Introduction
Ulcerative mucositis and taste loss are common side effects induced by cancer therapy, including chemotherapy and radiation therapy. These conditions cause significant oral pain and loss of taste, impacting food intake and physical health abnormalities such as malnutrition, as well as depression and mental health deterioration, which can affect prognosis. To address these challenges, an appropriate treatment for oral mucositis is required. While various types of oral mucositis treatments have been developed (e.g., patch, spray, ointment), most show indirect healing effects such as pain control and inflammation relief. Thus, a direct method for treating oral lesions should be developed. This research was supported by the Korean Fund for Regenerative Medi- cine (KFRM) grant funded by the Korea Government (the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Health & Welfare) (21C0712L1-11).
Methods
To compensate for the difficulty in supplying human tissue, we conducted preliminary experiments using mice to establish protocols for manufacturing human oral tissue-derived cell therapeutics. we devised an organoid-derived cell sheet transplantation. First, we generated organoids derived from oral mucosa and prepared a cell sheet using a temperature-responsive cell culture dish. The harvested cell sheet was transplanted to the lesion site to enable structural and functional recovery of the oral mucosa and gustatory organs.
Results
We have developed a cell-therapeutic platform based on regenerative medicine technology to recover oral lesions in cancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy patients. Specifically, we developed a method for producing autologous cell therapeutics. The oral mucosa tissue of a patient scheduled for anticancer treatment was collected, and epithelial cells were obtained from the tissue. Using these cells, we generated organoids with differentiated taste bud cells, and isolated cells from the organoids were seeded onto temperature-responsive cell culture dishes and cultured beyond confluence for the formation of a sheet. We performed immunostaining to detect various types of taste cells in the cell sheet. We also confirmed the success of cell sheet transplantation and the subsequent healing effect.
Conclusion
Improving the prognosis and acquiring the will to recover of cancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy patients through repairing taste function and rapid healing of lesions are crucial. We have developed a cell therapy technology that enables the structural and functional recovery of the oral mucosa and gustatory organs, providing a promising solution to treat the side effects of anti-cancer treatment. Our research provides an R&D initiative for the treatment and prevention of intractable diseases by culturing, manufacturing, and transplanting living autologous cells.
Disclosures
No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
