Investigation of apoptotic activity in the lumen formation of salivary gland ducts: comparative analysis between animal and human based models

• Grant number: 11/18865-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: December 01, 2011
• End date: March 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Pathological Anatomy and Clinical Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Silvia Vanessa Lourenço
• Grantee: Tathyane Harumi Nakajima Teshima
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FO). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 15/02824-6 - Salivary gland development and regeneration: analysis of FGF10 conditional knockout transgenic mice in timed and tissue specific control, BE.EP.DD

Abstract

Salivary glands are responsible for secreting saliva and therefore contribute to the maintenance of the oral cavity homeostasis. Permanent glandular dysfunctions caused by radiotherapy, inflammatory diseases and genetic disorders commonly increase the risk of infections in oral mucosa and teeth surface, also affecting physiological oral functions as speech, mastication and taste, directly impacting in quality of life. Treatments currently available for hyposalivation are only palliative, which raises the need of developing better regenerative strategies capable of preventing and treating salivary gland injuries. It has been suggested that adult salivary glands are able to regenerate, therefore elucidating the proper mechanisms that regulate the gland formation become crucial to characterize its modulation and contribute to future translational researches.Salivary gland morphogenesis is based on the formation of a ductal series connected to terminal secretory units. Such process starts with intense oral epithelial proliferation towards the underlying mesenchyme, followed by branching, cell signaling and differentiation until reaches a mature structure, similarly to other glandular tissues. Several complex mechanisms are involved during the salivary gland morphogenesis and the interaction between epithelial and mesenchymal cells is one of the most important mechanisms to allow the required cell movement necessary to conclude gland development. Solid epithelial cords undergo through the canalization process, which creates the luminal space that allows free passage for saliva to reach the oral cavity. Alongside to cell polarization, it has been suggested that the programmed cell death process called apoptosis is one of the mechanisms that regulate the lumen formation. Apoptosis characterizes a physiological mechanism essential for eliminating useless or harmful cells by genetic control. It is also involved in tumoral processes and autoimmune conditions when unregulated. Thus the main objective of this research project is analyzing the participation of apoptosis during the morphogenetic stages of embryonic salivary glands, evidencing a comparison between animal and human models to interpret its collaboration with the formation and maintenance of the luminal space. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

TESHIMA, T. H. N.; WELLS, K. L.; LOURENCO, S. V.; TUCKER, A. S.. Apoptosis in Early Salivary Gland Duct Morphogenesis and Lumen Formation. JOURNAL OF DENTAL RESEARCH, v. 95, n. 3, p. 277-283, MAR 2016. (11/18865-2)

TESHIMA, TATHYANE H. N.; IANEZ, RENATA C. F.; COUTINHO-CAMILLO, CLAUDIA M.; TUCKER, ABIGAIL S.; LOURENCO, SILVIA V.. Apoptosis-associated protein expression in human salivary gland morphogenesis. ARCHIVES OF ORAL BIOLOGY, v. 69, p. 71-81, SEP 2016. (15/02824-6, 11/18865-2)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

TESHIMA, Tathyane Harumi Nakajima. Investigation of apoptotic activity in the lumen formation of salivary gland ducts: comparative analysis between animal and human based models. 2016. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Odontologia (FO/SDO) São Paulo.