Use of Toothbrush as a Cost-effective Noninvasive Source of DNA for Molecular Oral Oncology Investigations during COVID Pandemic.

Dear Editor, Oral cancer, specifically oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has shown to be a major contributor to morbidity and mortality among tobacco/alcohol users.1,2 A prominent area of research in oral oncology is in the development of economical noninvasive screening tools capable of stratifying high-risk individuals, especially among those with associated habits. Cancer cytopathology has developed into a major branch in onco-diagnostics. Its noninvasive nature has led to its acceptance as a screening tool, especially in larger populations. The major hindrance is that medical personnel is often required to collect the sample using cytological tools such as the cytobrush.3.

Expression Profile of Circulating Exosomal microRNAs in Leukoplakia, Oral Submucous Fibrosis, and Combined Lesions of Leukoplakia and Oral Submucous Fibrosis.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to elucidate the expression of circulating exosomal miRNAs miRNA 21, miRNA 184, and miRNA 145 in the studied groups, including patients with (i) leukoplakia; (ii) oral submucous fibrosis; (iii) oral submucous fibrosis with leukoplakia; (iv) oral squamous cell carcinoma; and (v) healthy individuals. STUDY DESIGN: An observational study was conducted among 54 patients who reported to the outpatient department of Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals. The patients were divided into three groups: Group I healthy individuals (n = 18), Group II: case group (leukoplakia, OSMF, and leukoplakia and OSMF) (n = 18), and Group III: OSCC (n = 18). Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis was carried out to assess the expression profiles of miRNA 21, miRNA 184, and miRNA 145. The statistical analysis was calculated using SPSS software version 23. RESULTS: All three miRNAs showed a statistically significant difference in the one-way ANOVA test between the case group (leukoplakia, OSMF, and leukoplakia and OSMF), healthy group, and OSCC group (p < 0.005). The case group (leukoplakia, OSMF, leukoplakia and OSMF) showed upregulated expression of miRNA 21 and miRNA 184 with threefold change and fourfold change and downregulated expression of miRNA 145 with 1.5-fold change when compared to apparently healthy individuals. CONCLUSION: Plasma circulating exosomal miRNAs miRNA 21, miRNA 145, and miRNA 184 expression could be a novel panel of plasma biomarkers to categorise case group (leukoplakia, OSMF, leukoplakia and OSMF) patients with a high risk of malignant transformation.

Awareness about the significance of acid-base balance of saliva in maintaining oral health.

Saliva is a multilayered secretion. The quality of saliva is just as crucial as the quantity. Saliva is necessary for preserving the integrity of oral structures, personal connections, digestion, and acid-base balance. The acid-base balance in one's oral environment is always being challenged. It happens every time we eat a meal, and when microorganisms are present. At a pH of 5 or 5.5, the demineralization of the enamel and hard tooth structures occurs. This study aimed to raise awareness about the importance of acid-base balance of saliva in dental health. A self-structured questionnaire was prepared to assess the awareness on the importance of acid-base balance in maintaining oral health. The questionnaire consisted of 20 questions, and the results were plotted in a graph. The Chi-square test was employed for evaluating the data, which was done with SPSS software. The study indicated that 91.74% of the participants were aware of the salivary pH in case of healthy gingiva, 34.82% of the respondents were aware of the salivary pH in case of chronic gingivitis, and 20.33% of the respondents were aware of the salivary pH in case of chronic periodontitis. We also correlated our results with gender and year of study. Oral health plays a major role in identifying systemic diseases and hence enough knowledge about various aspects about the oral cavity and its manifestations needs to be created among dental students to ensure that they become efficient dental surgeons in the future. Even though a fair amount of people knew the pH of clinically healthy gingiva, most of them did not know the pH at which periodontitis or gingivitis was caused. Hence, creating awareness about this topic stands vital. Further studies are required for a better understanding of salivary components and how they affect the caries process. The utilization of modified oral molecules as medicinal agents could become a reality with this understanding. Our findings imply that being aware of dietary composition has an impact on acid-base balance. To maintain the correct acid-base balance, more awareness of protein consumption is required.

A critical review on starch-based electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds for wound healing application.

Starch-based nanofibrous scaffolds exhibit a potential wound healing processes as they are cost-effective, flexible, and biocompatible. Recently, natural polymers have received greater importance in regenerative medicine, mainly in the process of healing wounds and burns due to their unique properties which also include safety, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. In this respect, starch is considered to be one of the reliable natural polymers to promote the process of wound healing at a significantly faster rate. Starch and starch-based electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds have been used for the wound healing process which includes the process of adhesion, proliferation, differentiation, and regeneration of cells. It also possesses significant activity to encapsulate and deliver biomaterials at a specific site which persuades the wound healing process at an increased rate. As the aforementioned scaffolds mimic the native extracellular matrix more closely, may help in the acceleration of wound closure, which in turn may lead to the promotion of tissue reorganization and remodeling. In-depth knowledge in understanding the properties of nanofibrous scaffolds paves a way to unfold novel methods and therapies, also to overcome challenges associated with wound healing. This review is intended to provide comprehensive information and recent advances in starch-based electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds for wound healing.