First gene therapy study in human salivary gland shows promise

Source: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Date: Monday, November 5, 2012 Gene therapy can be performed safely in the human salivary gland, according to scientists at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of the National Institutes of Health. This finding comes from the first-ever safety, or Phase I, clinical study of gene therapy in a human salivary gland. Its results, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also show that the transferred gene, Aquaporin-1, has great potential to help head and neck cancer survivors who battle with chronic dry mouth. Aquaporin-1 encodes a protein that naturally forms pore-like water channels in the membranes of cells to help move fluid, such as occurs when salivary gland cells secrete saliva into the mouth. These initial results clear the way for additional gene therapy studies in the salivary glands. Although sometimes overlooked, salivary glands present an ideal target for gene therapy. They are easily accessible and, once a gene is introduced, it has no obvious escape route into the bloodstream, where it can have unintended consequences. “You cannot imagine how fulfilling it is to jot down an idea on a napkin in 1991 and then see it enter a clinical trial and help people.,” said Bruce Baum, D.M.D., Ph.D., lead author on the study and recently retired NIDCR scientist who spent the last 21 years moving gene therapy in the salivary glands from the research bench to the clinic. “Can a scientist ask for anything [...]

2012-11-06T14:45:46-07:00November, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Salivary glands project offers hope for head and neck cancer patients

Source: Dental-Tribune.com   Researchers have shown that salivary cells cultured outside the body can be coaxed into forming organized structures similar to those found in the body. These images show cells marked with fluorescent dyes that identify specific proteins found in salivary tissues. (DTI/Photo courtesy of Swati Pradhan-Bhatt/University of Delaware) HOUSTON, Texas/NEWARK & WILMINGTON, Del., USA: Scientists in the U.S. have started a four-year program with the aim of regenerating artificial salivary glands from patients' own cells. As few researchers have applied tissue-engineering strategies in the past, they hope that their current work will lead to new solutions for cancer patients suffering from dry mouth as a consequence of radiation therapy. The researchers estimate that about 40,000 head and neck cancer patients undergo standard radiation as an early course of treatment each year, which often destroys the saliva-producing cells in their mouths. Consequently, patients have difficulty swallowing, eating and speaking owing to dry mouth, a serious condition that is also known to accelerate tooth decay and to induce oral infections. "There is currently no way to prevent or cure xerostomia for cancer patients who are undergoing radiation therapy. This is clearly a problem where regenerative medicine holds great promise for improving the quality of life for many people," said Dr. Robert Witt, a head and neck surgical oncologist at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center. For the project, the team developed a technique to harvest and grow salivary acinar cells, which are responsible for water and enzyme production, in the [...]

2012-08-21T18:54:05-07:00August, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Dentistry’s Schmidt and Boston Biomedical Share $1.25mil NIH Grant for Cancer Pain Research

Source: Iewy Author: Staff The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded a joint, five-year, $1.25 million grant to Dr. Brian L. Schmidt, a Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the NYU College of Dentistry, and Dr. Markus Hardt, a protein chemist at the Boston Biomedical Research Institute, for a study of the molecular mechanisms of oral cancer pain. The ultimate goal of the research is to spur the development of more sophisticated analgesics (pain medications) to alleviate the pain that is so often manifested in patients with oral cancer. “Oral cancer is a logical place to start when seeking clues about cancer pain,” Dr. Schmidt said. “To begin, oral cancer is very painful. In fact, pain is the most common presenting symptom associated with this cancer. Secondly, oral cancer is painful at the primary site, not just at sites of metastasis as is the case in almost all other cancers. Lastly, the primary site of the oral cancer is readily accessible, enabling us to directly sample the cancer microenvironment.” Dr. Schmidt hypothesizes that the cause of oral cancer pain and pain generated by other cancers may be produced along similar molecular pathways in the body. Oral cancer pain, like many other kinds of cancer pain, is triggered by specific actions. Just as oral cancers can cause patients to feel pain in the oral cavity when they speak, other cancers generate pain during mechanical stimulation. For example, if a [...]

2010-10-18T14:53:54-07:00October, 2010|Oral Cancer News|
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