Designing Collagen-Binding Peptide with Enhanced Properties Using Hydropathic Free Energy Predictions.

Collagen is fundamental to a vast diversity of health functions and potential therapeutics. Short peptides targeting collagen are attractive for designing modular systems for site-specific delivery of bioactive agents. Characterization of peptide-protein binding involves a larger number of potential interactions that require screening methods to target physiological conditions. We build a hydropathy-based free energy estimation tool which allows quick evaluation of peptides binding to collagen. Previous studies showed that pH plays a significant role in collagen structure and stability. Our design tool enables probing peptides for their collagen-binding property across multiple pH conditions. We explored binding features of currently known collagen-binding peptides, collagen type I alpha chain 2 sense peptide (TKKTLRT) and decorin LRR-10 (LRELHLNNN). Based on these analyzes, we engineered a collagen-binding peptide with enhanced properties across a large pH range in contrast to LRR-10 pH dependence. To validate our predictions, we used a quantum-dots-based binding assay to compare the coverage of the peptides on type I collagen. The predicted peptide resulted in improved collagen binding. Hydropathy of the peptide-protein pair is a promising approach to finding compatible pairings with minimal use of computational resources, and our method allows for quick evaluation of peptides for binding to other proteins. Overall, the free-energy-based tool provides an alternative computational screening approach that impacts protein interaction search methods.

Engineered Peptides Enable Biomimetic Route for Collagen Intrafibrillar Mineralization.

Overcoming the short lifespan of current dental adhesives remains a significant clinical need. Adhesives rely on formation of the hybrid layer to adhere to dentin and penetrate within collagen fibrils. However, the ability of adhesives to achieve complete enclosure of demineralized collagen fibrils is recognized as currently unattainable. We developed a peptide-based approach enabling collagen intrafibrillar mineralization and tested our hypothesis on a type-I collagen-based platform. Peptide design incorporated collagen-binding and remineralization-mediating properties using the domain structure conservation approach. The structural changes from representative members of different peptide clusters were generated for each functional domain. Common signatures associated with secondary structure features and the related changes in the functional domain were investigated by attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, respectively. Assembly and remineralization properties of the peptides on the collagen platforms were studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Mechanical properties of the collagen fibrils remineralized by the peptide assemblies was studied using PeakForce-Quantitative Nanomechanics (PF-QNM)-AFM. The engineered peptide was demonstrated to offer a promising route for collagen intrafibrillar remineralization. This approach offers a collagen platform to develop multifunctional strategies that combine different bioactive peptides, polymerizable peptide monomers, and adhesive formulations as steps towards improving the long-term prospects of composite resins.

Effect of EDTA Gel on Residual Subgingival Calculus and Biofilm: An In Vitro Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Residual calculus, following scaling and root planing (SRP), is associated with persistent inflammation and the progression of periodontitis. This study examined the effects of a 24% neutral ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) gel on subgingival calculus and biofilms. METHODS: Eleven single-rooted teeth extracted because of severe periodontal disease were randomly assigned to the following treatment groups: (1) three teeth served as untreated controls; (2) three teeth were treated by scaling and root planing (SRP) only; and (3) three teeth were treated by SRP + EDTA. The remaining two teeth, one SRP only and the other SRP + EDTA were designated for energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. EDTA gel was placed on the SRP surface for 2 min and then burnished with a sterile cotton pellet. RESULTS: SRP + EDTA treated specimens exhibited severely damaged biofilm and the disruption of the extracellular polymeric matrix. EDS scans of the smear layer and calculus featured reductions in the Weight % and Atomic % for N, F, Na, and S and increases in Mg, P, and Ca. CONCLUSIONS: A 25% neutral EDTA gel was applied after SRP severely disrupted the residual biofilm and altered the character of dental calculus and the smear layer as shown by reductions in the Weight % and Atomic % for N, F, Na, and S and increases in Mg, P, and Ca.

Community health workers' critical role in trust building between the medical system and communities of color.

The authors interrogate elements of routine medical practice in New York City to argue for reforms of hospital culture through relational trust-building capabilities of community health workers.

Autonomous-Strengthening Adhesive Provides Hydrolysis-Resistance and Enhanced Mechanical Properties in Wet Conditions.

