Research progress of cytokine mediated pluripotent stem cells into salivary gland differentiation

Currently， tumor and radiotherapy can result in physiological and functional damage to the salivary glands， significantly impacting the physiological and psychological well-being of patients. The repair of salivary gland injuries remains a challenging aspect of clinical treatment. Tissue regeneration engineering through cytokine-mediated stem cell directed differentiation offers a novel therapeutic approach for addressing salivary gland injuries. Embryonic stem cells （ESC） and induced pluripotent stem cells （iPSC）， with their potential for multidirectional differentiation and self-renewal， play a crucial role in regenerating and repairing salivary gland tissue. Building upon studies on classical tridermal differentiation of ESC/iPSC mediated by cytokines， this paper provides an extensive review on the research progress and future prospects of utilizing cytokine-mediated stem cell differentiation for salivary gland regeneration.