Prospect of functional salivary gland enhancement with biomedical strategies for head and neck cancers

Abstract

Xerostomia is the main complication infl icting head and neck cancer patients treated with radiotherapy. Conventional treatment is not very effective in alleviating this morbidity. Biomedical strategies such as gene transfer and tissue engineering have made substantial progress that will potentially lead to successful new treatment options for this condition. This report reviews the process of radiation damage to the salivary glands and the advances in functional salivary gland enhancement with these two brand-new technologies.