The low-viscosity adhesive that is used to bond composite restorative materials to the tooth is readily damaged by acids, enzymes, and oral fluids. Bacteria infiltrate the resulting gaps at the composite/tooth interface, demineralize the tooth, and further erode the adhesive. This paper presents the preparation and characterization of a low-crosslink-density hydrophilic adhesive that capitalizes on sol-gel reactions and free-radical polymerization to resist hydrolysis and provide enhanced mechanical properties in wet environments. Polymerization behavior, water sorption, and leachates were investigated. Dynamic mechanical analyses (DMA) were conducted using water-saturated adhesives to mimic load transfer in wet conditions. Data from all tests were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests (α = 0.05). The degree of conversion was comparable for experimental and control adhesives at 88.3 and 84.3%, respectively. HEMA leachate was significantly lower for the experimental (2.9 wt%) compared to control (7.2 wt%). After 3 days of aqueous aging, the storage and rubbery moduli and the glass transition temperature of the experimental adhesive (57.5MPa, 12.8MPa, and 38.7 °C, respectively) were significantly higher than control (7.4MPa, 4.3 MPa, and 25.9 °C, respectively). The results indicated that the autonomic sol-gel reaction continues in the wet environment, leading to intrinsic reinforcement of the polymer network, improved hydrolytic stability, and enhanced mechanical properties.

Peptide-Enabled Nanocomposites Offer Biomimetic Reconstruction of Silver Diamine Fluoride-Treated Dental Tissues.

Caries is the most ubiquitous infectious disease of mankind, and early childhood caries (ECC) is the most prevalent chronic disease in children worldwide, with the resulting destruction of the teeth recognized as a global health crisis. Recent the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the use of silver diamine fluoride (SDF) in dentistry offers a safe, accessible, and inexpensive approach to arrest caries progression in children with ECC. However, discoloration, i.e., black staining, of demineralized or cavitated surfaces treated with SDF has limited its widespread use. Targeting SDF-treated tooth surfaces, we developed a biohybrid calcium phosphate nanocomposite interface building upon the self-assembly of synthetic biomimetic peptides. Here, an engineered bifunctional peptide composed of a silver binding peptide (AgBP) is covalently joined to an amelogenin derived peptide (ADP). The AgBP provides anchoring to the SDF-treated tooth tissue, while the ADP promotes rapid formation of a calcium phosphate isomorph nanocomposite mimicking the biomineralization function of the amelogenin protein. Our results demonstrate that the bifunctional peptide was effective in remineralizing the biomineral destroyed by caries on the SDF-treated tooth tissues. The proposed engineered peptide approach offers a biomimetic path for remineralization of the SDF-treated tissues producing a calcium phosphate nanocomposite interface competent to be restored using commonly available adhesive dental composites.

Engineering peptide-polymer hybrids for targeted repair and protection of cervical lesions.

By 2060, nearly 100 million people in the U.S. will be over age 65 years. One-third of these older adults will have root caries, and nearly 80% will have dental erosion. These conditions can cause pain and loss of tooth structure that interfere with eating, speaking, sleeping, and quality of life. Current treatments for root caries and dental erosion have produced unreliable results. For example, the glass-ionomer-cement or composite-resin restorations used to treat these lesions have annual failure rates of 44% and 17%, respectively. These limitations and the pressing need to treat these conditions in the aging population are driving a focus on microinvasive strategies, such as sealants and varnishes. Sealants can inhibit caries on coronal surfaces, but they are ineffective for root caries. For healthy, functionally independent elders, chlorhexidine varnish applied every 3 months inhibits root caries, but this bitter-tasting varnish stains the teeth. Fluoride gel inhibits root caries, but requires prescriptions and daily use, which may not be feasible for some older patients. Silver diamine fluoride can both arrest and inhibit root caries but stains the treated tooth surface black. The limitations of current approaches and high prevalence of root caries and dental erosion in the aging population create an urgent need for microinvasive therapies that can: (a) remineralize damaged dentin; (b) inhibit bacterial activity; and (c) provide durable protection for the root surface. Since cavitated and non-cavitated root lesions are difficult to distinguish, optimal approaches will treat both. This review will explore the multi-factorial elements that contribute to root surface lesions and discuss a multi-pronged strategy to both repair and protect root surfaces. The strategy integrates engineered peptides, novel polymer chemistry, multi-scale structure/property characterization and predictive modeling to develop a durable, microinvasive treatment for root surface lesions.

