This is a feasibility study that will assess the efficacy of using autologous blood to treat moderate to severe dry mouth. Dry mouth has been estimated to affect up to 64.8% of the general population (Navazesh et al., 2009) and many patients that are affected by Sjögren's syndrome or have had radiation therapy to combat head or neck cancer (Navazesh et al., 2009). The blood will be applied to the interior of the mouth by means of a mouthwash. This research poses the first potential curative treatment for dry mouth - all other current dry mouth treatments are either symptomatic or lifestyle-based. Autologous blood has been shown to be effective in treating the epithelial surface of dry eyes. This has been attributed to the analogous growth factors in the blood to that of tears - and potentially in this case, saliva - in healing the oral epithelial surface (Herbst et al., 2004).
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Improvement of signs of clinical dry mouth
Timeframe: 6 months
Improvement of symptoms of Dry Mouth
Timeframe: 6 months