Science Saturday: Regenerating damaged vocal cords
Cells from amniotic membrane show potential of repairing vocal cord injuries that don't respond to standard care, Mayo Clinic discovered in preclinical research.
The placental membrane provides a rich source of epithelial cells that could regenerate damaged tissue. Research by David Lott, M.D., a laryngeal surgeon in Arizona, found epithelial cells extracted after childbirth triggered healing in animals with vocal cord damage. Dr. Lott's paper is published in Stem Cell Research & Therapy.
"We believe our study was the first to use these types of cells to look for any potential benefit in vocal fold healing. We discovered amniotic epithelial cells have significant promise in helping to regenerate tissue," says Dr. Lott, who is associate director of Mayo Clinic's Center for Regenerative Medicine in Arizona. "This could prevent scar formation of the vocal fold, thereby improving long-term voice outcomes."
Read the rest of the article on the Center for Regenerative Medicine blog.
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