Saliva-based testing, JADA’s latest addition to its Oral Science Trends series
Clinical applications of saliva-based testing will be made easier by advances in saliva research, according to the cover story of the August issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association.
The authors had stated that “Each day, humans produce approximately 0.5 through 1.5 liters of saliva, a biofluid that is rich in biological omic constituents. Our lack of understanding how omic biomarkers migrate from diseased tissue to the saliva has impeded the clinical translation of saliva testing.”
The cover story also describes how recent advances in biomedical and clinical sciences are having a significant impact on dentists’ capability to care for their patients and advance public health.
Could saliva liquid biopsy be used for early cancer detection?
The authors of the article introduce a novel electrochemical sensing technique that could be applied to saliva liquid biopsy for the early detection of cancer.
Dr. Nonaka and Dr. Wong also stated that “The utility of saliva for screening for lung cancer is under investigation, saliva testing may be used to stratify patients, monitor treatment response, and detect disease recurrence.”
References
Nonaka T, Wong DTW. Saliva diagnostics: Salivaomics, saliva exosomics, and saliva liquid biopsy. J Am Dent Assoc. 2023 Aug;154(8):696-704. doi: 10.1016/j.adaj.2023.05.006. PMID: 37500232.
American Dental Association
