Stomatology Hospital, School of Stomatology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China.
Life Sci. 2024 Jun 1;346:122591. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2024.122591. Epub 2024 Mar 26.
As a family of cationic host defense peptides, human β-defensins (HBDs) are ubiquitous in the oral cavity and are mainly synthesized primarily by epithelial cells, serving as the primary barrier and aiming to prevent microbial invasion, inflammation, and disease while maintaining physiological homeostasis. In recent decades, there has been great interest in their biological functions, structure-activity relationships, mechanisms of action, and therapeutic potential in oral diseases. Meanwhile, researchers are dedicated to improving the properties of HBDs for clinical application. In this review, we first describe the classification, structural characteristics, functions, and mechanisms of HBDs. Next, we cover the role of HBDs and their synthetic analogs in oral diseases, including dental caries and pulp infections, periodontitis, peri-implantitis, fungal/viral infections and oral mucosal diseases, and oral squamous cell carcinoma. Finally, we discuss the limitations and challenges of clinical translation of HBDs and their synthetic analogs, including, but not limited to, stability, bioavailability, antimicrobial activity, resistance, and toxicity. Above all, this review summarizes the biological functions, mechanisms of action, and therapeutic potential of both natural HBDs and their synthetic analogs in oral diseases, as well as the challenges associated with clinical translation, thus providing substantial insights into the laboratory development and clinical application of HBDs in oral diseases.
作为阳离子防御肽家族的一员，人 β-防御素（HBDs）在口腔中广泛存在，主要由上皮细胞合成，作为主要的屏障，旨在防止微生物入侵、炎症和疾病，同时维持生理稳态。在最近几十年中，人们对其在口腔疾病中的生物学功能、结构-活性关系、作用机制和治疗潜力产生了浓厚的兴趣。同时，研究人员致力于改善 HBDs 的特性，以用于临床应用。在这篇综述中，我们首先描述了 HBDs 的分类、结构特征、功能和机制。接下来，我们介绍了 HBDs 及其合成类似物在口腔疾病中的作用，包括龋齿和牙髓感染、牙周炎、种植体周围炎、真菌/病毒感染和口腔黏膜疾病以及口腔鳞状细胞癌。最后，我们讨论了 HBDs 及其合成类似物临床转化的局限性和挑战，包括但不限于稳定性、生物利用度、抗菌活性、耐药性和毒性。总而言之，本综述总结了天然 HBDs 及其合成类似物在口腔疾病中的生物学功能、作用机制和治疗潜力，以及与临床转化相关的挑战，从而为 HBDs 在口腔疾病中的实验室开发和临床应用提供了重要的见解。
