Sandra Nikolic

Mrs. Sandra Nikolic


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

2Years (2025-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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SNSandra Nikolic
Sandra Nikolic
GAGiuseppe Alastra
Giuseppe Alastra
FPFelix Pultar
Felix Pultar
LLLukas Lüthy
Lukas Lüthy
BSBernd Stadlinger
Bernd Stadlinger
Thimios MitsiadisThimios Mitsiadis
Thimios Mitsiadis
Bacterium-triggered carious lesions implicate dental hard tissue destruction and the simultaneous initiation of regenerative events comprising dental stem cell activation. Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) is a prominent pathogen of the oral cavity and the principal cause of caries. S. mutans generates complex products involved in interbacterial interactions, including Mutanobactin-D (Mub-D), which belongs to a group of non-ribosomal cyclic lipopeptides. In the present study, we aimed to analyse the potential role of the synthetic Mub-D peptide in cell populations involved in tissue regenerative processes. To this end, we assessed the in vitro effects of Mub-D in human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) and human bone marrow stem cells (hBMSCs). Our data demonstrated a concentration-dependent effect of Mub-D on their viability and a significant increase in their proliferation and osteogenic/odontogenic differentiation. These events were associated with specific changes in gene expression, where CCDN-1, RUNX-2, OSX, OCN, DMP-1, DSPP, and BMP-2 genes were upregulated. The ability of Mub-D to modulate the osteogenic/odontogenic differentiation of both hDPSCs and hBMSCs and considerably enhance mineralisation in a controlled and concentration-dependent manner opens new perspectives for stem cell-based regenerative approaches in the clinics.