The dental treatment project of the CASE-IN finalists won a grant of 1 million rubles.

NUST MISIS scientists have created an innovative product — a biodegradable thin plate with enzymes that helps not only prevent but also treat the early stages of caries. The project opens up prospects for the creation of a new generation of dental products that can significantly reduce the prevalence of caries and increase the level of prevention of dental diseases.

The university students worked on the project under the guidance of the scientific staff of the Research Center "Inorganic Nanomaterials" of NUST MISIS. They are multiple winners and prize—winners of leading youth competitions, as well as finalists of the International Engineering CASE-IN Championship.

"According to medical statistics, dental caries in patients increased by 640 million cases from 1990 to 2019, and more than 2 billion people suffer from severe periodontal diseases. Traditional dental preparations often do not work effectively enough: they only temporarily come into contact with enamel, poorly repair microcracks, do not contain antibacterial components and have limited therapeutic effect," said the co—author of the development, a graduate student at NUST MISIS. Kirill Kucheryaev.

For the prevention and therapeutic effect in the early stages of caries, NUST MISIS researchers have proposed a solution to the problem — a biodegradable gelatin—based membrane that contains a mineral component, hydroxyapatite, which strengthens enamel, as well as a complex of enzymes for plaque destruction.

The material will be produced in the form of thin plates that can easily be fixed on the surface of the teeth. The patient will be able to apply them independently: the membrane will stay on the enamel and gradually dissolve, providing a controlled release of active substances. This technology increases the time of contact with teeth and prolongs the therapeutic effect.

"The key advantages of the new product will be biocompatibility, absence of side effects, prolonged action, antibacterial activity and the possibility of large—scale production using simple and inexpensive technology," explained Ekaterina Chicanova, PhD, Associate Professor of the Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry.

With this development, graduate student Kirill Kucheryaev won the Student Startup competition University Technology Entrepreneurship Platforms, funded by the Foundation for the Promotion of Innovation and received a grant for the implementation of the project in the amount of 1 million rubles.

A source: NUST MISIS