Patients with head-and neck cancer are often treated with radiation therapy. A side-effect to this life saving therapy is reduced salivary production which has serious consequences for mouth- and dental health and quality of life.
Injection of ASCs directly into the salivary glands in a phase I clinical trial has proven safety and promising efficacy. The first of 120 planned patients has been enrolled and treated with ASCs in a double-blind placebo-controlled phase II trial in patients suffering from damaged salivary glands due to radiation-induced hyposalivation and xerostomia.