打了这个疫苗，以后就不长龋齿了？

Dreaded trips to see your dentist could be replaced with a vaccine to prevent tooth decay in the future, researchers predict.

据研究人员预测，预防龋齿的疫苗有望问世，之后你就再不用为看牙医担惊受怕了。

The jab, developed by Chinese scientists, offers a dose of proteins that are effective at removing build-ups of plaque responsible for cavities.

这种疫苗由中国科学家研发，疫苗中的一种蛋白质可有效清除导致龋齿的齿斑堆积。

Early trials show it to be 64 percent effective - meaning people would still have to brush their teeth twice a day to avoid a trip to the dentist's chair.

早期实验表明龋齿疫苗有效率达64%，也就是说，人们仍需每日刷牙两次以预防龋齿。

It offers hope of a 'fantastic' answer for preventing or even reversing cavities, which strike a third of adults, according to figures.

龋齿疫苗为预防甚至逆转龋齿带来了希望，令人不可思议。据数据显示，成年人中有三分之一患有龋齿。

The researchers said the vaccine would be welcomed in Western countries, where teeth-rotting sugar is consumed heavily.

研究人员表示，龋齿疫苗将在西方国家流行，这些国家中导致龋齿的糖类消耗量巨大。

But the team at the Wuhan Institute of Virology said the jab is several years away from undergoing clinical tests. However, experts are excited.

但武汉病毒所的研究小组表示，还要过几年才能将龋齿疫苗投入临床试验。但专家已为此感到振奋。

专家这样说

Dr Richard Marques, a Harley Street dentist, told MailOnline: 'This sounds like a fantastic development in dentistry.

伦敦哈利街的一位牙医理查德-马奎斯博士告诉每日邮报网站：“这是牙医学的巨大进展。”

'Preventing tooth decay through vaccination would totally change the dental situation of many children and adults around the world.

“通过接种疫苗来预防龋齿将完全改变全球众多孩子和成年人的牙齿状况。”

'Dental decay is such a problem and a drain on healthcare resources so this has the potential to transform dental healthcare.'

“龋齿是个大问题，也消耗了医疗卫生资源，因此龋齿疫苗有望改变牙科保健。”

It works by using proteins from the bacteria Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) - which is the main cause of dental cavities.

龋齿疫苗通过使用变异链球菌中的蛋白质起效，变异链球菌是主要的致龋病原菌。

They are then fused together with proteins derived from strains of E. coli bacteria, Science Alert reports.

根据《科学前沿》的报道，科学家将这种蛋白质与大肠杆菌菌株中提取的蛋白质混合。

Previous studies had shown this combination to be effective in protecting against cavities, but produced unwanted side effects.

此前研究表明，这种混合物对预防龋齿有效，但会产生有害的副作用。

工作原理

The new vaccine is fused together with a third protein, derived from flagella proteins - cells that help the combination to move around.

科学家在这种新的疫苗中添加了另外一种蛋白质——提取自鞭毛素蛋白，帮助疫苗起效。

The prototype vaccine, which produced fewer side effects, was administered as a nasal spray in laboratory tests on rodents.

疫苗样品产生的副作用较少，以鼻部喷雾的方式对啮齿动物进行了实验测试。

Writing in the journal Scientific Reports, the researchers found it offered a similar amount of the protection as the initial vaccine.

研究人员发现，与初始疫苗相比，重组后的疫苗提供的保护效应大致相当。研究报告发表在《科学报告》期刊上。

The vaccine had a 64.2 percent prophylactic efficacy. It also reversed tooth decay by 53.9 percent, the researchers noted.

研究人员表示，疫苗的预防功效为64.2%，逆转龋齿的功效为53.9%。

Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Oral Health Foundation, said: 'Any realistic scientific development which could help reduce the impact of tooth decay is welcome.

口腔健康基金会的董事长奈杰尔-卡特博士说：“我们欢迎所有有助于减少龋齿危害的现实科学进展。”

'This study shows initial promise, however, there may be a substantial wait, involving clinical trials before anything can be rolled out at a patient level.'

“这项研究带给我们希望，但我们可能还要等很久，在大规模接种前还要进行临床试验。”