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What would you be willing to trade to be cancer-free?

Approximately 60,000 new head-and-neck cancer patients in the U.S. face this choice. Radiation therapy (RT) is standard in nearly all treated cases, and can be essentially curative. However, a consequence of this treatment is death of the salivary acini, the primary source of the functional enzymes and fluid components of saliva. This collateraldamage is immediate and permanent, leading to RT-induced xerostomia (“dry mouth”), with severe negative impacts on oral health and overall quality of life. Current therapies are largely palliative and ineffective at restoring salivary flow, or preventing oral decay.

Our laboratory seeks to create a tissue-engineered salivary neo-gland from healthy primary human tissues, as a post-RT therapeutic. The branched structure of the native salivary gland is elegant in its structure and function, and is an enticing engineering challenge. How do we direct cells to form a branched, polarized, multicellular structure capable of directional secretion? This seminar will describe our current progress in understanding the gland, and recreating key aspects using primary human stem/progenitor cells and customized hydrogels.