Peptides in oral diseases.
Lucchese. Alberta A; Guida. Agostino A; Petruzzi. Massimo M; Capone. Giovanni G; Laino. Luigi L; Serpico. Rosario R
Key Findings
- Oral diseases are largely driven by microbes, from cavities to gum disease and even some cancers.
- LL‑37 and similar antimicrobial peptides have broad antimicrobial and immune‑modulating actions in the mouth.
- Research is still at the review stage – no specific doses, formulations, or proven clinical protocols are available yet.
Practical Outcomes
- For now, the takeaway is that boosting your body’s natural peptide defenses (e.g., through good oral hygiene, adequate vitamin D, and a healthy diet) may support oral health, but there’s no ready‑to‑use LL‑37 supplement or protocol for biohackers yet.
Summary
This paper reviews how natural antimicrobial proteins like LL‑37 might help fight gum disease, cavities, and other mouth problems caused by microbes, but it doesn’t give a clear recipe for using them. It points out that LL‑37 can kill bacteria and viruses and also calm inflammation, making it an interesting candidate for future mouth‑care products.
Abstract
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.
Study Information
pubmed
2012
2012-01-31T00:00:00.000Z
10.2174/138161212799277842
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