Reconfigurable Dual Peptide Tethered Polymer System Offers a Synergistic Solution for Next Generation Dental Adhesives.

Resin-based composite materials have been widely used in restorative dental materials due to their aesthetic, mechanical, and physical properties. However, they still encounter clinical shortcomings mainly due to recurrent decay that develops at the composite-tooth interface. The low-viscosity adhesive that bonds the composite to the tooth is intended to seal this interface, but the adhesive seal is inherently defective and readily damaged by acids, enzymes, and oral fluids. Bacteria infiltrate the resulting gaps at the composite-tooth interface and bacterial by-products demineralize the tooth and erode the adhesive. These activities lead to wider and deeper gaps that provide an ideal environment for bacteria to proliferate. This complex degradation process mediated by several biological and environmental factors damages the tooth, destroys the adhesive seal, and ultimately, leads to failure of the composite restoration. This paper describes a co-tethered dual peptide-polymer system to address composite-tooth interface vulnerability. The adhesive system incorporates an antimicrobial peptide to inhibit bacterial attack and a hydroxyapatite-binding peptide to promote remineralization of damaged tooth structure. A designer spacer sequence was incorporated into each peptide sequence to not only provide a conjugation site for methacrylate (MA) monomer but also to retain active peptide conformations and enhance the display of the peptides in the material. The resulting MA-antimicrobial peptides and MA-remineralization peptides were copolymerized into dental adhesives formulations. The results on the adhesive system composed of co-tethered peptides demonstrated both strong metabolic inhibition of S. mutans and localized calcium phosphate remineralization. Overall, the result offers a reconfigurable and tunable peptide-polymer hybrid system as next-generation adhesives to address composite-tooth interface vulnerability.

Chemometrics-Assisted Raman Spectroscopy Characterization of Tunable Polymer-Peptide Hybrids for Dental Tissue Repair.

The interfaces that biological tissues form with biomaterials are invariably defective and frequently the location where failure initiates. Characterizing the phenomena that lead to failure is confounded by several factors including heterogeneous material/tissue interfaces. To seamlessly analyze across these diverse structures presents a wealth of analytical challenges. This study aims to develop a molecular-level understanding of a peptide-functionalized adhesive/collagen hybrid biomaterial using Raman spectroscopy combined with chemometrics approach. An engineered hydroxyapatite-binding peptide (HABP) was copolymerized in dentin adhesive and dentin was demineralized to provide collagen matrices that were partially infiltrated with the peptide-functionalized adhesive. Partial infiltration led to pockets of exposed collagen-a condition that simulates defects in adhesive/dentin interfaces. The spectroscopic results indicate that co-polymerizable HABP tethered to the adhesive promoted remineralization of the defects. The spatial distribution of collagen, adhesive, and mineral as well as crystallinity of the mineral across this heterogeneous material/tissue interface was determined using micro-Raman spectroscopy combined with chemometrics approach. The success of this combined approach in the characterization of material/tissue interfaces stems from its ability to extract quality parameters that are related to the essential and relevant portions of the spectral data, after filtering out noise and non-relevant information. This ability is critical when it is not possible to separate components for analysis such as investigations focused on, in situ chemical characterization of interfaces. Extracting essential information from complex bio/material interfaces using data driven approaches will improve our understanding of heterogeneous material/tissue interfaces. This understanding will allow us to identify key parameters within the interfacial micro-environment that should be harnessed to develop durable biomaterials.

Probing the mineralized tissue-adhesive interface for tensile nature and bond strength.

