Oral antimicrobial peptides and new therapeutic strategies for plaque-mediated diseases

Abstract Oral cavity is considered as a heterogeneous habitat which is appropriate for various characteristic microbial community. One of the main innate defense mechanisms for maintaining oral health and controlling oral infections is the secretion of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in salvia. Identified AMPs and proteins in the whole saliva are secreted by oral epithelial cells, salivary glands, and neutrophils. There are three classes of AMPs in the human mouth are include defensins, cathelicidins, and histatins. These peptides have various biological effects such as modulating the immune response, promoting wound healing, and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity that make them popular for the control and treatment of diseases. Regarding the increase of resistance to antibiotics worldwide, it seems that the efforts for using of AMPs as an alternative to antibiotics must be accelerated. In the present review, we provided an overview of the AMPs discovered in the oral cavity and also proposed the scientific strategies to develop the use of these peptides for the prevention and treatment of plaque-related oral diseases.