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EIOH News
Center for Oral Biology Update Saliva, essential for oral health, is critical for maintaining oral homeostasis and serves multiple functions, including lubrication, digestion, protection of oral and dental tissues, and host defense. However, a variety of conditions can cause major disruptions in function, including normal aging and drug interactions, as well as systemic diseases, such as diabetes. The most common disease involving the salivary glands is Sjögren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease affecting up to 4 million Americans, mostly middle-aged women. Furthermore, an estimated 52,000 people each year are diagnosed with head and neck cancers and are treated with radiation. This therapy often results in permanent damage to the salivary glands due to irreversible loss of the secretory acinar cells. The long-term outcome is a significant decrease in salivary flow, known as xerostomia. Short interfering RNAs (siRNAs), small molecules that can be introduced into the salivary gland cells, to block the process of cell death from being activated by the radiation treatment. (photo by Marit Aure)
momentum | 2014 . volume 1 19
