title: Toward salivary gland stem cell regeneration.
abstract: Head and neck cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide, resulting in ~ 640,000 cases. Most of these patients have irreversible damage to their salivary glands due to irradiation therapy, which typically leads to significant decrease in quality of life. In the last 2 decades, several strategies have been suggested to overcome this problem; however, no biologically based treatments are available. In the past few years, the authors of the present article and other researchers have focused on a new strategy of re-implantation of autologous salivary gland cells into the residual irradiated salivary glands. This article reviews the current prospective of the irradiation-induced salivary gland impairment mechanisms and the envisioned therapeutic modalities based on stem cell therapy.
authors.affiliation: PhD student; Faculty of Dental Medicine, Institute of Dental Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel of Dental Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York; Private Practice, Surgical Implantology and Periodontics, Freehold, New Jersey.
authors.forename: Raluca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stiubea-Cohen
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dental Medicine, Institute of Dental Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Ran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: David
authors.affiliation: PhD student; Faculty of Dental Medicine, Institute of Dental Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Yoav
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.affiliation: Professor, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Head, Institute of Dental Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palmon
authors.affiliation: Associated Professor, Head, Salivary Gland Clinic and Saliva Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Oral Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel; Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Doron
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aframian
mesh_terms: D064592:Autografts / Q000637:transplantation; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D012466:Salivary Gland Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*