How short peptides interact with oral cells? A systematic review

Abstract

Abstract Background The study of short peptides in dentistry is a particularly promising area, due to their unique biological properties, such as antibacterial and antitumor activity, the ability to modulate immune responses, tissue regeneration processes, and their potential to stimulate stem cell differentiation. This study provides a systematic review aimed at analyzing the role of short peptides in the pathogenesis and treatment of oral diseases. Methods A systematic search was performed according to the PRISMA statement and employed the PICO(S) approach. The search was limited to English-language articles, and in vitro study were included in the electronic search. A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases, without timeframe limits, resulting in a total of 1085 scientific articles. After duplicate removal, 563 unique papers remained for further analysis. Following this screening process, 19 studies were identified as relevant to the topic. A final selection of 9 scientific papers was made based on their study type and the specific peptide examined. One last article was eliminated in final analysis because the laboratory methodology is now refuted by more recent scientific evidence. Results 8 in vitro studies dealing with different short peptides with different biological functions against oral cavity cells and tissues were included. 4 articles highlighted the ability of short peptides to positively influence the proliferation of cells in the oral cavity. 2 articles highlighted the antitumour activity of short peptides. 1 article highlighted the antimicrobial activity of the peptide DJK-15. The last paper showed that Pep-B has anti-inflammatory properties towards the cells of the oral cavity. Conclusions However, the main short peptides that have been tested in vitro and that act on cells and tissues of the oral cavity are the focus of this systematic review. It can therefore be used as a basis for a possible hypothesis of new in vitro studies to compare the different molecules, for new in vivo studies and for the investigation of potential action mechanisms and applications for new drugs to combat diseases of the oral cavity. Clinical trial number Not applicable.

Keywords

• Short peptides
• Oral cavity
• Oral cavity cells
• Peptides