Antibacterial resistance to infectious diseases is a significant global concern for health care organizations; along with aging populations and increasing cancer rates, it represents a great burden for government healthcare systems. Therefore, the development of therapies against bacterial infection and cancer is an important strategy for healthcare research. Pathogenic bacteria and cancer have developed a broad range of sophisticated strategies to survive or propagate inside a host and cause infection or spread disease. Bacteria can employ their own metabolism pathways to obtain nutrients from the host cells in order to survive. Similarly, cancer cells can dysregulate normal human cell metabolic pathways so that they can grow and spread. One common feature of the adaption and disruption of metabolic pathways observed in bacterial and cancer cell growth is amino acid pathways; these have recently been targeted as a novel approach to manage bacterial infections and cancer therapy. In particular, arginine metabolism has been illustrated to be important not only for bacterial pathogenesis but also for cancer therapy. Therefore, greater insights into arginine metabolism of pathogenic bacteria and cancer cells would provide possible targets for controlling of bacterial infection and cancer treatment. This review will summarize the recent progress on the relationship of arginine metabolism with bacterial pathogenesis and cancer therapy, with a particular focus on arginase and arginine deiminase pathways of arginine catabolism.

Objectives To evaluate the long-term longevity and patient-reported outcomes of two-unit cantilevered (CL2) and three-unit fixed–fixed (FF3) resin-bonded fixed partial dentures (RBFPDs) for the replacement of a maxillary permanent incisor. Materials and methods Twenty-eight subjects were randomly assigned to receive either a CL2 or FF3 RBFPD placed by one operator. Prosthesis longevity was determined by clinical examination and history. Success was defined as absence of complications requiring intervention and survival as retention of the original prosthesis in mouth. Subjects’ satisfaction was assessed using visual analogue scale (VAS) and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) using Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-49). Outcomes were analysed with t-test/Mann–Whitney U test, chi-square and log-rank test at significance level α = 0.05. Results Twenty-two subjects were reviewed. Thirteen of fifteen CL2 and ten of fourteen FF3 RBFPDs were examined (79.3 percent response rate) with a mean service life of 216.5 ± 20.8 months. All CL2 RBFPDs survived with no complications while only 10 percent of FF3 experienced no complications and only 50 percent of them survived (both P = 0.000). CL2 had a significantly better success and survival rate than FF3 (P = 0.000 and P = 0.009, respectively). There was no significant difference in subjects’ satisfaction and OHRQoL apart from CL2 group subjects had a higher satisfaction in cleaning of the prosthesis (84.1 ± 13.6) than FF3 group (72.6 ± 11.7) (P = 0.05). Conclusions Two-unit cantilevered RBFPDs were observed to have a significantly better success and survival than the FF3 design for the replacement of a maxillary incisor. Good patient-reported outcomes have been found for RBFPDs in single-tooth replacement in aesthetic zone.

The objectives of the study were to investigate the antimicrobial efficacy, over time, of combining antibacterial agents with a glass ionomer cement (GIC). This was assessed using an agar diffusion test. Chlorhexidine hydrochloride, cetylpyridinium chloride, cetrimide and benzalkonium chloride were added to Fuji IX GIC at 0, 1, 2 and 4% w/w. Antibacterial-GIC specimens were placed onto agar plates inoculated with one of six bacterial species (Streptococcus, Lactobacillus and Actinomyces, two each) and the area of inhibition calculated after 24 h incubation. The experiment was repeated weekly and at week 11 the surface of the specimen was abraded prior to replacing on inoculated agar plates. Control specimens of the GIC produced no bacterial inhibition. The antibacterial-GIC combination specimens showed significant inhibition which decreased at different rates over the test period. Resurfacing of the specimens showed a dramatic increase of antibacterial action similar to levels produced on week 1. CT-GIC showed the greatest (p < 0.005) inhibitory effect throughout the experimental period for 4 out of 6 test bacteria. The addition of antibacterial agents to Fuji IX creates a GIC material with significant antimicrobial action in vitro which is dependent on concentration and type of antibacterial agent, and appears to be associated primarily with a release of the antibacterial from the surface layer of the specimen.

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) successfully persists in the vast majority of adults but causes lymphoid and epithelial malignancies in a small fraction of latently infected individuals. Innate immunity is the first-line antiviral defense, which EBV has to evade in favor of its own replication and infection. EBV uses multiple strategies to perturb innate immune signaling pathways activated by Toll-like, RIG-I-like, NOD-like, and AIM2-like receptors as well as cyclic GMP-AMP synthase. EBV also counteracts interferon production and signaling, including TBK1-IRF3 and JAK-STAT pathways. However, activation of innate immunity also triggers pro-inflammatory response and proteolytic cleavage of caspases, both of which exhibit proviral activity under some circumstances. Pathogenic inflammation also contributes to EBV oncogenesis. EBV activates NFκB signaling and induces pro-inflammatory cytokines. Through differential modulation of the proviral and antiviral roles of caspases and other host factors at different stages of infection, EBV usurps cellular programs for death and inflammation to its own benefits. The outcome of EBV infection is governed by a delicate interplay between innate immunity and EBV. A better understanding of this interplay will instruct prevention and intervention of EBV-associated cancers.

Whether “periodontal disease” can be considered as an independent risk factor for head and neck cancer (HNC) remains controversial. The aim of the current meta-analysis was to quantitatively assess this relationship in order to determine whether this represents a true risk factor, with implications for cancer prevention and management. PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases were systematically searched. Selective studies were reviewed, and meta-analysis was performed to estimate the pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) on eligible studies using a random effects model. In total, 21 eligible observational studies (4 cohorts and 17 case-controls) were identified for qualitative synthesis after a review of 1051 articles. Significant heterogeneity could be identified in measures utilized for reporting of periodontal disease. Meta-analysis performed on nine studies that employed objective measures for reporting periodontal disease demonstrated a significant association between periodontal disease and HNC [OR 3.17, 95% CI, 1.78–5.64]. A diseased periodontium represents an independent risk marker, and a putative risk factor, for HNC. Prospective studies with standardized measures of periodontal disease severity and extent, integrated with microbiological and host susceptibility facets, are needed to elucidate the mechanisms of this positive association and whether treatment of the former influences the incidence and outcomes for HNC.