Yaxin Xie

Biofilm-associated oral diseases impose a substantial global health burden and are closely linked to systemic inflammation. Although antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) offer a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics, their therapeutic efficacy in the oral cavity is limited by barriers in the oral environment. Free AMPs are rapidly removed by salivary flow, destabilized by local proteases, and impeded by substantial diffusion barriers within mature biofilms. Nanoengineering provides a systematic approach to address these limitations. In this review, we present a barrier-oriented framework for AMP delivery and examine how nanomaterial design addresses the specific constraints of the oral environment. Interfacial engineering prolongs local retention, spatial protection preserves AMP stability, and microenvironment-responsive systems provide on-demand activation for effective biofilm disruption. Alongside these approaches, multifunctional nanosystems combining antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and regenerative activities are discussed. Finally, key translational challenges, including biosafety, microbiome homeostasis, manufacturing, and regulatory barriers, are critically examined. This review traces the development of AMP nanoengineering from passive delivery vehicles toward precision therapeutic platforms that respond dynamically to the oral microenvironment.

Intense oxidative stress in bone tissues can trigger the hyperactivation of neutrophils, thereby causing inflammatory cascades to deteriorate bone homeostasis. Here, inspired by the catalytic centers of natural antioxidases, we introduce the spatial configuration-guided design of covalent organic framework (COF)-based artificial metalloantioxidases for inhibiting inflammatory cascades and regulating bone homeostasis. Specifically, the hexaiminohexaazatrinaphthalene COF with ruthenium coordination (S-HACOF-Ru), featuring electron-rich centers with a spatial configuration, demonstrates exceptional antioxidase-like reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging capabilities for efficiently mitigating the oxidative stress. As a result, S-HACOF-Ru efficiently prevents the generation of neutrophil extracellular traps and inhibits the release of myeloperoxidase (MPO). By preventing MPO-induced activation of nuclear factor-kappa B and inhibiting proinflammatory macrophage polarization, S-HACOF-Ru successfully blocks the neutrophil-macrophage inflammatory cascades. This intervention promotes bone homeostasis by a shift from bone resorption to tissue regeneration, which can efficiently inhibit alveolar bone loss in periodontal tissues and reverse cartilage damage in ankle joint cavities. We propose that this design strategy provides an intriguing avenue for developing new artificial antioxidases and biocatalytic materials with potential applications in treating a wide range of chronic inflammatory diseases.

Objectives The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of somatic pain in orthodontic patients and determine whether somatic pain contributes to worsening oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) through the mediating effect of psychological discomfort. Materials and methods Scale measurements and analyses were conducted on a cohort of 769 orthodontic outpatients, encompassing Patient Health Questionnaire-15-pain (PHQ-15-P), Hua-Xi Emotional-Distress Index (HEI), Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ), and Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14). Results Among the respondents, 56.3% (N = 433) reported somatic pain and 20.0% (N = 154) had mental discomfort based on PHQ-15-P and HEI scores. Patients with somatic pain symptoms had significantly higher scores of HEI and OHIP-14 (P < 0.001), and higher PHQ-15-P and HEI scores emerged as statistically significant predictors of lower OHIP-14 scores (P < 0.001). HEI scores which assessed anxiety and depression partially mediated the correlation between PHQ-15-P and OHIP-14 scores, of which anxiety accounted for 52.9% of the overall mediation effect, dominating the indirect effect. Conclusion Orthodontic patients reporting somatic pains were at a significantly higher risk of worsening OHRQoL during treatment, and this adverse effect is partially mediated by anxiety and depression. Clinical relevance Our findings highlight the necessity for the assessment of general health and mental well-being during orthodontic interventions. To prevent delays in treating general disorders and the potential failure of orthodontic treatments, we encourage increased attentiveness towards patients with somatic symptoms and consideration of the adverse effects of comorbid mental distress.

Objectives:The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of somatic pain in orthodontic patients and determine whether somatic pain contributes to worsening oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL)through the mediating effect of psychological discomfort. Materials and Methods: Scale measurements and analyses were conducted on a cohort of 769 orthodontic outpatients, encompassing Patient Health Questionnaire-15-pain (PHQ-15-P), Hua-Xi Emotional-Distress Index (HEI),Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ), and Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14). Results: Among the respondents, 56.3% (N = 433) reported somatic pain and 20.0% (N = 154) had mental discomfort based on PHQ-15-P and HEI scores. Patients with somatic pain symptoms had significantly higher scores of HEI and OHIP-14 (P < 0.001), and higher PHQ-15-P and HEI scores emerged as statistically significant predictors of lower OHIP-14 scores (P < 0.001). HEI scores which assessed anxiety and depression partially mediated the correlation between PHQ-15-P and OHIP-14 scores, of which anxiety accounted for 52.9% of the overall mediation effect, dominating the indirect effect. Conclusion: Orthodontic patients reporting somatic pains were at a significantly higher risk of worsening OHRQoL during treatment, and this adverse effect is partially mediated by anxiety and depression. Clinical Relevance: Our findings highlight the necessity for the assessment of general health and mental well-being during orthodontic interventions. To prevent delays in treating general disorders and the potential failure of orthodontic treatments, we encourage increased awareness and attentiveness towards patients with somatic symptoms and consideration of the adverse effects of comorbid mental distress.

