RBC scientist Hongxiang Liu has been studying taste buds for more than two decades, identifying stem cells that eventually become taste buds and generating understanding of what happens at the molecular level to lead to specific cells.
The body is constantly generating new taste bud cells, which have a lifespan of only 12 days on average. Stem cells become progenitor cells, which develop into specialized cells in the body. Liu has shown that not all types of taste bud cells come from the same type of progenitor cells — bitter and sweet taste bud cells may develop from different progenitors than sour taste cells. By understanding how these different taste buds develop, Liu hopes this work will lead to therapies that help restore taste.
“Many of us take taste for granted,” said Liu. “But the loss of taste often compromises quality of life and could help us understand diseases better.”
Originally published in Growing the Future of Medicine article by Leonor Sierra