Hyposialia and xerostomy post irradiation: Innovative therapies in the biomolecular field

Abstract

Human salivary glands can be seriously injured by the radiotherapy used against head and neck neoplasms, producing hyposialia and xerostomy, which affect oral and systemic health, diminishing the person’s quality of life. Current conventional treatments are designed to reduce symptoms, without acting on the pathophysiological changes that occur at the glandular level. This review attempts to analyze those preventive and /or curative therapies that are developing in the biomolecular field and that have a promising future due to their innovative features: Gene therapy, stem cell therapy and growth factor therapy. An additional contribution of nanotechnology is evident, which is improving the routes of treatment application.