Is Saliva Loss Always Autoimmune? What Mouse Studies Reveal

Calcium is known for its role in building and maintaining strong bones. But beyond this important role, calcium is an essential player in muscle movement, neuron function, hormone regulation, and saliva production. 

New research identifies two genes involved in calcium signaling in saliva production. While reduced saliva and tear production are symptoms of Sjögren’s disease, it’s currently unclear why saliva loss occurs in this disease.

This study found that mice lacking these genes – called Stim1 and Stim2 – in the salivary glands had reduced calcium levels and decreased saliva production. The loss of these genes affected the function of a calcium channel needed for saliva secretion. However, despite the decreased saliva production, these mice didn’t show signs of autoimmune disease, such as an accumulation of immune cells in the area or autoantibodies typically found in Sjögren’s disease. While this work did not show that mice lacking Stim1 and Stim2 had signs of autoimmunity, it highlights the fact that decreased saliva production can occur independently of autoimmunity.

Citation

Son, G. Y., et al. (2025). Loss of STIM1 and STIM2 in Salivary Glands Disrupts ANO1 Function but Does Not Induce Sjogren’s Disease. Function (Oxford, England), 6(1), zqae047. https://doi.org/10.1093/function/zqae047