Taste and smell receptors depend upon growth factor secretion to maintain normal taste and smell function

Abstract

Taste and smell receptors are unique; they do not exhibit mitosis and have no endogenous blood supply or lymphatics. Receptors in taste buds depend upon growth factors secreted in saliva to maintain normal taste. Any process inhibiting secretion, caused by many diseases, inhibits receptor activation causing taste dysfunction. Receptors in olfactory epithelium depend upon growth factors secreted into nasal mucus to maintain normal smell. Any process inhibiting secretion, caused by many diseases, inhibits receptor activation causing smell dysfunction. Taste and smell are chemical senses. They depend upon salivary and nasal mucus growth factors to maintain normal taste and smell function. Many chemical moieties secreted from multiple organ systems (e.g., endocrine, metabolic, hematological), act as these growth factors comprising hormones (e.g., thyroid), vitamins (e.g., B12, A), trace metals (e.g., copper, zinc), adenylyl cyclases (e.g., cAMP, cGMP) and other moieties. These growth factors act on stem cells in taste buds and olfactory epithelium to induce receptor maturation. Decreased secretion of these growth factors cause receptor loss through apoptosis with subsequent taste and smell dysfunction. Treatment of these pathological conditions restores normal growth factor secretion initiating receptor regeneration, inhibiting apoptosis and restoring normal taste and smell function.