Bioengineered larynx and vocal folds: where are we today? A review

Abstract

The larynx is responsible for breathing, producing sound, and protecting the trachea against food aspiration through the cough reflex. Nowadays, scaffolding surgery has made it easier to regenerate damaged tissues by facilitating the influx of cells and growth factors. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge on tissue engineering of the larynx and vocal folds. It also discusses the achievements and challenges of data sources. In conducting a literature search for relevant papers, we included sixty-eight studies from January 2000 to November 2023, sourced from PubMed and Scholar Google databases. We found a need for collaboration between voice care practitioners, voice scientists, bioengineers, chemists, and biotechnologists to develop safe and clinically valid solutions for patients with laryngeal and vocal fold injuries. It is crucial for patients to be knowledgeable about the available choices of laryngeal tissue engineering for successful tissue repair. Although few human trials have been conducted, future works should build upon previously completed in-vivo studies in an effort to move towards more human models.