The mechanical performance of the dentin-adhesive interface contributes significantly to the failure of dental composite restorations. Rational material design can lead to enhanced mechanical performance, but this requires accurate characterization of the mechanical behavior at the dentin-adhesive interface. The mechanical performance of the interface is typically characterized using bond strength tests, such as the micro-tensile test. These tests are plagued by multiple limitations including large variations in the test results. The challenges associated with conventional tensile tests limit our ability to unravel the complex relationships that affect mechanical behavior at the dentin-adhesive interface. This study used the diametral compression test to overcome the challenges inherent in conventional bond strength tests. The bovine femur cortical bone tissue was considered as a surrogate material (the mineralized tissue) for human dentin. Two different adhesive formulations, which differed by means of their self-strengthening properties, were studied. The tensile behavior of the mineralized tissue, the adhesive polymer, and the bond strength of the mineralized tissue - adhesive interface was determined using the diametral compression test. The diametral compression test improved the repeatability for both the tensile and bond strength tests. The rate dependent mechanical behavior was observed for both single material and interfacial material systems. The tensile strength and bond strength of the mineralized tissue-adhesive interface was greater for the self-strengthening formulation as compared to the control.

Combining genetic algorithm with machine learning strategies for designing potent antimicrobial peptides.

BACKGROUND: Current methods in machine learning provide approaches for solving challenging, multiple constraint design problems. While deep learning and related neural networking methods have state-of-the-art performance, their vulnerability in decision making processes leading to irrational outcomes is a major concern for their implementation. With the rising antibiotic resistance, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have increasingly gained attention as novel therapeutic agents. This challenging design problem requires peptides which meet the multiple constraints of limiting drug-resistance in bacteria, preventing secondary infections from imbalanced microbial flora, and avoiding immune system suppression. AMPs offer a promising, bioinspired design space to targeting antimicrobial activity, but their versatility also requires the curated selection from a combinatorial sequence space. This space is too large for brute-force methods or currently known rational design approaches outside of machine learning. While there has been progress in using the design space to more effectively target AMP activity, a widely applicable approach has been elusive. The lack of transparency in machine learning has limited the advancement of scientific knowledge of how AMPs are related among each other, and the lack of general applicability for fully rational approaches has limited a broader understanding of the design space. METHODS: Here we combined an evolutionary method with rough set theory, a transparent machine learning approach, for designing antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Our method achieves the customization of AMPs using supervised learning boundaries. Our system employs in vitro bacterial assays to measure fitness, codon-representation of peptides to gain flexibility of sequence selection in DNA-space with a genetic algorithm and machine learning to further accelerate the process. RESULTS: We use supervised machine learning and a genetic algorithm to find a peptide active against S. epidermidis, a common bacterial strain for implant infections, with an improved aggregation propensity average for an improved ease of synthesis. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that AMP design can be customized to maintain activity and simplify production. To our knowledge, this is the first time when codon-based genetic algorithms combined with rough set theory methods is used for computational search on peptide sequences.

Bioinspired multifunctional adhesive system for next generation bio-additively designed dental restorations.

Resin-based composite has overtaken dental amalgam as the most popular material for the repair of lost or damaged tooth structure. In spite of the popularity, the average composite lifetime is about half that of amalgam restorations. The leading cause of composite-restoration failure is decay at the margin where the adhesive is applied. The adhesive is intended to seal the composite/tooth interface, but the adhesive seal to dentin is fragile and readily degraded by acids, enzymes and other oral fluids. The inherent weakness of this material system is attributable to several factors including the lack of antimicrobial properties, remineralization capabilities and durable mechanical performance - elements that are central to the integrity of the adhesive/dentin (a/d) interfacial seal. Our approach to this problem offers a transition from a hybrid to a biohybrid structure. Discrete peptides are tethered to polymers to provide multi-bio-functional adhesive formulations that simultaneously achieve antimicrobial and remineralization properties. The bio-additive materials design combines several functional properties with the goal of providing an adhesive that will serve as a durable barrier to recurrent decay at the composite/tooth interface. This article provides an overview of our multi-faceted approach which uses peptides tethered to polymers and new polymer chemistries to achieve the next generation adhesive system - an adhesive that provides antimicrobial properties, repair of defective dentin and enhanced mechanical performance.

Evolution of Network Structure and Mechanical Properties in Autonomous-Strengthening Dental Adhesive.

