title: Antimicrobial peptide-based treatment for endodontic infections--biotechnological innovation in endodontics.
abstract: The presence/persistence of microorganisms in the pulp and periapical area corresponds to the maintenance of an exacerbated immune response that leads to the start of periradicular bone resorption and its perpetuation. In endodontic treatment, the available intracanal medications do not have all the desirable properties in the context of endodontic infection and apical periodontitis; they need to include not only strong antimicrobial performance but also an immunomodulatory and reparative activity, without host damage. In addition, there are various levels of resistance to root canal medications. Thus, antimicrobial agents that effectively eliminate resistant species in root canals could potentially improve endodontic treatment. In the emergence of new therapies, an increasing number of studies on antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been seen over the past few years. AMPs are defense biomolecules produced in response to infection, and they have a wide spectrum of action against many oral microorganisms. There are some studies that correlate peptides and oral infections, including oral peptides, neuropeptides, and bacterial, fish, bovine and synthetic peptides. So far, there are around 120 published studies correlating endodontic microbiota with AMPs but, according to our knowledge, there are no registered patents in the American patent database. There are a considerable number of AMPs that exhibit excellent antimicrobial activity against endodontic microbiota at a small inhibitory concentration and modulate an exacerbated immune response, down-regulating bone resorption. All these reasons indicate the antimicrobial peptide-based endodontic treatment as an emerging and promising option.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, SGAN 916N, Av. W5, Campus II, Modulo C, Brasília, DF, Brazil; Curso de Odontologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Campus I, QS 07 Lote 01 room S213 EPCT, Águas Claras, Taguatinga, DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Stella Maris de Freitas
authors.initials: SMF
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.affiliation: Curso de Odontologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Campus I, QS 07 Lote 01 room S213 EPCT, Águas Claras, Taguatinga, DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gabriela Martins
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: de Pádua
authors.affiliation: Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, SGAN 916N, Av. W5, Campus II, Modulo C, Brasília, DF, Brazil; Curso de Odontologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Campus I, QS 07 Lote 01 room S213 EPCT, Águas Claras, Taguatinga, DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maurício Gonçalves da Costa
authors.initials: MGDC
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, SGAN 916N, Av. W5, Campus II, Modulo C, Brasília, DF, Brazil; Programa de Doutorado da Rede Centro-Oeste, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mirna de Souza
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Freire
authors.affiliation: Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, SGAN 916N, Av. W5, Campus II, Modulo C, Brasília, DF, Brazil; Programa de Doutorado da Rede Centro-Oeste, Brasília, DF, Brazil; S-Inova, Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Octávio Luiz
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.affiliation: Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, SGAN 916N, Av. W5, Campus II, Modulo C, Brasília, DF, Brazil; Curso de Odontologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Campus I, QS 07 Lote 01 room S213 EPCT, Águas Claras, Taguatinga, DF, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde (FS), Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Brasília, DF, Brazil. Electronic address: taiambr@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Taia Maria Berto
authors.initials: TMB
authors.lastname: Rezende
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D064307:Microbiota / Q000187:drug effects; D010485:Periapical Periodontitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D012390:Root Canal Therapy
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
keywords: Antimicrobial peptide; Endodontic disinfection; Endodontic microbiology; Intracanal dressing