Advances in regenerative medicine for otolaryngology/head and neck surgery

Abstract

Head and neck structures govern the vital functions of breathing and swallowing. Additionally, these structures facilitate our sense of self through vocal communication, hearing, facial animation, and physical appearance. Loss of these functions can lead to loss of life or greatly affect quality of life. Regenerative medicine is a rapidly developing field that aims to repair or replace damaged cells, tissues, and organs. Although the field is largely in its nascence, regenerative medicine holds promise for improving on conventional treatments for head and neck disorders or providing therapies where no current standard exists. This review presents milestones in the research of regenerative medicine in head and neck surgery.

Airway ciliated cells regenerated on collagen sponge implants acquire planar polarities towards nearby edges of implanted areas

“…A successful clinical application of a tissue‐engineered trachea, fabricated using collagen and polypropylene was first reported in 2005 (Omori et al., 2005). The outcomes of other clinically implanted materials, such as aortic allografts seeded with mesenchymal stem cells have been successful (Dhasmana et al., 2020; McPhail et al., 2020). However, the risks of repeated inflammation and graft rejection persist.…”

A novel decellularized trachea preparation method for the rapid construction of a functional tissue engineered trachea to repair tracheal defects

“…7 In fact, this approach has shown great promise in tracheal reconstruction. 8,9 Furthermore, decellularization treatment has emerged as a common method for preparing tissue engineering trachea (TET). Functionally, this approach can not only fully remove cellular components but also improve the retention of extracellular matrix (ECM) with a three-dimensional trachea structure.…”

Decellularized tracheal scaffolds in tracheal reconstruction: An evaluation of different techniques

“…11,12 However, tissue engineering – engineering tissues that are low-immunogenic, biocompatible, and durable – may solve these problems. 12–14…”

“…11,12 However, tissue engineering -engineering tissues that are low-immunogenic, biocompatible, and durable -may solve these problems. [12][13][14] Importantly, in tracheal tissue engineering, scaffolds provide support for cell growth, contributing markedly in tracheal regeneration. An ideal tracheal scaffold should have anatomical and morphological structures similar to those of the native trachea, and should allow cells to adhere, migrate, reproduce, and differentiate.…”