The inherent degradation property of most dental resins in the mouth leads to the long-term release of degradation by-products at the adhesive/tooth interface. The by-products increase the virulence of cariogenic bacteria, provoking a degradative positive-feedback loop that leads to physicochemical and mechanical failure. Photoinduced free-radical polymerization and sol‒gel reactions have been coupled to produce a novel autonomous-strengthening adhesive with enhanced hydrolytic stability. This paper investigates the effect of network structure on time-dependent mechanical properties in adhesives with and without autonomous strengthening. Stress relaxation was conducted under 0.2% strain for 8 h followed by 40 h recovery in water. The stress‒time relationship is analyzed by nonlinear least-squares data-fitting. The fitted Prony series predicts the sample's history under monotonic loading. Results showed that the control failed after the first loading‒unloading‒recovery cycle with permanent deformation. While for the experimental sample, the displacement was almost completely recovered and the Young's modulus increased significantly after the first test cycle. The experimental polymer exhibited higher degree of conversion, lower leachate, and time-dependent stiffening characteristics. The autonomous-strengthening reaction persists in the aqueous environment leading to a network with enhanced resistance to deformation. The results illustrate a rational approach for tuning the viscoelasticity of durable dental adhesives.

Hydrophilic dyes as photosensitizers for photopolymerization of dental adhesives.

OBJECTIVES: This study explored hydrophilic dyes as photosensitizers for application in dental adhesives. The goal was to identify dyes that enhance the degree of conversion (DC) of the hydrophilic-rich phase without impairing polymerization of the hydrophobic-rich phase. METHODS: Properties that were investigated included the molar extinction coefficient at 480 nm, relative normalized photon absorption efficiency (PAE), rate of polymerization and degree of conversion (DC). The following hydrophilic dyes: Bromophenol blue sodium salt, Rosebengal sodium salt, Erythrosin B, New Fuchsin and Victoria blue B were identified as suitable photosensitizers. RESULTS: In this study it was observed that dyes such as Bromophenol blue sodium salt, New Fuchsin, Victoria blue B and Rosebengal sodium salt were suitable candidates for dental adhesive photopolymerization, leading to substantial degree of conversion to both the hydrophilic-rich phase and the hydrophobic-rich phase. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to the ability of the photosensitizer to absorb light in the visible range and transition to an excited state as a result of the absorbed energy, other factors such as the efficiency of the photosensitizer/light curing unit (LCU) combination, stability/efficiency of the excited state of the photosensitizer and/or initiating reactive species play an important role in the photopolymerization of the dental adhesive.

Antimicrobial Peptide-Polymer Conjugates for Dentistry.

Bacterial adhesion and growth at the composite/adhesive/tooth interface remain the primary cause of dental composite restoration failure. Early colonizers, including Streptococcus mutans, play a critical role in the formation of dental caries by creating an environment that reduces the adhesive's integrity. Subsequently, other bacterial species, biofilm formation, and lactic acid from S. mutans demineralize the adjoining tooth. Because of their broad spectrum of antibacterial activity and low risk for antibiotic resistance, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have received significant attention to prevent bacterial biofilms. Harnessing the potential of AMPs is still very limited in dentistry-a few studies have explored peptide-enabled antimicrobial adhesive copolymer systems using mainly nonspecific adsorption. In the current investigation, to avoid limitations from nonspecific adsorption and to prevent potential peptide leakage out of the resin, we conjugated an AMP with a commonly used monomer for dental adhesive formulation. To tailor the flexibility between the peptide and the resin material, we designed two different spacer domains. The spacer-integrated antimicrobial peptides were conjugated to methacrylate (MA), and the resulting MA-AMP monomers were next copolymerized into dental adhesives as AMP-polymer conjugates. The resulting bioactivity of the polymethacrylate-based AMP conjugated matrix activity was investigated. The antimicrobial peptide conjugated to the resin matrix demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity against S. mutans. Secondary structure analyses of conjugated peptides were applied to understand the activity differential. When mechanical properties of the adhesive system were investigated with respect to AMP and cross-linking concentration, resulting AMP-polymer conjugates maintained higher compressive moduli compared to hydrogel analogues including polyHEMA. Overall, our result provides a robust approach to develop a fine-tuned bioenabled peptide adhesive system with improved mechanical properties and antimicrobial activity. The results of this study represent a critical step toward the development of peptide-conjugated dentin adhesives for treatment of secondary caries and the enhanced durability of dental composite restorations.

