Alberta Lucchese, Agostino Guida, Massimo Petruzzi, Giovanni Capone, Luigi Laino and Rosario Serpico Pages 782 - 788 ( 7 )
The oral cavity is home to numerous viruses and micro-organisms recognized as having a role in various oral diseases as well as in infections in other parts of the body. Indeed, in general a microbial infection underlies or is believed to underlie the ample spectrum of oral diseases, from tooth enamel decay to periodontal lesions, from candidiasis to virus-induced oral squamous cell carcinomas, and bullous autoimmune oral disorders. This clinico-pathological context stresses the need of targeted therapies to specifically kill infectious agents in a complex environment such as the oral cavity, and explains the current interest in exploring peptide-based therapeutic approaches in oral and dental research. Here, we review the therapeutic potential of antimicrobial peptides such as LL-37, beta defensins, adrenomedullin, histatins, and of various peptides modulating gene expression and immuno-biological interaction(s) in oral diseases.
Antimicrobial peptides,cytokeratin peptides,bacterial competence-stimulating peptides,desmoglein-3 peptide,oral infectious diseases,Pemphigus vulgaris,oral squamous cell carcinomas,adrenomedullin,histatins,Candida albicans
, , , , , Department of Odontostomatological,Orthodontics and Surgical Disciplines, Second University of Naples SUN, Via De Crecchio 6, Naples, Italy.