Stress or injury induces cellular plasticity in salivary gland acinar cells.

Salivary gland function is severely disrupted by radiation therapy used to treat patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer and by Sjögren's syndrome. The resulting condition, which results in xerostomia or dry mouth, is due to irreversible loss of the secretory acinar cells within the major salivary glands. There are presently no treatments for the resolution of xerostomia.

Influence of PECAM-1 ligand interactions on PECAM-1-dependent cell motility and filopodia extension.

Platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM-1) has been implicated in angiogenesis through processes that involve stimulation of endothelial cell motility. Previous studies suggest that PECAM-1 tyrosine phosphorylation mediates the recruitment and then activation of the tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2, which in turn promotes the turnover of focal adhesions and the extension of filopodia, processes critical to cell motility. While these studies have implicated PECAM-1-dependent signaling in PECAM-1-mediated cell motility, the involvement of PECAM-1 ligand binding in cell migration is undefined.