Objectives/Hypothesis: Design and test a novel biomaterial for injection laryngoplasty aimed to increase the duration of effectiveness of micronized acellular dermis.Study Design: Animal model. Methods: Injection laryngoplasty was performed in three groups (n 5 5) of New Zealand White rabbits. Acellular dermis was either used alone as a control (group 1), was combined with undifferentiated stem cells (group 2), or with predifferentiated chondrocytic cells (group 3). Groups 2 and 3 were supplemented with growth factors. Animals were sacrificed 4 and 12 weeks after laryngoplasty and histologic analysis was completed. The major outcome measure was volume of tissue remaining.Results: After 4 weeks, the mean volume of tissue remaining was 341 6 89 mm 3 , 295 6 102 mm 3 , and 133 6 15 mm 3 , for groups 1 to 3, respectively. At the 12-week time point, volumes were 62 6 62 mm 3 , 235 6 35 mm 3 , and 107 6 99 mm 3 . After 12 weeks, there was a significantly higher volume in group 2 compared to group 1 or 3 (P 5 .01, P 5 .04). Volumes between week 4 and week 12 were significantly lower in group 1 (P 5 .02), but not significantly different for groups 2 and 3 (P 5 .38, P 5 .74). Histologic evaluation revealed a robust lymphocytic infiltration in all cases as well as morphologic and immunophenotypic features suggestive of chondrogenic differentiation in a single animal.Conclusions: Micronized acellular dermis combined with stem cells and growth factors showed significantly less resorption 12 weeks after injection laryngoplasty compared to micronized acellular dermis alone. Groups using novel tissue-engineered biomaterial showed a lower resorption rate over time compared with acellular dermis alone.

NA Laryngoscope, 127:E166-E169, 2017.

Objective Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) were used to rehabilitate bone damaged by osteoradionecrosis (ORN) in an established animal model. Study Design Prospective animal study. Setting Academic department laboratory. Subjects and Methods After institutional review board and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approval, 24 athymic nude rats were divided into 5 groups: 4 groups irradiated (20 Gy) by brachytherapy catheter placed at the left hemimandible and 1 mock irradiation control (n = 4). For all groups, ORN was initiated by extraction of the central molar 1 week later. After 28 days, animals (n = 5/group) received injection at the extraction site with saline (SAL), ADSCs, platelet-rich plasma and collagen (PRP/COL), or ADSCs + PRP/COL. Rats were sacrificed 28 days later and their mandibles harvested for histopathology analysis (osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and fibrosis) and bone volume measurement using 3-dimensional micro-computed tomography. Results All but 1 rat survived the experiment period (23/24). Radiographic and histological analysis revealed 60% bone loss in the SAL group compared with the nonirradiated control. Injection of ADSCs increased jaw region bone volume by up to 36% ( P < .01). All experimental groups (ADSC, PRP/COL, and ADSC + PRP/COL) showed dramatically decreased osteoclast counts ( P < .001) while injection of PRP/COL with or without ADSCs increased osteoblasts. Increased fibrosis was observed after ADSC injection ( P < .05). Conclusion The application of human ADSCs to an induced mandibular osteoradionecrosis model in athymic rats results in increased deposition or preservation of bone, demonstrated both histologically and radiographically. This offers an encouraging possible treatment option for translational research in this difficult disease.