Vocal fold regeneration with stem cells

Abstract

Vocal fold scarring is the foremost cause of voice disorders after vocal fold injury secondary to trauma, surgical treatment, and inflammation postinfection; however, present treatment approaches are limited. Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are generated from fibroblasts through the introduction of 4 transcription factors - Oct3/4, Sox2, c-Myc, and Klf4; and because they are obtained from patient-derived somatic cells, they can prevent transplant rejection. Therefore, iPS cells are capable of unlimited symmetrical self-renewal, thus providing a limitless cell source for tissue-engineering applications. Vocal fold regeneration with stem cells is reviewed in this paper. We also show the feasibility of differentiating human iPS (hiPS) into stratified squamous epithelial cells for vocal fold regeneration.