Developmental role of hyaluronic acid and its application in salivary gland tissue engineering

Dry mouth, or xerostomia, caused by salivary gland dysfunction significantly impacts oral/systemic health and quality of life. Although in vitro-generated artificial salivary glands have been considered as the fundamental solution, its structural complexity is difficult to reproduce using current biomaterials. Therefore, understanding and recapitulating the roles of biomacromolecules in salivary gland organogenesis is needed to solve these problems. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a macromolecule abundant during salivary gland organogenesis, but its role remains unknown. Here, we verify the effects of HA on salivary gland organogenesis and artificial organ germ formation in solubilized and substrate-immobilized forms. In embryonic submandibular glands (eSMG), we found dense HA layers encapsulating proliferative c-Kit+ progenitor cells that were expressing CD44, an HA receptor. The blockage of HA synthesis, or degradation of HA, impaired eSMG growth by ablating the c-Kit+ progenitor cell population. We also found that high-molecular-weight (HMW) HA has a significant role in eSMG growth. Based on these findings, we discovered that HA is also crucial for in vitro formation of salivary gland organ germs, one of the most promising candidates for salivary gland tissue regeneration. We significantly enhanced salivary gland organ germ formation by supplementing HMW HA in solution; this effect was further increased when the HMW HA was immobilized on the substrate by polydopamine/HA co-immobilization. Our study suggests that the current use of HA in salivary gland tissue engineering can be further optimized.