New organ discovered in the human body by researchers
A most recent discovery by researchers from the Netherlands has revealed a new human organ called the ‘tubarial salivary gland’.
The gland is located in the nasopharynx, the top part of the throat which connects the nose to the rest of the respiratory system.
The discovery was made during research on prostate cancer. Experts from the Netherlands Cancer Institute noticed a glow on other spots inside the human head lighting up when they carried out a series of scans on patients who had been injected with radioactive glucose.
These patients had a new type of scan done because of their prostate cancer: a prostate-specific membrane antigen PSMA PET/CT scan.
The glucose makes tumours detectable on the scans by making them glow with the protein PSMA often found in prostate cancer cells.
The PSMA protein also detects saliva glands.
The ‘tubarial salivary gland’ was discovered as a result of the glow in the nasopharynx. The gland is believed to lubricate the upper throat behind the nose and mouth. The research was further tested on 100 other patients who were all found with the same gland.
