Anti-Gingipain B (RgpB) Antibody

Paraffin-embedded formalin-fixed AD hippocampus and gingival tissue from a patient with periodontal disease stained with #13925 and compared to non-AD control tissue and mouse IgG1 control (see Dominy et al. Science Advances 5 (1): eaau3333). <br> Detection of RgpB in P. gingivalis wild-type strain W83 whole cells (see Nguyen K-A et al. J Bacteriol 189: 833-843).

Arginine-gingipain B (RgpB) is a cysteine protease produced exclusively by Porphyromonas gingivalis, and it plays a central role in the pathogenicity of P. gingivalis in periodontal disease. Over the last several years, a possible association between Alzheimer disease (AD) and chronic periodontitis has been suggested based on detection of P. gingivalis infiltration in autopsy specimens from the brains of people with AD in association with neurons, tau tangles, and beta-amyloid as well as in cerebrospinal fluid of individuals diagnosed with AD. Oral administration of a gingipain inhibitor to mice with established brain infection by P. gingivalis decreased the amount of P. gingivalis DNA in brain as well as the levels of beta-amyloid and tumor necrosis factor-α. Taken together, the data suggest that gingipain inhibitors might be an effective treatment of AD. Clinical trials of gingipain inhibitors are currently underway.