Peptides in Oral Diseases

Title: Peptides in Oral Diseases

Volume: 18 Issue: 6

Author(s): Alberta Lucchese, Agostino Guida, Massimo Petruzzi, Giovanni Capone, Luigi Laino and Rosario Serpico

Affiliation:

Keywords: Antimicrobial peptides, cytokeratin peptides, bacterial competence-stimulating peptides, desmoglein-3 peptide, oral infectious diseases, Pemphigus vulgaris, oral squamous cell carcinomas, adrenomedullin, histatins, Candida albicans

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.

Cite this article as:

Lucchese Alberta, Guida Agostino, Petruzzi Massimo, Capone Giovanni, Laino Luigi and Serpico Rosario, Peptides in Oral Diseases, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2012; 18 (6) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138161212799277842