Targeted Antimicrobial Peptides: A Novel Technology to Eradicate Harmful Streptococcus Mutans

Dental caries remains the most common chronic oral disease in major developed countries. We review current anticaries approaches and a newly developed methodology called specifically targeted antimicrobial peptides (STAMP). STAMP specifically eradicates the cariogenic Streptococcus mutans bacterium in the human oral cavity but does not disturb the benign and beneficial bacteria. It promises impacts far beyond dentistry and could possibly be used to treat and prevent other microbiome-related diseases.