Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 5, 2025
Construction and Characterization of a Novel Vocal Fold Bioreactor
Published on: August 1, 2014
Polymeric Microspheres Containing Human Vocal Fold Fibroblasts for Vocal Fold Regeneration
Alicia Reyes Valenzuela1,2, Guangyu Bao2, Abigail Vikstrom2
1Biomedical and Cell Therapy Research Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Artificial Cells and Organs Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Objective:
Most acellular injectable biomaterials for vocal fold (VF) wound treatment have limited regenerative potential due to their fast enzymatic degradation and limited recruitment of native cells postinjection. The injection of cells as therapeutic treatment often results in apoptosis due to stresses within the needle and the immune response of the host. Degradable microspheres may improve treatment effectiveness by increasing cell residence time, shielding cells during injection, and offering early protection against the immune system response. The objective of the present study was to investigate the potential of human VF fibroblasts encapsulated in polymeric microspheres as an injectable therapeutic treatment in vitro.
Methods:
Alginate, alginate-poly-L-lysine, and alginate-chitosan microspheres were fabricated using electrospraying and characterized in terms of biocompatibility, swelling, and mechanical properties as well as cytokine production.
Results:
Alginate microspheres were found to have the most desirable properties for VF regeneration. They were resistant to mechanical challenges. They were found to have a stiffness similar to that reported for native VF-lamina propria. They were found to be biocompatible and increased the proliferation of fibroblasts. Human VF fibroblasts encapsulated in alginate microspheres induced the production of interleukin (IL)-8 and IL-4 at 24 hours.
Conclusion:
The alginate microspheres fabricated in this study were found to offer potential advantages, as cell delivery tool. This study highlights the importance of combining biomaterials and cells to expedite the wound-healing process through cytokine production. Future work is aimed to further analysis of the wound-healing properties the microspheres.
Level Of Evidence:
NA Laryngoscope, 131:1828-1834, 2021.
