Reducing scarring to help salivary glands regenerate
Official title: Remediating fibrosis for salivary gland regeneration
Funded at State University of New York at Albany · NIH-11307580 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research aims to reduce scar tissue in salivary glands to help people with dry mouth after radiation or Sjögren’s syndrome regain gland function.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University of New York at Albany NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Albany, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2019 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $656,893 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DE027953-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11307580 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with reduced salivary function and evidence of gland fibrosis following head-and-neck radiation or due to Sjögren’s syndrome.
✕Less likely to help
People whose dry mouth is caused mainly by medications or who have end-stage, irreversible loss of gland tissue are less likely to benefit from these approaches.
What this research studies
The team is studying the scar-forming cells and the signals that make them produce excess extracellular matrix in salivary glands. They use single-cell RNA sequencing to pinpoint a PDGFRα+ stromal cell population that drives fibrosis and examine how TGFβ signaling changes the gland matrix. The researchers will test whether changing those signals and using scaffold-supported cell transplants can reverse fibrosis in laboratory models and restore gland structure. The goal is to develop approaches that could eventually be offered to people with radiation- or autoimmune-related salivary gland damage.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could restore salivary gland structure and improve saliva production for people with radiation- or Sjögren’s-related dry mouth.
How similar studies have gone: Prior lab and animal work has identified fibrogenic PDGFRα+ cells and TGFβ’s role, but scaffold-mediated reversal of salivary fibrosis is largely untested in humans.
Where this research is happening
-
State University of New York at Albany
Albany, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Larsen, Melinda — State University of New York at Albany
- Study coordinator: Larsen, Melinda
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.