Development of poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels for salivary gland tissue engineering applications.

ABSTRACT: More than 40,000 patients are diagnosed with head and neck cancers annually in the United States with the vast majority receiving radiation therapy. Salivary glands are irreparably damaged by radiation therapy resulting in xerostomia, which severely affects patient quality of life. Cell-based therapies have shown some promise in mouse models of radiation-induced xerostomia, but they suffer from insufficient and inconsistent gland regeneration and accompanying secretory function. To aid in the development of regenerative therapies, poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels were investigated for the encapsulation of primary submandibular gland (SMG) cells for tissue engineering applications. Different methods of hydrogel formation and cell preparation were examined to identify cytocompatible encapsula

SUBMITTER: Shubin AD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4449707 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature