Future directions in chemosensory research

There have been dramatic advances in chemosensory research in recent decades, fueled by an improved understanding of the basic molecular mechanisms underlying chemosensory systems. Broad interest in the field has grown as the olfactory system has proven to be an extraordinarily useful model to examine fundamental processes in neuroscience. At the same time, clinical chemosensory dysfunction is increasingly recognized for its critical public health and quality of life implications. The techniques for measuring olfactory and gustatory function have improved accordingly, allowing more sophisticated and meaningful studies to be performed to assess chemosensation in health and disease. As the importance of chemosensory systems gains recognition clinically and scientifically, the future of chemosensory research undoubtedly will be one of significant growth and discovery. Although significant therapeutic advances for human olfactory or gustatory dysfunction have yet to be achieved, it should be expected that active chemosensory research will eventually yield discoveries necessary to generate better treatment options for otolaryngologists and other physicians caring for smell and taste loss patients.