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Updated: May 5, 2026

LED-Based In Vitro Screening for Assessing Photoactivable Molecules in Bacterial Photodynamic Inactivation
Published on: January 24, 2025
Photoelimination of Streptococcus mutans with two methods of photodynamic and photothermal therapy
Reza Fekrazad1, Farzaneh Khoei, Neda Hakimiha
1Laser Research Center in Medical Sciences, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Laser Research Center of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Background:
Increasing resistance of oral pathogens to conventional antibacterial agents has resulted to find alternative therapies to overcome resistance development problems; hence this in vitro study was carried out to investigate the efficacy of photoelimination of Streptococcus mutans with two methods of photodynamic and photothermal therapy.
Methods:
Standard Suspensions of S. mutans were treated in two groups of photodynamic therapy with Toluidine blue O and Rhadachlorin(®) and photothermal therapy by EmunDo(®) and their individual light sources, then Bacterial suspension from each treatment was subcultured on the surface of Mueller-Hinton agar plates and bacterial growth was assessed. The results were analyzed by analysis of variance and Tukey test (p<0.05).
Results:
After treatments significant reduction of S. mutans viability in planktonic culture was observed in both groups of photodynamic and photothermal therapy with no priority.
Conclusion:
Photoelimination can be a novel modality in the eradication of S. mutans colonies in near future.
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