Hasturk and Team Find Potential New Preventive Treatment for Periodontal Disease

Assistant Professor in the Department of Periodontology and Oral Biology Dr. Hatice Hasturk has discovered after a six-week study that a compound known as 1-tetradecanol complex (1-TDC) may offer a new option in the prevention of periodontal disease.

Hasturk’s findings, which appeared in May in The Journal of Periodontology, represent the first study of this compound. The makers of 1-TDC, Imagenetix, Inc., say the compound stops bacteria in the mouth that may lead to inflammation.

Hasturk’s team, which included BUSDM Assistant Professor and co-investigator Alpdogan Kantarci, former BUSDM Research Technician Victor L. Jones, and BUSM Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Chris Andry, induced periodontitis in rabbits and applied 1-TDC topically to the animals’ teeth. Research took place in the laboratory of Dr. Thomas Van Dyke, professor of periodontology and oral biology.

"1-TDC given at 10 mg/ml offered the most significant improvement compared to placebo," says Hasturk. "The opportunity for 1-TDC to reduce the likelihood for an individual to develop periodontal disease is exciting as there are limited options for treating periodontitis."