Project Grant R01DE034803

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research awarded The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco $696,710 on August 10, 2026, under the Oral Diseases and Disorders Research program (CFDA 93.121) to investigate the role of the genome organizer protein SATB1 in salivary gland maturation and regeneration. The research addresses the absence of viable long-term treatments for salivary gland dysfunction resulting from disease or chronic injury, particularly xerostomia induced by therapeutic ionizing radiation in head and neck cancer treatment affecting approximately 50,000 cases annually. The project examines how SATB1 establishes three-dimensional chromatin architecture and regulates cell-type-specific gene expression during postnatal submandibular gland maturation, with the goal of understanding mechanisms that control salivary gland generation from stem cells and regeneration following radiation-induced damage. Preliminary studies indicate SATB1 plays a critical role in establishing acinar cells and cellular architecture, positioning it as a potential regulator of lineage specification for therapeutic applications. Work is performed in San Francisco, California, with a period of performance extending from August 10, 2026, through May 31, 2031. This is a Project Grant, a standard assistance vehicle for hypothesis-driven biomedical research under NIDCR's extramural research mission to advance fundamental knowledge in dental, oral, and craniofacial health and translate findings into prevention and treatment strategies.