title: Evaluation of ciprofloxacin and metronidazole encapsulated biomimetic nanomatrix gel onEnterococcus faecalisandTreponema denticola.
abstract: A triple antibiotic mixture (ciprofloxacin; CF, metronidazole; MN, and minocycline; MC) has been used for dental root canal medicaments in pulp regeneration therapy. However, tooth discolorations, cervical root fractures, and inadequate pulp-dentin formation have been reported due to the triple antibiotic regimen. Therefore, an antibiotic encapsulated biomimetic nanomatrix gel was developed to minimize the clinical limitations and maximize a natural healing process in root canal infections. In this study, minimal bacterial concentrations (MBC) of the selected antibiotics (CF and MN) were tested in 14 representative endodontic bacterial species. Then MBC of each CF and MN were separately encapsulated within the injectable self-assembled biomimetic nanomatrix gel to evaluate antibacterial level onEnterococcus faecalisandTreponema denticola.
  
  
  
  Antibiotic concentrations lower than 0.2 µg/mL of CF and MN demonstrated antibacterial activity on the 14 endodontic species. Furthermore, 6 different concentrations of CF and MN separately encapsulated with the injectable self-assembled biomimetic nanomatrix gel demonstrated antibacterial activity onEnterococcus faecalisandTreponema denticolaat the lowest tested concentration of 0.0625 µg/mL.
  
  
  
  These results suggest that each CF and MN encapsulated within the injectable self-assembled biomimetic nanomatrix gel demonstrated antibacterial effects, which could be effective for the root canal disinfection while eliminating MC. In the long term, the antibiotic encapsulated injectable self-assembled biomimetic nanomatrix gel can provide a multifunctional antibiotic delivery method with potential root regeneration. Further studies are currently underway to evaluate the effects of combined CF and MN encapsulated within the injectable self-assembled biomimetic nanomatrix gel on clinical samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Sagar N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Kaushik
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, SDB 304B, 1720 2nd Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35294-0007, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Scoffield
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Adinarayana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Andukuri
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Grant C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Taneidra
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seokgon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Chul
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Division, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Brigitta C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Brott
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Eleazer
authors.affiliation: Department of Maxillofacial Biomedical Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin-Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, SDB 304B, 1720 2nd Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35294-0007, USA.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, SDB 304B, 1720 2nd Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35294-0007, USA.
authors.forename: Noel K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Childers
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Ho-Wook
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA ; Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Hong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, SDB 304B, 1720 2nd Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35294-0007, USA.
authors.forename: Kyounga
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cheon
keywords: Ciprofloxacin; Enterococcus faecalis; Injectable self-assembled biomimetic nanomatrix gel; Metronidazole; Treponema denticola