narrow-spectrum antibiotic, that is NOT produced by the same company offering the bacterial strain.

Re: A genetically modified bacterium that outcompetes bacteria causing tooth decay

#62

Post by hanniabu »

fastball wrote: post #51
upon_drumhead wrote: post #5

I've just started using ProBiora3 to try to reduce my gingivitis levels. I would love a one-application solution and will be watching this closely.

Have you tried just using interdental brushes, like these[1]? Using these once a day did wonders for my gingivitis levels. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Sunstar-6505A-Soft-Picks-Advanced-Pac...

> did wonders for my gingivitis levels

how do you know your gingivitis levels?

Re: A genetically modified bacterium that outcompetes bacteria causing tooth decay

#63

Post by rrgok »

Beijinger wrote: post #56

I just rinse my mouth every night with sugar, in addition to brushing. Have not had problems since. Effect of three-year consumption of erythritol, xylitol and sorbitol candies on various plaque and salivary caries-related variables https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24095985/ Xylitol and erythritol inhibit real-time biofilm formation of Streptococcus mutans https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32600259/ And, what I always e…

Ah, I've been doing the same but only with xylitol. Maybe I should by both, erythritol and xylitol, and make cavity killing cocktail.

Re: A genetically modified bacterium that outcompetes bacteria causing tooth decay

#64

Post by Beijinger »

sgt wrote: post #60
Beijinger wrote: post #56

I just rinse my mouth every night with sugar, in addition to brushing. Have not had problems since. Effect of three-year consumption of erythritol, xylitol and sorbitol candies on various plaque and salivary caries-related variables https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24095985/ Xylitol and erythritol inhibit real-time biofilm formation of Streptococcus mutans https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32600259/ And, what I always e…

I rinse my mouth regularly with coffee and chocolate containing sugar. I always thought it was a bad thing. Bring on the donuts!

I eliminated regular sugar to a bare minimum in my diet.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pure,_White_and_Deadly

Re: A genetically modified bacterium that outcompetes bacteria causing tooth decay

#65

Post by Al-Khwarizmi »

mikk14 wrote: post #59
shmde wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is your diet ? I am assuminf there is no processed sugar or refined wheat/gluten ?

Not OP, but in a similar situation. I'm 39, the last time a dentist looked in my mouth I was probably 16 or so* and I brush only once a day (after breakfast, which is the least effective over doing it before going to sleep). Never had a cavity. I don't think I have halitosis, at least the people I have kissed over the years never complained to me. Being Italian, I eat pasta literally every day, and my daily breakfast…

41 here, and also not seen by a dentist since I was around 16. No cavities for now, that I know of. If I have any, they don't hurt, at least for now. Fingers crossed.

My diet is rather unremarkable, I don't consume a lot of sugar or sweets but don't refrain from them either. I brush 3 times a day. I do have occasional halitosis but it seems to be related to acid reflux, my breath seems to be fine when I have no reflux.

Re: A genetically modified bacterium that outcompetes bacteria causing tooth decay

#66

Post by lm28469 »

shmde wrote: post #49
rubidium wrote: post #46

Anecdote time: My great grandmother lived to be 102 and never had a cavity. Kept all her teeth to the end. One time, an orderly who thought she was just being senile tried to reach into her mouth to take out her teeth (thinking she had dentures). My great grandmother bit that person; hope they learned not all old people are senile! I’m 40% of the way there. No cavities and rave reviews from my dentist. I brush—-best…

What is your diet ? I am assuminf there is no processed sugar or refined wheat/gluten ?

Diet doesn't do much if you have bad genetics, I eat and brush the same as my gf, we don't smoke/drink, exercise the same, we basically have the same exact lifestyle. She has teeth issues multiple times a year, I never had a single problem

Re: A genetically modified bacterium that outcompetes bacteria causing tooth decay

#67

Post by Retric »

Natsu wrote: post #36
david_l_lin wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I should clarify: there’s some more details to why S mutans actually requires low pH. The correct term wouldn’t be “tolerate low pH” but rather “requires low pH” for its stable colonization. S mutans creates incipient lesions by making acid, incipient lesions are micro environments where the low pH that causes enamel decay is determined by the biofilm on its surface. S mutans cannot thrive in environments with neutra…

The article gives this as the explanation of how it is supposed to work: BCS3-LI has four main genetic modifications: It produces a weak antibiotic, mutacin-1140, which kills competing oral bacteria. It’s immune to mutacin-1140, so it doesn’t kill itself. It metabolizes sugar through a different chemical pathway that ends in alcohol instead of lactic acid. It lacks a peptide that its species usually uses to arrange g…

> It produces a weak antibiotic, mutacin-1140, which kills competing oral bacteria.

That alone isn’t enough for long term colonization as it’s not the only bacteria resistant to mutacin-1140.

Re: A genetically modified bacterium that outcompetes bacteria causing tooth decay

#68

Post by amenhotep »

JR1427 wrote: post #61

It would be nice to see some positive examples of where species (GM or otherwise) have been artificially introduced to an ecosystem and not ended up doing more harm than good. Otherwise, this kind of thing makes me sceptical, as there are always unintended consequences. I would only use this treatment if (amongst other things) the strain was engineered to be very sensitive to a very specific narrow-spectrum antibioti…

Faecal matter transplants.

Re: A genetically modified bacterium that outcompetes bacteria causing tooth decay

#69

Post by autoexec »

jseliger wrote: post #17
phero_cnstrcts wrote: post #2

> The FDA demanded a study of 100 subjects, all of whom had to be “age 18-30, with removable dentures, living alone and far from school zones”. Hillman wasn’t sure there even were 100 young people with dentures, but the FDA wouldn’t budge from requiring this impossible trial. Hillman gave up and switched to other projects Interesting that the FDA can request such things. Would be a good way to block disruptive produc…

The FDA is often bad: https://jakeseliger.com/2023/07/22/i-am-dying-of-squamous-ce... . It is good at "protecting" people from things that might help them. Like many others, I'm being protected from treatments that might harm me, so the cancer I've got can kill me instead.

Any luck with that federal Right To Try angle?

Re: A genetically modified bacterium that outcompetes bacteria causing tooth decay

#70

Post by autoexec »

elcritch wrote: post #13
Grimblewald wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I trust the sceince just fine, i dont trust corporate interests and how heavily and deeply coporate rot has penetrated into our institutions. I activly expect dishonesty on the part of corporate interest, and corporate interest is increasingly if not already entierly, government interest.

Same here. I also think it’s “we the people’s” fault to a large degree as well. These institutions require citizens to elect leaders who will put them in check. We don’t do that. The system largely works so people don’t really care that much, myself included.

Considering all the literal poison and bacteria infested shit in our food I'm not even convinced it mostly works. The FDA simply isn't doing their job.
Post reply on HN