Multifunctional monomer acts as co-initiator and crosslinker to provide autonomous strengthening with enhanced hydrolytic stability in dental adhesives.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a new synthesized multifunctional monomer, aminosilane functionalized methacrylate (ASMA), containing polymerizable methacrylate, tertiary amine, and methoxysilane functionalities in dental adhesive formulations, and to investigate the polymerization kinetics, leachates, thermal and mechanical properties of copolymers. METHODS: Adhesive contained HEMA/BisGMA (45/55, w/w) was used as a control, and mixtures based on HEMA/BisGMA/ASMA at the mass ratio of 45/(55-x)/x were used as experimental adhesive. Adhesives were characterized with regard to water miscibility, photo-polymerization behavior (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, FTIR), leached co-monomers (high performance liquid chromatography, HPLC), thermal properties (modulated differential scanning calorimeter, MDSC), and mechanical properties (dynamic mechanical analyzer, DMA). Stress relaxation times and the corresponding moduli, obtained from stress relaxation tests, are used in a simulated linear loading case. RESULTS: As compared to the control, ASMA-containing adhesives showed higher water miscibility, lower viscosity, improved monomer-to-polymer conversion, significantly greater Tg and rubbery modulus. HPLC results indicated a substantial reduction of leached HEMA (up to 85wt%) and BisGMA (up to 55wt%) in ethanol. The simulation reveals that the ASMA-containing adhesive becomes substantially stiffer than the control. SIGNIFICANCE: ASMA monomer plays multiple roles, i.e. it serves as both a co-initiator and crosslinker while also providing autonomous strengthening and enhanced hydrolytic stability in the adhesive formulations. This multifunctional monomer offers significant promise for improving the durability of the adhesive at the composite/tooth interface.

Threats to adhesive/dentin interfacial integrity and next generation bio-enabled multifunctional adhesives.

Nearly 100 million of the 170 million composite and amalgam restorations placed annually in the United States are replacements for failed restorations. The primary reason both composite and amalgam restorations fail is recurrent decay, for which composite restorations experience a 2.0-3.5-fold increase compared to amalgam. Recurrent decay is a pernicious problem-the standard treatment is replacement of defective composites with larger restorations that will also fail, initiating a cycle of ever-larger restorations that can lead to root canals, and eventually, to tooth loss. Unlike amalgam, composite lacks the inherent capability to seal discrepancies at the restorative material/tooth interface. The low-viscosity adhesive that bonds the composite to the tooth is intended to seal the interface, but the adhesive degrades, which can breach the composite/tooth margin. Bacteria and bacterial by-products such as acids and enzymes infiltrate the marginal gaps and the composite's inability to increase the interfacial pH facilitates cariogenic and aciduric bacterial outgrowth. Together, these characteristics encourage recurrent decay, pulpal damage, and composite failure. This review article examines key biological and physicochemical interactions involved in the failure of composite restorations and discusses innovative strategies to mitigate the negative effects of pathogens at the adhesive/dentin interface. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 107B:2466-2475, 2019.

Peptide Mediated Antimicrobial Dental Adhesive System.

The most common cause for dental composite failures is secondary caries due to invasive bacterial colonization of the adhesive/dentin (a/d) interface. Innate material weakness often lead to an insufficient seal between the adhesive and dentin. Consequently, bacterial by-products invade the porous a/d interface leading to material degradation and dental caries. Current approaches to achieve antibacterial properties in these materials continue to raise concerns regarding hypersensitivity and antibiotic resistance. Herein, we have developed a multi-faceted, bio-functionalized approach to overcome the vulnerability of such interfaces. An antimicrobial adhesive formulation was designed using a combination of antimicrobial peptide and a ε-polylysine resin system. Effector molecules boasting innate immunity are brought together with a biopolymer offering a two-fold biomimetic design approach. The selection of ε-polylysine was inspired due to its non-toxic nature and common use as food preservative. Biomolecular characterization and functional activity of our engineered dental adhesive formulation were assessed and the combinatorial formulation demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus mutans. Our antimicrobial peptide-hydrophilic adhesive hybrid system design offers advanced, biofunctional properties at the critical a/d interface.

