# Significance of Notch Signaling in Salivary Gland Development and Diseases

## TL;DR

This paper reviews the role of Notch signaling in salivary gland development and how its disruption can lead to diseases.

## Contribution

The paper compiles recent findings on Notch signaling mechanisms in salivary glands for potential therapeutic applications.

## Key findings

- Notch signaling is crucial for salivary gland development and tissue organization.
- Dysregulation of Notch pathways can lead to autoimmune diseases and tumors.
- Recent studies highlight therapeutic potential by targeting Notch pathways in salivary gland diseases.

## Abstract

Notch-mediated signaling pathways represent a system that is conserved from an evolutionary point of view, demonstrating a key role in determining cell fate in development; in fact, Notch operates at multiple levels during tissue and organ organization, intervening in the key processes of organogenesis. As a consequence of this, a dysregulation of the Notch-mediated pathways leads to the onset of various pathological conditions such as autoimmune diseases or tumors. The activation of Notch-mediated molecular pathways has also been demonstrated in the development of salivary glands (SGs) and in associated pathologies. Although the numerous advances made in recent years have clarified various aspects of the activation of transductional cascades involving Notch in SGs development and diseases, there are still many aspects that require experimental investigation. In this review, we report, for therapeutic purposes, what is present in the literature relating to the mechanisms regulating the development of Notch-mediated SGs and the most recent discoveries relating to SGs pathologies that derive from alterations of the Notch-mediated pathways.