STAMP Diagnostic
C3 Jian is developing a quantitative Point of Care (POC) diagnostic using technology based on our STAMP platform to quantitatively diagnose S. mutans infection in dental patients. For patients that are prone to dental caries, restoration of their teeth can be both painful and costly. Treatment of the disease with our STAMP technology has the potential to eliminate S. mutans from the oral cavity, but it is important to identify those patients that will benefit from the treatment.
This easy to use POC diagnostic will aid dentists and dental hygienists in identifying caries prone patients with a chairside diagnosis of S. mutans infection during a patient’s semi-annual cleaning or other dental visit. Patients that are identified as having a significant S. mutans infection can be prescribed STAMPs to treat the infection and promote a healthy dental plaque. Those shown to have low levels of S. mutans may not be appropriate candidates for our therapy but would nevertheless be identified for more traditional dental care and continued monitoring.
Figure 1. Isolation of specific bacteria from a mixed community. Targeting peptides were immobilized on a surface and used to isolate fluorescently labeled bacteria from a mixed population. The control surface on the left had no peptide on it resulting in low numbers of various species of bacteria in the population being isolated. [Copyright © C3 Jian, Inc. 2011]
Figure 2. Specific labeling of bacteria in a saliva biofilm. The inset image shows a typical salivary biofilm. After labeling the biofilm with a fluorescently labeled targeting peptide, the targeted bacteria are specifically labeled (green) while the rest of the biofilm remains unstained. [Copyright © C3 Jian, Inc. 2011]