New silyl-functionalized BisGMA provides autonomous strengthening without leaching for dental adhesives.

Resin-based composite has overtaken dental amalgam as the most popular material for direct restorative dentistry. In spite of this popularity the clinical lifetime of composite restorations is threatened by recurrent decay. Degradation of the adhesive leads to gaps at the composite/tooth interface-bacteria, bacterial by-products and fluids infiltrate the gaps leading to recurrent decay and composite restoration failure. The durability of resin-dentin bonds is a major problem. We address this problem by synthesizing silyl-functionalized BisGMA (e.g., silyl-BisGMA), formulating dental adhesives with the new monomer and determining the physicochemical properties and leaching characteristics of the silyl-BisGMA adhesives. Silyl-BisGMA was synthesized by stoichiometric amounts of BisGMA and 3-isocyanatopropyl trimethoxysilane (IPTMS). The control adhesive was a mixture based on HEMA/BisGMA (45/55, w/w). In the experimental formulations, BisGMA was partially or completely replaced by silyl-BisGMA. Water miscibility, polymerization behavior (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, FTIR), thermal property (modulated differential scanning calorimetry, MDSC), mechanical properties in dry and wet conditions (dynamic mechanical analysis, DMA), and leached species (HPLC) were investigated. Data from all tests were submitted to appropriate statistical analysis (α = 0.05). Silyl-BisGMA-containing adhesives exhibited comparable water miscibility, lower viscosities, and significantly improved degree of conversion of CC bond as compared to the control. After 4 weeks aqueous aging, the glass transition temperature and rubbery moduli of the experimental copolymers were significantly greater than the control (p < 0.05). HPLC results indicated a substantial reduction of leached HEMA (up to 99 wt%) and BisGMA (up to 90 wt%). By introducing silyl-functional group, the new BisGMA derivative exhibited potential as a monomer that can lead to dental adhesives with improved mechanical properties and reduced leaching under conditions relevant to the oral environment. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The low-viscosity adhesive that bonds the composite to the tooth (enamel and dentin) is intended to seal and stabilize the composite/tooth interface, but it degrades leading to a breach at the composite/tooth margin. As the most popular crosslinking monomer in adhesives, Bisphenol A-glycerolate dimethacrylate (BisGMA) has limitations, e.g. susceptible to hydrolysis and concomitant property degradation. A methoxysilyl-functionalized BisGMA derivative (silyl-BisGMA) was introduced in this work to respond to these limitations. Our results indicated that by introducing silyl-BisGMA, higher crosslinked networks were obtained without sacrificing the homogeneity, and the leached amount of HEMA was reduced up to 99%. This novel resin offers potential benefits including prolonging the functional lifetime of dental resin materials.

Structure-property relationships for wet dentin adhesive polymers.

Dentin adhesive systems for composite tooth restorations are composed of hydrophilic/hydrophobic monomers, solvents, and photoinitiators. The adhesives undergo phase separation and concomitant compositional change during their application in the wet oral environment; phase separation compromises the quality of the hybrid layer in the adhesive/dentin interface. In this work, the adhesive composition in the hybrid layer can be represented using the phase boundaries of a ternary phase diagram for the hydrophobic monomer/hydrophilic monomer/water system. The polymer phases, previously unaccounted for, play an important role in determining the mechanical behavior of the bulk adhesive, and the chemomechanical properties of the phases are intimately related to the effects produced by differences in the hydrophobic-hydrophilic composition. As the composition of the polymer phases varies from hydrophobic-rich to hydrophilic-rich, the amount of the adsorbed water and the nature of polymer-water interaction vary nonlinearly and strongly correlate with the change in elastic moduli under wet conditions. The failure strain, loss modulus, and glass transition temperature vary nonmonotonically with composition and are explained based upon primary and secondary transitions observed in dynamic mechanical testing. Due to the variability in composition, the assignment of mechanical properties and the choice of suitable constitutive models for polymer phases in the hybrid layer are not straightforward. This work investigates the relationship between composition and chemomechanical properties of the polymer phases formed on the water-adhesive phase boundary using quasistatic and dynamic mechanical testing, mass transfer experiments, and vibrational spectroscopy.