Publications by authors named "Zhenting Xiang"

Article Synopsis
  • Bacterial biofilms are tough to treat with current antimicrobials, leading to many infections, but iron oxide-nanozymes like ferumoxytol (FMX) show promise by activating hydrogen peroxide to combat these infections.
  • In clinical studies on patients with apical periodontitis, a single application of FMX demonstrated strong antibiofilm activity similar to the traditional disinfectant sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), but without causing damage to surrounding tissues.
  • FMX not only effectively targets harmful bacteria but also enhances the growth of stem cells, suggesting it could provide a dual benefit of fighting infections while promoting healing and tissue regeneration.
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  • Bacterial infections in complex spaces are tough to treat, as nanozymes (enzyme-mimicking nanoparticles) struggle with targeted delivery and performance due to poor distribution during fabrication.
  • Incorporating these nanozymes into microrobots helps navigate hard-to-reach areas using magnetic microcapsules that can move adaptively and collectively.
  • This new microrobotic platform effectively releases catalytic agents and generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to efficient biofilm destruction in targeted regions, like tooth canals, showcasing a novel solution for localized infection treatment.
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Biofilms, intricate microbial communities entrenched in extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) matrices, pose formidable challenges in infectious disease treatment, especially in the context of interkingdom biofilms prevalent in the oral environment. This study investigates the potential of carvacrol-loaded biodegradable nanoemulsions (NEs) with systematically varied surface charges─cationic guanidinium (GMT-NE) and anionic carboxylate (CMT-NE). Zeta potentials of +25 mV (GMT-NE) and -33 mV (CMT-NE) underscore successful nanoemulsion fabrication (∼250 nm).

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Tailoring the microstructure of magnetic microparticles is of vital importance for their applications. Spiky magnetic particles, such as those made from sunflower pollens, have shown promise in single cell treatment and biofilm removal. Synthetic methods that can replicate or extend the functionality of such spiky particles would be advantageous for their widespread utilization.

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The oral cavity, a warm and moist environment, is prone to the proliferation of microorganisms like (), which forms robust biofilms on biotic and abiotic surfaces, leading to challenging infections. These biofilms are resistant to conventional treatments due to their resilience against antimicrobials and immune responses. The dynamic nature of the oral cavity, including the salivary flow and varying surface properties, complicates the delivery of therapeutic agents.

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Article Synopsis
  • Dental caries, a prevalent disease caused by oral biofilms, persists despite fluoride use, but iron oxide nanoparticles (ferumoxytol) can degrade these biofilms with hydrogen peroxide.
  • When combined with stannous fluoride, ferumoxytol significantly enhances the inhibition of biofilm growth and enamel damage compared to using either treatment alone.
  • This combination is effective in controlling dental caries in live subjects at much lower concentrations and shows no negative effects on surrounding tissues or the oral microbiome, highlighting its potential as a safe and efficient treatment for oral health.
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  • Fungal pathogens are significant global health threats, prompting the need for enhanced antifungal treatments that minimize side effects and effectively target infections.
  • Researchers have developed a nanozyme-based microrobotic system that delivers precise, localized antifungal action through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at the infection site.
  • This innovative approach allows for rapid eradication of fungal infections, such as Candida albicans, within 10 minutes by using programmable algorithms for accurate targeting and catalysis.
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Article Synopsis
  • Dental caries, a common disease caused by oral biofilms, affects nearly half of the global population despite the use of fluoride, although a new FDA-approved iron oxide nanozyme (ferumoxytol) shows promise in disrupting these biofilms.
  • Combining ferumoxytol with stannous fluoride significantly enhances their effectiveness in preventing both biofilm accumulation and enamel damage, outperforming either treatment alone.
  • The synergy between these two agents not only stabilizes the stannous fluoride but also improves its catalytic activity, demonstrating a novel method to combat dental caries without adverse effects on oral health or microbiome diversity.
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Candida albicans, a fungus typically found in the mucosal niche, is frequently detected in biofilms formed on teeth (dental plaque) of toddlers with severe childhood caries, a global public health problem that causes rampant tooth decay. However, knowledge about fungal traits on the tooth surface remains limited. Here, we assess the phylogeny, phenotype, and interkingdom interactions of C.

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Fungi and bacteria often engage in complex interactions, such as the formation of multicellular biofilms within the human body. Knowledge about how interkingdom biofilms initiate and coalesce into higher-level communities and which functions the different species carry out during biofilm formation remain limited. We found native-state assemblages of (fungi) and (bacteria) with highly structured arrangement in saliva from diseased patients with childhood tooth decay.

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Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans are frequently detected together in the plaque from patients with early childhood caries (ECC) and synergistically interact to form a cariogenic cross-kingdom biofilm. However, this biofilm is difficult to control. Thus, to achieve maximal efficacy within the complex biofilm microenvironment, nanoparticle carriers have shown increased interest in treating oral biofilms in recent years.

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The oral cavity, as the entry point to the body, may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection that has caused a global outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Available data indicate that the oral cavity may be an active site of infection and an important reservoir of SARS-CoV-2. Considering that the oral surfaces are colonized by a diverse microbial community, it is likely that viruses have interactions with the host microbiota.

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Objective: Dentin remineralization at the bonded interface would protect it from external risk factors, therefore, would enhance the longevity of restoration and combat secondary caries. Dental biofilm, as one of the critical biological factors in caries formation, should not be neglected in the assessment of caries preventive agents. In this work, the remineralization effectiveness of demineralized human dentin in a multi-species dental biofilm environment via an adhesive containing nanoparticles of amorphous calcium phosphate (NACP) and dimethylaminohexadecyl methacrylate (DMAHDM) was investigated.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study explores the link between iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and changes in oral microbiota, which may affect the risk of infective endocarditis (IE).
  • In a cross-section of 24 IDA patients and 24 healthy controls, researchers used high-throughput sequencing to analyze dental plaque microbiota, finding significant differences in microbial composition.
  • Results indicate that IDA is associated with reduced diversity in oral flora and shifts towards genera linked with opportunistic infections, but further research is needed to confirm the implication for IE risk.
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Bacterial cell division is initiated by tubulin homologue FtsZ that assembles into a ring structure at mid-cell to facilitate cytokinesis. EzrA has been identified to be implicated in FtsZ-ring dynamics and cell wall biosynthesis during cell division of Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, the model rod and cocci. However, its role in pathogenic streptococci remains largely unknown.

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is a genus of oval-shaped bacteria that act as both commensals and pathogens. Streptococcal infections are relevant to high morbidity and huge socioeconomic costs, with drug resistant strains becoming an increasing threat. Cell division plays an essential role during streptococcal colonization and infection, rendering it an ideal target for antibiotics.

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GntR family transcription factors have been implicated in the regulation of carbohydrate transport and metabolism in many bacteria. However, the function of this transcription factor family is poorly studied in , which is a commensal bacterium in the human oral cavity and a well-known cariogenic pathogen. One of the most important virulence traits of is its ability to transport and metabolize carbohydrates.

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Background: WRAP53, including α, β and γ isoforms, plays an important role not only in the stability of p53 mRNA, but also in the assembly and trafficking of the telomerase holoenzyme. It has been considered an oncogene and is thought to promote the survival of cancer cells. The aim of this study was to detect the role of TCAB1 (except WRAP53α) in the occurrence and development of head and neck carcinomas.

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