Parasympathetic nerves are a vital component of the progenitor cell niche during development,maintaining a pool of progenitors for organogenesis. Injured adult organs do notregenerate after parasympathectomy, and there are few treatments to improve organregeneration, particularly after damage by therapeutic irradiation. Here we show thatrestoring parasympathetic function with the neurotrophic factor neurturin increases epithelialorgan regeneration after damage. We use mouse salivary gland explant culture containingfluorescently labelled progenitors, and injure the tissue with irradiation. The progenitorssurvive, parasympathetic function is diminished and epithelial apoptosis reduces theexpression of neurturin, which increases neuronal apoptosis. Treatment with neurturinreduces neuronal apoptosis, restores parasympathetic function and increases epithelialregeneration. Furthermore, adult human salivary glands damaged by irradiation also havereduced parasympathetic innervation. We propose that neurturin will protect theparasympathetic nerves from damage and improve organ regeneration. This concept may beapplicable for other organs where parasympathetic innervation influences their function.
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