Mechanisms of Salivary Gland Cell Proliferation in Vitro by P2y2r Activation

Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease in which exocrine glands including the salivary gland are targeted and destroyed by the immune system (Voulgarelis and Tzioufas, 2010). SS and the side-effects of γ-radiation therapies for head and neck cancers cause salivary gland dysfunction, in particular hyposalivation (Atkinson et al., 2005; Fox, 1998; O'Sullivan and Higginson, 2010). Among the diverse therapeutic strategies for replacement of non-functional tissue, salivary gland regeneration has been considered to be a very promising approach for restoring saliva secretion. To regenerate a functional salivary gland in a clinical setting, it is first necessary to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in salivary gland regeneration. Salivary gland regeneration requires several functions to be sequentially activated in salivary epithelial cells, including increases in cell proliferation, migration and differentiation (Patel et al., 2006). This thesis describes our attempts to understand mechanisms that increase