Objectives/hypothesis: One potential treatment option for severe vocal fold scarring is to replace the vocal fold cover layer with a tissue-engineered structure containing autologous cells. As a first step toward that goal, we sought to develop a three-dimensional cell-populated matrix resembling the vocal fold layers of lamina propria and epithelium.
Study design: Basic science investigation.
Methods: Adipose-derived stem cells were cultured in fibrin hydrogels with various growth factors. At the end of the culture period, matrices were sectioned and labeled with immunomarkers to identify cell phenotype.
Results: Adipose-derived stem cells survived, attached, and populated three-dimensional fibrin matrices. Under select conditions, a superficial layer of cells expressing epithelial marker proteins overlay a deeper mesenchymal cell layer.
Conclusions: A three-dimensional structure of fibrin and adipose-derived stem cells was created as a prototype vocal fold replacement. Two segregated cell phenotypes occurred, producing a bilayered structure resembling epithelium over lamina propria. This preliminary work demonstrates the feasibility of tissue engineering to produce structures for vocal fold replacement.