A TGFβR inhibitor represses keratin-7 expression in 3D cultures of human salivary gland progenitor cells.

ABSTRACT: Salivary gland tissue engineering offers an attractive alternative for the treatment of radiation-induced xerostomia. Key to the success of this approach is the maintenance and expansion of secretory acinar cells in vitro. However, recent studies revealed that in vitro culture of primary salivary gland epithelial cells led to undesirable upregulation of the expression of keratin-7 (K7), a marker of ductal phenotype and frequently associated with cellular stress. We have previously shown that hyaluronic acid (HA)-based, RGDSP-decorated hydrogels support the 3D growth and assembly of primary human salivary gland stem/progenitor cells (hS/PCs). Here, we investigate whether the RGDSP culture also promotes K7 expression, and if so, what factors govern the K7 expression. Compared to hS/PCs maint

SUBMITTER: Fowler EW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9440137 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature