Stem cell-Based restoration of salivary gland function

Saliva is major defense mechanism responsible for the maintenance of good oral health. Currently, there are no therapies capable of curing salivary gland dysfunction due to disease, irradiation, or aging. Salivary gland is a highly differentiated organ with limited regenerative ability. Over the last decade, activation or expansion of stem cells in situ and transplantation of salivary gland or mesenchymal stem cells have been explored as strategies for repairing salivary glands. However, there are a number of challenges associated with these approaches, which include a lack of reliable sources of multipotent stem cells, specific biomarkers for identifying stem cells, and a differentiation microenvironment (niche) for salivary gland tissue regeneration. Ongoing efforts are focused on developing strategies for expanding salivary gland/mesenchymal stem cells in vitro and defining the salivary gland microenvironment (niche). In this chapter, salivary gland physiology/pathology and an update on the current state of knowledge of salivary gland repair and regeneration are reviewed.