Methods for assessing ability of ingestible substances to cause inflammation

摘要

Assays and apparatuses for assessing the ability of certain orally-ingestible samples, such as saliva or foodstuffs to cause inflammation. The assay comprising analysing the concentration of a Toll-like receptor (TLR) stimulant or a nucleotide-binding oligomerisation domain (NOD) like receptor (NLR) stimulant in an orally ingestible sample and comparing the concentration with a reference concentration known to represent inflammation risk, wherein an increased concentration of TLR-stimulant or NLR-stimulant in the sample compared to the reference concentration indicates that the sample causes inflamation. The stimulants may be a pathogen associated molecular pattern (PAMP), e.g. lipopolysaccharide (LPS), bacterial lipopeptide, flagellin, unmethylated DNA, bacterial peptidoglycan or a microbe associated molecular pattern (MAMP). Also claimed is the use of a TLR signalling inhibitor (e.g. oxidised palmitoyl-arachidonyl phosphocholine (OxPAPC), Polymyxin B (PMB) or siRNA) for reducing or pre-empting the risk of inflammation.