Comparing human and mouse salivary glands: A practice guide for salivary researchers.

Mice are a widely utilized in vivo model for translational salivary gland research but must be used with caution. Specifically, mouse salivary glands are similar in many ways to human salivary glands (i.e., in terms of their anatomy, histology, and physiology) and are both readily available and relatively easy and affordable to maintain. However, there are some significant differences between the two organisms, and by extension, the salivary glands derived from them must be taken into account for translational studies. The current review details pertinent similarities and differences between human and mouse salivary glands and offers practical guidelines for using both for research purposes.

L1 Peptide-Conjugated Fibrin Hydrogels Promote Salivary Gland Regeneration.

Hyposalivation contributes to dental caries, periodontitis, and microbial infections. Additionally, it impairs activities of daily living (e.g., speaking, chewing, and swallowing). Treatments for hyposalivation are currently limited to medications (e.g., the muscarinic receptor agonists pilocarpine and cevimeline) that induce saliva secretion from residual acinar cells and the use of saliva substitutes. However, given that these therapies provide only temporary relief, the development of alternative treatments to restore gland function is essential. Previous studies demonstrated that laminin 1 (L1) is critical for intact salivary cell cluster formation and organization. However, the full L1 sequence is not suitable for clinical applications, as each protein domain may contribute to unwanted effects, such as degradation, tumorigenesis, and immune responses that, when compounded, outweigh the potential benefits provided by their sum. Although the L1 peptides YIGSR and A99 linked to fibrin hydrogels (FHs) promote intact salivary epithelial formation in vitro, little is known about their role during salivary gland regeneration in vivo. Therefore, the goal of this study was to demonstrate whether L1 peptides conjugated to FHs promote tissue regeneration in a wound-healing model of mouse submandibular glands (mSMGs). Our results suggest that YIGSR-A99 peptides, chemically conjugated to FHs and applied to wounded mSMGs in vivo, formed new organized salivary tissue. In contrast, wounded mSMGs treated with FHs alone or in the absence of a scaffold showed disorganized collagen formation and poor tissue healing. Together these studies indicate that damaged salivary gland tissue can grow and differentiate when treated with FHs containing L1 peptides.

Stem Cell-Soluble Signals Enhance Multilumen Formation in SMG Cell Clusters.

Saliva plays a major role in maintaining oral health. Patients with salivary hypofunction exhibit difficulty in chewing and swallowing foods, tooth decay, periodontal disease, and microbial infections. At this time, treatments for hyposalivation are limited to medications (e.g., muscarinic receptor agonists: pilocarpine and cevimeline) that induce saliva secretion from residual acinar cells as well as artificial salivary substitutes. Therefore, advancement of restorative treatments is necessary to improve the quality of life in these patients. Our previous studies indicated that salivary cells are able to form polarized 3-dimensional structures when grown on growth factor-reduced Matrigel. This basement membrane is rich in laminin-III (L1), which plays a critical role in salivary gland formation. Mitotically inactive feeder layers have been used previously to support the growth of many different cell types, as they provide factors necessary for cell growth and organization. The goal of this study was to improve salivary gland cell differentiation in primary cultures by using a combination of L1 and a feeder layer of human hair follicle-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hHF-MSCs). Our results indicated that the direct contact of mouse submandibular (mSMG) cell clusters and hHF-MSCs was not required for mSMG cells to form acinar and ductal structures. However, the hHF-MSC conditioned medium enhanced cell organization and multilumen formation, indicating that soluble signals secreted by hHF-MSCs play a role in promoting these features.