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Sparing the region of the salivary gland containing stem cells preserves saliva production after radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.

  • van Luijk P Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, Netherlands. p.van.luijk@umcg.nl r.p.coppes@umcg.nl.
  • Pringle S Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, Netherlands. Department of Cell Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713AV Groningen, Netherlands.
  • Deasy JO Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
  • Moiseenko VV Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
  • Faber H Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, Netherlands. Department of Cell Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713AV Groningen, Netherlands.
  • Hovan A British Columbia Cancer Agency-Vancouver Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4E6, Canada.
  • Baanstra M Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, Netherlands. Department of Cell Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713AV Groningen, Netherlands.
  • van der Laan HP Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, Netherlands.
  • Kierkels RG Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, Netherlands.
  • van der Schaaf A Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, Netherlands.
  • Witjes MJ Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, Netherlands.
  • Schippers JM Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, Netherlands. Accelerator Department, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5212 Villigen, Switzerland.
  • Brandenburg S KVI Center for Advanced Radiation Technology, University of Groningen, 9747 AA Groningen, Netherlands.
  • Langendijk JA Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, Netherlands.
  • Wu J British Columbia Cancer Agency-Vancouver Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4E6, Canada.
  • Coppes RP Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, Netherlands. Department of Cell Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713AV Groningen, Netherlands. p.van.luijk@umcg.nl r.p.coppes@umcg.nl.
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  • 2015-09-18
Published in:
  • Science translational medicine. - 2015
Animals
Head and Neck Neoplasms
Humans
Mice
Parotid Gland
Quality of Life
Radiotherapy
Rats
Saliva
Salivary Glands
Stem Cells
Xerostomia
English Each year, 500,000 patients are treated with radiotherapy for head and neck cancer, resulting in relatively high survival rates. However, in 40% of patients, quality of life is severely compromised because of radiation-induced impairment of salivary gland function and consequent xerostomia (dry mouth). New radiation treatment technologies enable sparing of parts of the salivary glands. We have determined the parts of the major salivary gland, the parotid gland, that need to be spared to ensure that the gland continues to produce saliva after irradiation treatment. In mice, rats, and humans, we showed that stem and progenitor cells reside in the region of the parotid gland containing the major ducts. We demonstrated in rats that inclusion of the ducts in the radiation field led to loss of regenerative capacity, resulting in long-term gland dysfunction with reduced saliva production. Then we showed in a cohort of patients with head and neck cancer that the radiation dose to the region of the salivary gland containing the stem/progenitor cells predicted the function of the salivary glands one year after radiotherapy. Finally, we showed that this region of the salivary gland could be spared during radiotherapy, thus reducing the risk of post-radiotherapy xerostomia.
Language
  • English
Open access status
green
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https://sonar.ch/global/documents/802
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