The salivary glands are exocrine glands whose function is critical for the maintenance of oral health and function. Age, drug treatments, diseases such as Sjogren’s syndrome, and radiation treatment of patients with head and neck cancers, cause cellular damage in the salivary glands that is usually severe, irreversible, and renders them atrophic. Permanent repair of such damage is the next medical challenge in therapy, and could potentially be accomplished by cell-replacement. The long-range goal of this laboratory is to identify the source of progenitor cells in the salivary gland and to use these cells for the restoration of salivary function in an impaired gland. Research projects in our laboratory are directed at the study of salivary gland development and regeneration using mouse models. Projects include the identification and characterization of progenitor cells, and the study of signaling mechanisms involved in regeneration.
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