Salivary gland development and regeneration: analysis of FGF10 conditional knockout transgenic mice in timed and tissue specific control

• Grant number: 15/02824-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: May 11, 2015
• End date: February 20, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Silvia Vanessa Lourenço
• Grantee: Tathyane Harumi Nakajima Teshima
• Supervisor: Abigail Saffron Tucker
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FO). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: King's College London, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 11/18865-2 - Investigation of apoptotic activity in the lumen formation of salivary gland ducts: comparative analysis between animal and human based models, BP.DD

Abstract

Salivary glands secrete saliva, which is essential to the maintenance of oral health. Permanent salivary gland dysfunction mostly caused by radiotherapy, inflammatory diseases and congenital syndromes, frequently affects physiological oral functions, such as speech, taste and mastication, while also increases the risk of caries and oral mucosa injuries. The current treatments available are only palliative and the quality of life of impaired individuals is often seriously compromised. Such concern has highlighted the need for new treatments to prevent damage of salivary glands and to stimulate their regeneration after injury, and therefore a need to identify and understand proper mechanisms involved in the regulation of salivary gland morphogenesis. Salivary gland dysfunction can be assessed using a mouse model of congenital disorders associated with salivary gland aplasia and hypoplasia (LADD and ASLG syndromes) caused by mutations in Fibroblast growth Factor 10 (Fgf10). Given that the full knockout is lethal at birth, conditional loss of Fgf10 represents a valuable experimental model to analyse salivary glands during development and especially in adulthood, and this project aims to visualise the effects of timed specific loss of this particular gene, and tissue specific loss targeting neural crest derived mesenchymal cells. Taking advantage of the latest experimental models not yet available in Brazil, this collaboration will be an excellent opportunity to improve the main ongoing project in salivary gland development, and also contribute to regenerative medicine and translational research to find the best therapy for those injured individuals. (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, TATHYANE H. N.; LOURENCO, SILVIA V.; TUCKER, ABIGAIL S.. Multiple Cranial Organ Defects after Conditionally Knocking Out Fgf10 in the Neural Crest. FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY, v. 7, OCT 25 2016. (15/02824-6)

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)