Table 1.
Treatments and preclinical drugs aimed to improve/prevent irradiation damage in salivary glands
| Treatment/Drug | Target | Effects on Function | Effects on Histology | Species | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secretagogue treatment | Pilocarpine*/cevimeline* | Muscarinic receptors | Increased flow | n/a | Human | (527) |
| Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) | n/a | Pilot study showed increased flow | n/a | Human | (529) | |
| Acupuncture | n/a | Insufficient evidence | n/a | Human | (531) | |
| Electrostimulation | Nerve signaling | Increased flow | n/a | Human | (532) | |
| Radioprotective therapy | TEMPOL | ROS scavenger | Partial reversed saliva flow | Microvessel protection | Mouse | (535) |
| Dasatinib | Tyrosine kinase inhibitor | Prevention of hyposalivation | Protection of AQP5+ acinar cells | Mouse | (537) | |
| IGF-1 | Cell proliferation | Prevention of hyposalivation | Protection of acinar cells | Mouse | (421) | |
| FGF7 | Blockade of p53-mediated apoptosis | Prevention of hyposalivation | Preserved cell-specific markers of acinar, duct, and MEC | Mouse | (538) | |
| NTRN | Parasympathetic nerves | Prevention of hyposalivation | Increased parasympathetic nerve markers | Mouse | (36) | |
| Rescue of long-term hyposalivation | Prevention of irradiation damage | Minipig | (37) |
*
Autonomic pharmacological drugs. n/a, Not applicable. See glossary for other abbreviations.