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The Laryngoscope
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Laryngology

Stem cell approaches for vocal fold regeneration

Authors

  • Jonathan M. Fishman BM BCh, MRCS, DOHNS, MA, PhD,

    Corresponding author
    1. UCL Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
    2. UCL Ear Institute and Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital and, London, United Kingdom

    • Send correspondence to Dr. Jonathan M. Fishman, Clinical Lecturer, UCL Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom. E-mail: j.fishman@ucl.ac.uk

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  • Jenny Long MB BS, MRCS, DOHNS,

    1. UCL Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
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  • Markus Gugatschka MD, DMSci,

    1. Department of Phoniatrics, ENT University Hospital Graz, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
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  • Paolo De Coppi MD, PhD,

    1. UCL Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
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  • Shigeru Hirano MD, PhD,

    1. Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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  • Stellan Hertegard MD, PhD,

    1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Karolinska Institutet Clintec, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
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  • Susan L. Thibeault PhD, CCC-SLP,

    1. Division of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
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  • Martin A. Birchall FRCS, MD, FMedSci

    1. UCL Ear Institute and Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital and, London, United Kingdom
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  • This work was supported by Academy of Medical Sciences and Medical Research Council research grants to j.m.f. (MRC grant G1100397). The authors have no other funding, financial relationships, or conflicts of interest to disclose.

Abstract

Objectives/Hypothesis

Current interventions in the management of vocal fold (VF) dysfunction focus on conservative and surgical approaches. However, the complex structure and precise biomechanical properties of the human VF mean that these strategies have their limitations in clinical practice and in some cases offer inadequate levels of success. Regenerative medicine is an exciting development in this field and has the potential to further enhance VF recovery beyond conventional treatments. Our aim in this review is to discuss advances in the field of regenerative medicine; that is, advances in the process of replacing, engineering, or regenerating the VF through utilization of stem cells, with the intention of restoring normal VF structure and function.

Data Sources

English literature (1946–2015) review.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review of MEDLINE for cases and studies of VF tissue engineering utilizing stem cells.

Results

The three main approaches by which regenerative medicine is currently applied to VF regeneration include cell therapy, scaffold development, and utilization of growth factors.

Conclusion

Exciting advances have been made in stem cell biology in recent years, including use of induced pluripotent stem cells. We expect such advances to be translated into the field in the forthcoming years. Laryngoscope, 126:1865–1870, 2016

Ancillary

Article Information

DOI

10.1002/lary.25820

Format Available

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© 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

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Keywords

  • Regenerative medicine;
  • stem cells;
  • vocal cords;
  • tissue engineering

Publication History

  • Issue online:
  • Version of record online:
  • Manuscript Accepted:
  • Manuscript Revised:

Funded by

  • Academy of Medical Sciences
  • Medical Research Council . Grant Number: G1100397

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Citing Literature

  • Number of times cited: 2
  1. 1Tanaya Walimbe, Alyssa Panitch, M. Preeti Sivasankar, An in vitro scaffold-free epithelial-fibroblast coculture model for the larynx, The Laryngoscope, 2016Wiley Online Library
  2. 2Stellan Hertegård, Tissue engineering in the larynx and airway, Current Opinion in Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, 2016, 24, 6, 469CrossRef