A group of researchers found that SIS improves a stem cell treatment for dry mouth that occurs from irradiation treatment for head and neck cancers

Human salivary stem/progenitor cells were imbedded in a hydrogel on SIS and implanted in the parotid glands of miniswine to determine feasibility of the treatment.

Radiotherapy for head and neck cancers can induce xerostomia, the sensation of dry mouth, because of a decrease in saliva production. Xerostomia occurs because radiation kills the saliva-producing cells.

Teams from six institutions collaborated to develop a cell therapy for dry mouth disorders and then tested it in an irradiated, immunosuppressed miniswine model.¹ The stem/progenitor cells were derived from human salivary tissues donated by cancer patients. The miniswine were immunosuppressed to prevent rejection of the human cells; patients may also be immunosuppressed if they have received implanted cells or because of their health status.

The cells were encapsulated in a hydrogel, and small intestinal submucosa (SIS, DynaMatrixTM) was added to provide support and to enable implantation by the surgeon. In addition, the SIS allowed for delivery of the composite through a port with a robotic surgical system, a method not likely without SIS.

The teams found that the human cells survived for at least four weeks, and there were signs of vascular and nervous system integration with the implants. Additionally, the cells produced α-amylase (a saliva marker) for at least eight weeks. The authors concluded that this model provides high value for pre-clinical testing prior to first-in-human trials of this cell therapy. This is another example of SIS being used to deliver advanced cellular therapies.

1 Wu D, Lombaert IMA, DeLeon M, et al. Immunosuppressed miniswine as a model for testing cell therapy success: experience with implants of human salivary stem/progenitor cell constructs. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences. 2021;8:711602.