Novel adhesive patch for treating oral lichen planus and recurrent aphthous stomatitis developed

Oral lichen planus is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects mucous membranes inside mouth. It may appear as white, lacy patches; red, swollen tissues; or open sores which may cause burning, pain or other discomfort. Besides this aphthous ulcer  is one of the most common ulcerative condition of the oral mucosa that presents as a painful punched-out sore on oral mucosa. It can also be an early manifestation of a systemic disease such as Behçet disease, or gastrointestinal disorders including coeliac disease, Crohn disease, and ulcerative colitis.

Researchers have developed “Dental Tough Adhesive (DenTAI)”, a novel bioinspired adhesive patch with robust mechanical properties, capable of strong adhesion, and able to carry out extended release of clobetasol-17-propionate, the first-line drug for treating oral lichen planus (OLP) and recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS).

The research regarding the patch was presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting & Exhibition of the AADOCR, held in conjunction with the 47th Annual Meeting of the CADR. The AADOCR/CADR Annual Meeting & Exhibition took place at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland on March 15-18, 2023.

The study, led by David T. Wu of the Harvard University School of Dental Medicine, characterized ex vivo adhesion to diverse oral tissues (tongue, lip, gingiva, buccal mucosa) with mechanical testing. In vitro cytotoxicity was examined with WST cell viability assay on primary human gingival epithelial cells cultured in DenTAl conditioned media. Clobetasol-17-propionate release was assessed with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). In vitro immunomodulation assay was performed.

DenTAl were found to have superior physical and adhesive properties compared to existing oral technologies, with ~2-100x adhesion (up to 1600 J/m2) to oral tissues and ~3-15x stretchability. Clobetasol-17-propionate incorporated into the DenTAl was released in a tunable sustained manner over weeks and demonstrated immunomodulatory capabilities in vitro, evidenced by reductions in several cytokines including TNF-a, IL6, IL10, MCP5, MIP-2, and TIMP-1.

The study’s findings suggested that DenTAl may be a promising device for intraoral delivery of small molecule drugs applicable to the management of painful oral lesions associated with inflammatory conditions such as OLP and RAS.