AUTHOR=Li Yijun , Huang Shan , Du Jingyun , Wu Minjing , Huang Xiaojing 

TITLE=Current and prospective therapeutic strategies: tackling Candida albicans and Streptococcus mutans cross-kingdom biofilm

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1106231

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2023.1106231

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Candida albicans</italic> (<italic>C. albicans</italic>) is the most frequent strain associated with cross-kingdom infections in the oral cavity. Clinical evidence shows the co-existence of <italic>Streptococcus mutans</italic> (<italic>S. mutans</italic>) and <italic>C. albicans</italic> in the carious lesions especially in children with early childhood caries (ECC) and demonstrates the close interaction between them. During the interaction, both <italic>S. mutans</italic> and <italic>C. albicans</italic> have evolved a complex network of regulatory mechanisms to boost cariogenic virulence and modulate tolerance upon stress changes in the external environment. The intricate relationship and unpredictable consequences pose great therapeutic challenges in clinics, which indicate the demand for <italic>de novo</italic> emergence of potential antimicrobial therapy with multi-targets or combinatorial therapies. In this article, we present an overview of the clinical significance, and cooperative network of the cross-kingdom interaction between <italic>S. mutans</italic> and <italic>C. albicans.</italic> Furthermore, we also summarize the current strategies for targeting cross-kingdom biofilm.</p>