Dental Caries: Pathogenicity and Recent Advances in Targeted Antimicrobial Therapy Against Cariogenic Bacteria

Dental caries are associated with a dysbiotic shift towards acidogenic, aciduric and saccharolytic species. Streptococcus mutans has been considered a primary causative pathogen of dental caries with the major virulence factors including biofilm formation, acidogenicity, and aciduricity. Additionally, recent studies have detected other virulence factors, the collagen-binding proteins (Cnm and Cbm), which are associated with hemorrhagic stroke and infective endocarditis. In addition to functional studies of S. mutans, including molecular mechanisms related to biofilms on the tooth surface, carbohydrate metabolism, or strategies to survive under acidic environment, newer approaches in S. mutans biology research have recently been adopted and developed, such as the investigation of S. mutans physiology and diversity through next-generation sequencing technologies and how S. mutans interspecies interactions affect the oral biofilm development. The glucans produced by S. mutans play a central role in establishing a steady extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) matrix for other bacterial colonization and a diffusion barrier to maintain the favorable acidic environment for the cariogenic bacteria. Therefore, although dental caries is a disease caused by polymicrobial, it has been largely accepted that selective targeting of S. mutans is an effective strategy for dental biofilm prevention. Antimicrobial agents that selectively target cariogenic bacteria, such as S. mutans, without disrupting the beneficial commensal flora have been considered promising novel approaches for caries prevention and control.

This Research Topic aims to unravel the unknown biological aspects of S. mutans and other caries-associated species, including how it senses and responds to environmental conditions through interconnected circuits that regulate various virulence expressions such as biofilm formation, acid production, or acid tolerance. A better understanding of these physiological features may facilitate the exploration of new targets for the control of cariogenic species and the development of potential novel therapeutics that specifically target those.

We invite scientists to contribute to this Research Topic in the forms of original research articles or reviews. Authors are welcome to submit their articles that cover but are not limited to the following areas:

• Virulence factors of cariogenic species: biofilm formation, acid production, acid tolerance, collagen-binding proteins
• Signaling pathways of S. mutans: two-component signal transduction systems and quorum sensing
• Mutacins produced by S. mutans
• Interspecies and cross-kingdom interactions of cariogenic species
• Antimicrobial agents that specifically target cariogenic species, such as S. mutans, as a novel anticaries strategy