Oct. 21, 2026
Contact: Brian Consiglio, consigliob@missouri.edu
Photo by Roger Meissen
Researchers at the University of Missouri have uncovered a promising way to protect saliva-producing glands from radiation damage that can make it difficult to eat, swallow, sleep and maintain oral hygiene.
In a new study, Mizzou researchers found that a drug called tetrathiomolybdate, or TTM, helped mice maintain saliva production after radiation therapy. The finding could eventually lead to a way to prevent chronic dry mouth, a debilitating side effect of radiation therapy that can persist long after cancer treatment ends.
“As a former dentist, I saw firsthand the damage radiation did to the salivary glands of some of my patients, and dry mouth leads to difficulty eating and swallowing, increased risk of dental problems and trouble sleeping,” said Olga Baker, a professor in the School of Medicine who helped lead the project. “Those experiences inspired me to want to find a solution, and the collaborators I’ve met at Mizzou are helping make this translational work possible.”
Protecting the body's salivary glands
The idea for the research grew out of a collaboration between Baker and Michael Petris, a professor in the School of Medicine and co-author of the study.
Baker knew that radiation can cause an excess of a protein called collagen to build up in the salivary glands, causing stiffness, damage and ultimately a lack of saliva production. Petris studies copper’s role in the body and was familiar with TTM, a drug that reduces the amount of copper available for biological processes.
Because copper plays a role in collagen production, Baker and Petris hypothesized that TTM could reduce collagen buildup and help protect salivary glands from radiation damage.
In the study, the Mizzou team gave mice TTM in their drinking water for seven days before and after radiation treatment.
The results were encouraging: Mice treated with TTM maintained saliva production even after radiation, suggesting the drug could help protect salivary glands from damage.
“While my expertise is in saliva production, my collaborator, Michael Petris, has expertise in copper’s role throughout the body,” said Baker, an investigator in the Bond Life Sciences Center. “This interdisciplinary project is a great example of the breakthroughs that are made at Mizzou when scientists with different strengths collaborate on translational science. Our hope is that patients will benefit from this foundational work in the future.”
From Mizzou discovery to potential patient treatment
The findings are an important early step, but more research is needed before TTM could be tested as a treatment for people.
The researchers' next priority is making sure the drug does not interfere with radiation's ability to destroy cancer cells. If larger preclinical studies show that TTM can protect salivary glands without reducing the effectiveness of lifesaving radiation, the research could eventually move toward clinical trials.
For Baker, the potential impact goes far beyond treating a dry mouth.
“We don’t realize how important saliva is until we lose it,” she said. “When you see patients who need a humidifier to sleep at night without the fear of choking or patients who can no longer fully enjoy the taste of different foods, you realize the impact this work can have on patients’ quality of life and oral health.”
The study, “Systemic copper chelation reduces collagen deposition and preserves secretory function in irradiated mouse salivary glands,” is published in Advances in Radiation Oncology. Coauthors include Kihoon Nam, Frank Maslow, Harim Tavares and Rodrigo Osorio.
