The blood–saliva barrier is a protective mechanism that helps maintain the integrity and stability of the blood and prevents the exchange of certain substances between the bloodstream and saliva, such as electrolytes,[5] small-molecular-weight proteins, metabolic products, and specific/non-specific defense factors.
Salivary glands exhibit high selectivity in their activity, confirming the functioning of the barrier which regulates its permeability in response to physiological or pathological changes within the body.
[2] In recent years, significant progress has been made in studying different aspects blood–saliva barrier function using advanced tools such as molecular biology techniques, confocal microscopy, immunofluorescence staining methods, and transcellular migration assays.
These studies elucidate cellular interactions involved in creating tight junctions[5][2] between endothelial cells lining capillaries within salivary glands.
[2] Furthermore, experimental models utilizing cell cultures have demonstrated potential applications for tissue engineering approaches aimed at developing artificial salivary glands or improving treatments for conditions associated with reduced salivation.