Dr. Baker has pioneered the use of lipid mediators known as resolvins in salivary gland (SG) research, demonstrating that the resolvin D1 (RvD1) is biosynthesized in SGs. Specifically, she and her team revealed the mechanisms by which RvD1 activates its receptor (ALX/FPR2) to block pro-inflammatory cytokines and promote tissue healing. Additionally, Dr. Baker’s lab demonstrated the degree to which the RvD1 receptor ALX/FPR2 is critical for resolution of inflammation in SG, as mice lacking it display markedly increased reactivity to endotoxins.

The significance of these findings is that her lab may have found a means to more effectively manage hyposalivation observed in Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) patients, with results to date demonstrating that systemic treatment with RvD1 of a mouse model for SS preserves and restores SG secretory function. A second of Dr. Baker’s ongoing research programs is conducted in partnership with Dr. Stelios Andreadis of the University at Buffalo. For this project, her team has designed a matrix consisting of fibrin hydrogels (FH) linked to basement proteins and growth factors and introduced it into damaged SG with the aim of forming new tissue and recovering lost secretory function. Particularly, Dr. Baker’s lab has demonstrated that the structural protein Laminin-1 (L1) promotes SG differentiation when polymerized within FH; however, because L1 is not optimal for translational research in light of its tumorigenic properties, they designed alternate peptide sequences corresponding to pertinent L1 regions that promote intact SG formation and conjugated them to FH. In so doing, this scaffold has retained the fertile characteristics of L1 without the associated dangers, thereby increasing the chances of producing new tissue with minimal risk for side effects. Furthermore, Dr. Baker and colleagues have tested this L1-modified FH scaffold in irradiated mouse SG and successfully applied it in vivo to restore SG function, thereby confirming that new and well-organized salivary tissue with intact secretion can be produced using this novel matrix.

Baker Research Lab — MU School of Medicine