The application and progress of stem cells in auricular cartilage regeneration: a systematic review

Yu Liu; Wenqing Wu; Chun Seunggi; Zhengyong Li; Yeqian Huang; Kai Zhou; Baoyun Wang; Zhixing Chen; Zhenyu Zhang

doi:10.3389/fcell.2023.1204050

The application and progress of stem cells in auricular cartilage regeneration: a systematic review

Front Cell Dev Biol. 2023 Jul 26:11:1204050. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1204050. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Yu Liu^{1

2}, Wenqing Wu¹, Chun Seunggi¹, Zhengyong Li^{1

2}, Yeqian Huang³, Kai Zhou², Baoyun Wang^{1

2}, Zhixing Chen^{1

2}, Zhenyu Zhang^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
² Department of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, West China Tianfu Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
³ West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.

Abstract

Background: The treatment of microtia or acquired ear deformities by surgery is a significant challenge for plastic and ENT surgeons; one of the most difficult points is constructing the scaffold for auricular reconstruction. As a type of cell with multiple differentiation potentials, stem cells play an essential role in the construction of cartilage scaffolds, and therefore have received widespread attention in ear reconstructive research. Methods: A literature search was conducted for peer-reviewed articles between 2005 and 2023 with the following keywords: stem cells; auricular cartilage; ear cartilage; conchal cartilage; auricular reconstruction, regeneration, and reparation of chondrocytes; tissue engineering in the following databases: PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane, and Ovid. Results: Thirty-three research articles were finally selected and their main characteristics were summarized. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs), perichondrial stem/progenitor cells (PPCs), and cartilage stem/progenitor cells (CSPCs) were mainly used in chondrocyte regeneration. Injecting the stem cells into the cartilage niche directly, co-culturing the stem cells with the auricular cartilage cells, and inducing the cells in the chondrogenic medium in vitro were the main methods that have been demonstrated in the studies. The chondrogenic ability of these cells was observed in vitro, and they also maintained good elasticity and morphology after implantation in vivo for a period of time. Conclusion: ADSC, BMMSC, PPC, and CSPC were the main stem cells that have been researched in craniofacial cartilage reconstruction, the regenerative cartilage performed highly similar to normal cartilage, and the test of AGA and type II collagen content also proved the cartilage property of the neo-cartilage. However, stem cell reconstruction of the auricle is still in the initial stage of animal experiments, transplantation with such scaffolds in large animals is still lacking, and there is still a long way to go.

Keywords: adipose-derived stem cells; auricular cartilage; auricular reconstruction; bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells; perichondrial stem/progenitor cells; stem cells.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (81871574); the Sichuan Natural Science Foundation (2022NSFSC0717; 2022NSFSC1579; and 2022YFS0199); and 135 project for disciplines of excellence, West China Hospital Sichuan University (ZYPY20003 and ZYPY20004).