Radiation-Induced Salivary Gland Dysfunction: Mechanisms, Therapeutics and Future Directions.

ABSTRACT: Salivary glands sustain collateral damage following radiotherapy (RT) to treat cancers of the head and neck, leading to complications, including mucositis, xerostomia and hyposalivation. Despite salivary gland-sparing techniques and modified dosing strategies, long-term hypofunction remains a significant problem. Current therapeutic interventions provide temporary symptom relief, but do not address irreversible glandular damage. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of mechanisms involved in RT-induced hyposalivation and provide a framework for future mechanistic studies. One glaring gap in published studies investigating RT-induced mechanisms of salivary gland dysfunction concerns the effect of irradiation on adjacent non-irradiated tissue via paracrine, autocrine and dir

SUBMITTER: Jasmer KJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7767137 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature