Significance
Hyposalivation leads to the development of a host of oral diseases. Current treatments only provide temporary relief. Tissue engineering may provide promising permanent solutions. Yet current models are limited to salivary spheroids with no branching networks. Branching structures are vital to an effective functioning gland as they increase the surface area/glandular volume ratio of the tissue, allowing a higher output from the small-sized gland. We describe a strategy that controls branch network formation in salivary glands that is a key in advancing the field of salivary gland tissue engineering.
Statement of significance
Hyposalivation leads to the development of a host of oral diseases. Current treatments only provide temporary relief. Tissue engineering may provide promising permanent solutions. Yet current models are limited to salivary spheroids with no branching networks. Branching structures are vital to an effective functioning gland as they increase the surface area/glandular volume ratio of the tissue, allowing a higher output from the small-sized gland. We describe a strategy that controls branch network formation in salivary glands that is a key in advancing the field of salivary gland tissue engineering.