Regenerating Salivary Glands in the Microenvironment of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

This report describes our initial attempt to regenerate salivary glands using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells in vivo and in vitro. Glandular tissues that were similar to the adult submandibular glands (SMGs) and sublingual glands could be partially produced by the transplantation of iPS cells into mouse salivary glands. However, the tumorigenicity of iPS cells has not been resolved yet. It is well known that stem cells affect their microenvironment, known as a stem cell niche. We focused on the niche and the interaction between iPS cells and salivary gland cells in our study on salivary gland regeneration. Coculture of embryonic SMG cells and iPS cells have better-developed epithelial structures and fewer undifferentiated specific markers than monoculture of embryonic SMG cells in vitro. These results suggest that iPS cells have a potential ability to accelerate differentiation for salivary gland development and regeneration.