Sensory Study: Taste and Tongue Biology (SweetTaste)

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Status: Completed

Conditions: Healthy Adults

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT05985928

2587

R21DC018906 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

Researchers will investigate the correlation between a) self-reported dietary intake of foods and beverages, b) intensity of sucrose stimuli, and c) liking rating of sweet stimuli, with the relative expression of the taste receptor genes from human fungiform papillae (TAS1R2 and TAS1R3).

* This research will provide new information on how sweet taste perception is regulated.

• The hypothesis: Greater dietary consumption of sugar and sweet foods is associated with reduced expression of the sweet taste receptors.
• The results of this study could help to identify pathways to help modify sweet taste perception by uncovering this mechanism.

Participants will sample solutions prepared with sweet ingredients, provide salivary DNA, and collect fungiform papillae. This will allow researchers and investigators to compare the relationship between the sweetness of stimuli, genetic differences in sweet taste receptors, and expression levels of sweet taste receptor genes.

Enrollment: 121 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 45 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. between 18 and 45 years old,
2. have no tongue or cheek piercings,
3. not a user of tobacco products or electronic cigarettes (within the last year),
4. no known defects in taste or smell,
5. not pregnant or breastfeeding,
6. no history of chronic pain in the mouth,
7. not taking any prescription pain medication,
8. not taking any blood thinners,
9. no history of cancer or cancer treatment,
10. not diabetic or restricting intake of sugars for medical reasons, under the direction of a physician or healthcare provider
11. willing to undergo the Fungiform Papillae biopsy procedure
12. willing to provide salivary DNA
13. Not currently experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms
14. Not recently diagnosed (in the last 30 days) with COVID-19
15. No history of high blood pressure

Exclusion criteria