Understanding How Salivary Glands Repair Themselves
Defining mechanisms driving salivary gland regeneration
This research looks at how salivary glands can repair themselves, which could help people with conditions like dry mouth from aging, autoimmune diseases, or cancer treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11129836 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Many people experience problems with their salivary glands due to aging, autoimmune conditions, or cancer treatments, leading to issues like chronic dry mouth. This research aims to understand how the body's own stem cells help salivary glands heal and grow new tissue. We are exploring how these special cells work, how nerves influence gland health, and how aging affects their ability to repair. By studying these processes in both mice and human tissue, we hope to uncover new ways to restore salivary gland function.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients who experience salivary gland damage or dysfunction due to aging, autoimmune diseases, or cancer treatments, leading to conditions like chronic dry mouth, could potentially benefit from future therapies developed from this research.
Not a fit: Patients whose salivary gland issues are not related to problems with regeneration or stem cell function may not directly benefit from this specific line of research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new stem cell-based treatments to restore salivary gland function for patients suffering from chronic dry mouth or other gland damage.
How similar studies have performed: While progress has been made in identifying salivary gland stem cells, the specific mechanisms driving organ repair and regeneration are still in early stages of understanding, making this a foundational and novel approach.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Knox, Sarah Monica — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Knox, Sarah Monica
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 below.