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Review
. 2025 Jul 22;17(7):e88491.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.88491. eCollection 2025 Jul.

Contemporary Trends and Future Prospects of Genetically Engineered Vaccines in the Management and Prevention of Dental Caries

Sayem A Mulla  1 , Waseem Z Khan  2 , Laresh N Mistry  3 , Amit H Patil  4 , Parag Gangurde  2 , Tanvi Shukla  2
Affiliations
Review

Contemporary Trends and Future Prospects of Genetically Engineered Vaccines in the Management and Prevention of Dental Caries

Sayem A Mulla et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Despite conventional preventive measures including dental sealants, dietary changes, and fluoride treatments, dental caries (DC) is still a global health issue. An important pathogen in DC development, Streptococcus mutans, forms biofilms and demineralizes enamel in acidic oral conditions. Promising substitutes are provided by new preventative techniques such as genetic engineering, probiotics, and antibacterial peptides. A potential long-term remedy is the genetically altered BCS3-L1 strain, which is intended to outcompete S. mutans and stop the generation of acid. Even though these developments have the potential to completely transform oral healthcare, further study is required to guarantee their efficacy, safety, and public acceptability. The aim of this review is to highlight the salient features, the probable mechanism behind it, while also exploring the limitations associated with it and shedding light on the future prospects of the strain.

Keywords: bcs3-l1; caries vaccine; dental caries; dental caries prevention; genetically modified vaccine; prevention of dental caries.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

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