Gene transfer in salivary gland
A gene-therapy treatment for salivary glands (SGs) involves transfer of a new gene via retroductal cannulation of the main excretory ducts of a major SG. This could lead to the production of a cellular therapeutic protein or to secretion either in saliva or in the bloodstream.61 First, in 1997, human kallikrein was detected in rat plasma after salivary glands transduction. The first demonstration of a systemic biological effect due to the human growth hormone gene product released from rat salivary glands followed in 1998. These studies showed that gene delivery to salivary glands might not be limited to the treatment of salivary gland disorders, but might be an attractive approach to cure certain cases of major systemic pathologies such as diabetes or haemophilia, to mention only a few examples. Application include Prevention of irradiation damage to SGs, Autoimmune Disorders, Sys- temic Protein Deficiencies