Periodontitis, one of the most common, challenging, and rapidly expanding oral diseases, is an oxidative stress-related disease caused by excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Developing ROS-scavenging materials to regulate the periodontium microenvironments is essential for treating periodontitis. Here, we report on creating cobalt oxide-supported Ir (CoO-Ir) as a cascade and ultrafast artificial antioxidase to alleviate local tissue inflammation and bone resorption in periodontitis. It is demonstrated that the Ir nanoclusters are uniformly supported on the CoO lattice, and there is stable chemical coupling and strong charge transfer from Co to Ir sites. Benefiting from its structural advantages, CoO-Ir presents cascade and ultrafast superoxide dismutase-catalase-like catalytic activities. Notably, it displays distinctly increased V_max (76.249 mg L^-1 min^-1) and turnover number (2.736 s^-1) when eliminating H₂O₂, which surpasses most of the by-far-reported artificial enzymes. Consequently, the CoO-Ir not only provides efficient cellular protection from ROS attack but also promotes osteogenetic differentiation in vitro. Furthermore, CoO-Ir can efficiently combat periodontitis by inhibiting inflammation-induced tissue destruction and promoting osteogenic regeneration. We believe that this report will shed meaningful light on creating cascade and ultrafast artificial antioxidases and offer an effective strategy to combat tissue inflammation and osteogenic resorption in oxidative stress-related diseases.

Background Malocclusion patients, as a population highly concerned with oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), are especially at risk of developing psychiatric disorders. Since somatic pains are frequently accompanied by psychiatric disorders, a growing body of research is starting to focus on this comorbidity in the orthodontic patient population. However, the relationships among somatic pains, psychiatric disorders, and impaired OHRQoL during orthodontic treatment remain unknown.Method In the current study, scale measurements including somatic pain (quantified by PHQ-15), mental disorders (quantified by HEI, PIDAQ, and SCL90), and OHRQoL (verified by OHIP-14) were collected from 769 outpatients in the orthodontic department. According to their reports of the presence or absence of somatic pain, respondents were divided into with symptoms and without symptoms groups. Variation analysis and correlation analysis were used to investigate the relationships among different clinical assessments. A chained mediation model was further conducted to explore the direct and indirect effects of these various clinical factors.Results The scores of HEI, SCL90, and OHIP-14 were significantly higher in the patients with somatic pain symptoms (P < 0.001). The higher PHQ-15-P and HEI scores remained as statistically significant predictors of lower OHIP-14 scores (P < 0.001). Anxiety and depression partially mediated the correlation between somatic pain and OHRQoL, of which the mediation effect of anxiety (52.9%) dominated the indirect effect.Conclusion Orthodontic Patients with somatic pain symptoms were at significantly higher risk for mental disorders and lower OHRQoL. Somatic pain can influence the orofacial system and was partially mediated by comorbid anxiety and depression. The comorbidity of somatic symptoms and psychological disorders influence the quality of life significantly and thus the prognosis of the orthodontic treatment.

Hydrogels, which are hydrophilic polymer networks, have attracted great attention, and significant advances in their biological and biomedical applications, such as for drug delivery, tissue engineering, and models for medical studies, have been made. Due to their similarity in physiological structure, hydrogels are highly compatible with extracellular matrices and biological tissues and can be used as both carriers and matrices to encapsulate cellular secretions. As small extracellular vesicles secreted by nearly all mammalian cells to mediate cell–cell interactions, exosomes play very important roles in therapeutic approaches and disease diagnosis. To maintain their biological activity and achieve controlled release, a strategy that embeds exosomes in hydrogels as a composite system has been focused on in recent studies. Therefore, this review aims to provide a thorough overview of the use of composite hydrogels for embedding exosomes in medical applications, including the resources for making hydrogels and the properties of hydrogels, and strategies for their combination with exosomes.

Background: Casticin expresses multiple anti‐cancer activities, whereas the effect of casticin on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is still unclear. β‐catenin signaling plays a crucial role in the epithelial‐mesenchymal transition which is closely related to tumorigenesis. Herein, we aimed to study the functions of casticin on invasion and migration of OSCC, and clarify whether the effect of casticin on OSCC has a relationship with β‐catenin signaling.Methods: Human OSCC cell lines UM1 and HSC‐3 were treated with different concentrations of casticin. The cell viability was evaluated by MTT and soft agar colony formation. Transwell assay and wound‐healing assay were performed to measure the ability of cell invasion and migration. The protein expression was assessed by Western blotting.Results: Casticin displayed inhibitory activities of cell viability, invasion, and migration on OSCC cell lines. Meanwhile, casticin could reverse EMT process and inhibit the expression of β‐catenin in OSCC. Knock‐down or overexpression of β‐catenin could alter the effect of casticin on OSCC.Conclusions: Casticin impaired invasion and migration of OSCC by inhibition of β‐catenin and reversal of EMT and could be a potential anti‐cancer bioactive agent.