In Review

(Photo: J. Adam Fenster)

GROWTH FACTORS: Cells inside “microbubbles” fluoresce in ultraviolet light, illustrating a project to explore whether the tiny spherical wells of the microbubbles can be used to grow tissue to replace cells in human salivary glands. Catherine Ovitt, an associate professor of biomedical genetics; Danielle Benoit, an associate professor of biomedical engineering; and Lisa DeLouise, an associate professor of dermatology and biomedical engineering, have received an NIH grant to research a concept patented by DeLouise that uses the technology to develop salivary tissue for patients treated for cancers of the head and neck. Those patients sometimes lose the ability to make saliva, an often permanent condition that can make it difficult to swallow.