Alexandria, Va., USA -- Oral mucositis and taste dysfunction (dysgeusia) occurs in nearly all patients receiving head and neck radiotherapy and tremendously affects the quality of life and treatment outcome. The study "LiCl Promotes Recovery of Radiation-Induced Oral Mucositis and Dysgeusia" published in the Journal of Dental Research (JDR), investigated the hypothesis that lithium chloride (LiCl) can promote the restoration of oral mucosa integrity and taste function after radiation.
LiCl is a potent activator of a key cell signaling pathway called Wnt/β-catenin that is critical for the development, regeneration and function of many tissue types. Researchers at the West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, the University of Illinois at Chicago, USA, and the Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China, compared the treatment efficacy of LiCl on oral mucositis to the treatment efficacy using keratinocyte growth factor, an agent approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for oral mucositis.
The results showed that LiCl alleviated the weight loss and tongue ulceration of the mice with radiation-induced oral mucositis, as well promoted proliferation of basal epithelial cells and inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition in tongue mucosa. The mice treated with LiCl showed an elevated taste bud renewal and taste-distortion recovery toward sweetness as compared to the mice treated using keratinocyte growth factor.
"The data from this study demonstrate that LiCl can mitigate radiation-induced oral mucositis by promoting cell proliferation in the basal layer and inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition of the oral mucosa," said JDR Editor-in-Chief Nicholas Jakubovics, Newcastle University, England. "Lithium has been used in clinical practice for decades and is currently recommended as a first-line therapy for bipolar disorder. It is exciting to see that LiCl may also represent a promising new therapy to improve the quality of life of patients receiving radiotherapy."
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About the Journal of Dental Research
The IADR/AADR Journal of Dental Research (JDR) is a multidisciplinary journal dedicated to the dissemination of new knowledge in all sciences relevant to dentistry and the oral cavity and associated structures in health and disease. The JDR ranks #3 in Impact Factor of 91 journals, #2 without self-citations, as well as #2 of 91 in Article Influence with a score of 1.627. The JDR's 5-year Impact Factor remained above 5 for the fifth year at 5.844 -- ranking #2 of 91 journals. With over 20,000 citations, the JDR also boasts the most citations in the "Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine" category, over 3,500 citations above the 2nd ranked journal in the field.
International Association for Dental Research
The International Association for Dental Research (IADR) is a nonprofit organization with over 10,000 individual members worldwide, with a Mission to drive dental, oral and craniofacial research to advance health and well-being worldwide. To learn more, visit http://www.iadr.org. The American Association for Dental Research (AADR) is the largest Division of IADR with 3,100 members in the United States. To learn more, visit http://www.iadr.org/aadr.
Journal
Journal of Dental Research