Tissue engineering of the larynx: A contemporary review

OBJECTIVE: Tissue engineering has been a topic of extensive research in recent years and has been applied to the regeneration and restoration of many organs including the larynx. Currently, research investigating tissue engineering of the larynx is either ongoing or in the preclinical trial stage. METHODS: A literature search was performed on the Advanced search field of PubMed using the keywords: “(laryncheal tissue engineering) AND (cartilage regeneration OR scaffolds OR stem cells OR biomolecules).” After applying the selection criteria, 65 articles were included in the study. RESULTS: The present review focuses on the rapidly expanding field of tissue‐engineered larynx, which aims to provide stem cell–based scaffolds combined with biological active factors such as growth factors for larynx reconstruction and regeneration. The trend in recent studies is to use new techniques for scaffold construction, such as 3D printing, are developed. All of these strategies have been instrumental in guiding optimization of the tissue‐engineered larynx, leading to a level of clinical induction beyond the in vivo animal experimental phase. CONCLUSIONS: This review summarizes the current progress and outlines the necessary basic components of regenerative laryngeal medicine in preclinical fields. Finally, it considers the design of scaffolds, support of growth factors, and cell therapies toward potential clinical application.