Modification and enhancement of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy for the treatment of oral and head and neck infections

• Grant number: 16/18378-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: May 01, 2017
• End date: October 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Carla Raquel Fontana
• Grantee: Laura Marise de Freitas
• Supervisor: Thomas S. Mang
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCFAR). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: State University of New York, Buffalo State (SUNY), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 14/24581-5 - Evaluation of the role of photodynamic therapy combined with antimicrobial peptides against bacterial resistance, BP.DR

Abstract

Biofilms have become a major topic of study in the past two decades. They can be found in virtually any moist biotic or abiotic surface, and are the basis of several human diseases. The greater resistance to antibiotics observed in biofilms relies mostly on the protection of bacteria by the self-produced extracellular polymeric matrix, which possibly binds to antimicrobial agents impairing their diffusion and entrance into the cells, and/or promotes their enzymatic cleavage. The complete removal of bacteria growing in biofilm phase is frequently not achieved. Therefore, the development of antibacterial therapeutic strategies is compelling. In that context, antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) and excel. The mechanism of aPDT relies on the uptake of a non-toxic dye named photosensitizer (PS) by the target cell and its activation by visible light of a specific wavelength in the presence of oxygen, originating highly damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS), which provoke the target cell death. The main goal of this proposal is to modify and enhance a PDT method into a broadly effective, noninvasive aPDT for the treatment of biofilm-based oral and head and neck infections. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DE FREITAS, LAURA MARISE; LORENZON, ESTEBAN NICOLAS; CILLI, EDUARDO MAFFUD; DE OLIVEIRA, KLEBER THIAGO; FONTANA, CARLA RAQUEL; MANG, THOMAS S.. Photodynamic and peptide-based strategy to inhibit Gram-positive bacterial biofilm formation. BIOFOULING, v. 35, n. 7, p. 742-757, AUG 9 2019. (18/23015-7, 14/24581-5, 16/18378-8)