Engineering core–shell chromium nanozymes with inflammation-suppressing, ROS-scavenging and antibacterial properties for pulpitis treatment

Abstract

Oral diseases are usually caused by inflammation and bacterial infection. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), which come from both autologous inflammation tissue and bacterial infection, play an important role in this process. Thus, the elimination of excessive intracellular ROS can be a promising strategy for anti-inflammatory treatment. With the rapid development of nanomedicines, nanozymes, which can maintain the intracellular redox balance and protect cells against oxidative damage, have shown great application prospects in the treatment of inflammation-related diseases. However, their performance in pulpitis and their related mechanisms have yet to be explored. Herein, we prepared dozens of metallic nanoparticles with core–shell structures, and among them, chromium nanoparticles (NanoCr) were selected for their great therapeutic potential for pulpitis disease. NanoCr showed a broad antibacterial spectrum and strong anti-inflammatory function. Antibacterial assays showed that NanoCr could effectively inhibit a variety of common pathogens of oral infection. In vitro experiments offered evidence of the multienzyme activity of NanoCr and its function in suppressing ROS-induced inflammation reactions. The experimental results show that NanoCr has optimal antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties in in vitro cell models, showing great potential for the treatment of pulpitis. Therefore, the use of NanoCr could become a new therapeutic strategy for clinical pulpitis.