title: Minor salivary glands of the lips: a novel, easily accessible source of potential stem/progenitor cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cells with stem/progenitor properties have been detected in major salivary glands, but no data are available on their presence within minor salivary glands (MSGs). This study aimed to isolate and characterize potential stem/progenitor cells from human MSGs.
  
  
  METHODS
  MSGs of the lower lip were surgically obtained during biopsy for Sjogren's syndrome investigation that finally proved to be histologically normal. The established MSG cultures were assessed for morphology, proliferation, colony-forming-unit efficiency, multipotentiality, and immunophenotypic characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A mixed population of fibroblast-like and a few flat-shaped epithelial-like cells was obtained. These cells were capable for osteogenic, adipogenic, and neurogenic differentiation. Evidence for strong stem cell potency was observed by the detection of early stem cell markers, like Nanog, Oct-3/4, and SSEA-3. These cells also expressed characteristic mesenchymal stem cell markers, including CD90-Thy1, CD105, CD49f, CD81, nestin, CD146, and Stro-1, but were negative for CD117/C-KIT, CD45, and CD271/NFG. In addition, positivity for keratins 7/8 in part of the population was indicative of an epithelial phenotype, whereas these cells were negative for aquaporin-1 expressed in acinar/myoepithelial cells during development.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on these data, a cell population with stem/progenitor characteristics was primarily isolated from labial MSGs. The morphologic and immunophenotypic features indicated that this population is mixed with mesenchymal (mainly) and epithelial characteristics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Due to their large number and superficial distribution in labial mucosa, MSGs may be proposed as a potential easily accessible source of adult stem/progenitor cells for regenerative therapies of glandular organs with parenchymal pathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine/Pathology, School of Dentistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Andreadis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bakopoulou
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leyhausen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Epivatianos
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Volk
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Markopoulos
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Geurtsen
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008046:Lip / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology
references.citation: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1998 Apr 15;842:132-7
references.pmid: 9599303
references.citation: Hepatology. 2003 Jul;38(1):104-13
references.pmid: 12829992
references.citation: J Submicrosc Cytol Pathol. 1996 Oct;28(4):471-83
references.pmid: 8933733
references.citation: Eur J Cell Biol. 2009 Jul;88(7):409-21
references.pmid: 19410331
references.citation: J Mol Med (Berl). 2008 Dec;86(12):1301-14
references.pmid: 18629466
references.citation: Carcinogenesis. 2005 Feb;26(2):495-502
references.pmid: 15513931
references.citation: Br Med Bull. 2013;105:43-68
references.pmid: 23184854
references.citation: Virchows Arch. 2004 Apr;444(4):356-61
references.pmid: 14762713
references.citation: Int J Mol Med. 2009 Sep;24(3):361-6
references.pmid: 19639228
references.citation: J Dent Res. 1999 Nov;78(11):1711-9
references.pmid: 10576167
references.citation: Stem Cells. 2011 Nov;29(11):1645-9
references.pmid: 21948625
references.citation: J Tissue Eng Regen Med. 2007 Jul-Aug;1(4):296-305
references.pmid: 18038420
references.citation: Stem Cells Dev. 2011 Jun;20(6):959-67
references.pmid: 21187001
references.citation: PLoS One. 2008 Apr 30;3(4):e2063
references.pmid: 18446241
references.citation: Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2006 Feb 10;340(2):544-52
references.pmid: 16376857
references.citation: Biochim Biophys Acta. 2006 Aug;1758(8):1061-70
references.pmid: 16537077
references.citation: Anat Rec. 1985 Oct;213(2):150-8
references.pmid: 4073568
references.citation: Thyroid. 2006 Jun;16(6):537-44
references.pmid: 16839255
references.citation: Cloning Stem Cells. 2007 Summer;9(2):191-205
references.pmid: 17579552
references.citation: Front Oral Biol. 2010;14:107-128
references.pmid: 20428014
references.citation: Radiother Oncol. 2011 Jun;99(3):367-72
references.pmid: 21719134
references.citation: Calcif Tissue Int. 2011 Feb;88(2):130-41
references.pmid: 21153807
references.citation: Hepatology. 2004 Mar;39(3):667-75
references.pmid: 14999685
references.citation: Stem Cells. 2007 Nov;25(11):2896-902
references.pmid: 17901396
references.citation: Oral Dis. 2011 Jul;17(5):445-9
references.pmid: 21223454
references.citation: Stem Cells. 2010 Apr;28(4):788-98
references.pmid: 20127798
references.citation: Crit Rev Oral Biol Med. 2003;14(3):213-25
references.pmid: 12799324
references.citation: Cloning Stem Cells. 2007 Summer;9(2):176-90
references.pmid: 17579551
references.citation: Exp Hematol. 2008 May;36(5):642-54
references.pmid: 18295964
references.citation: Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008 Feb;2(1):125-33
references.pmid: 19072375
references.citation: Oral Dis. 2008 Apr;14(3):259-63
references.pmid: 18336373
references.citation: Oral Dis. 2011 Mar;17(2):143-53
references.pmid: 20796229
references.citation: Cell Adh Migr. 2012 May-Jun;6(3):203-19
references.pmid: 22568985
references.citation: Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2006 Jul;291(1):G45-54
references.pmid: 16769813
references.citation: Cell Mol Life Sci. 2004 Oct;61(19-20):2510-22
references.pmid: 15526158
references.citation: Mol Biol Cell. 2002 Apr;13(4):1274-81
references.pmid: 11950938
references.citation: Arch Oral Biol. 2011 Jul;56(7):709-21
references.pmid: 21227403
references.citation: Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2007 Apr;18(2):237-44
references.pmid: 17336109
references.citation: Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1993 Jan;25(1):41-7
references.pmid: 8416881
references.citation: Anat Rec. 2001 Jun 1;263(2):202-14
references.pmid: 11360236
references.citation: J Biol Chem. 1997 Sep 5;272(36):22405-8
references.pmid: 9278390