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Unveiling Immune Responses in the Trachea Following Scaffold Implantation in a Mouse Model
Jeon Seong1,2,3, Hye Jeong Lee4, Haeyoon Chung1,3
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
The Laryngoscope
|September 17, 2025
Summary
Biomaterial scaffolds for tracheal reconstruction trigger significant immune responses. Poly(ε-caprolactone) scaffolds disrupt immune homeostasis, causing a strong T cell response, which is crucial for improving tracheal repair strategies.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Immunology
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Tracheal stenosis, especially with long lesions, presents surgical challenges.
- Synthetic tracheal scaffolds often fail due to host immune responses.
- Understanding tracheal immune cell dynamics is crucial for scaffold integration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate tracheal immune cell composition and dynamics following scaffold implantation.
- To identify key immune cells involved in the response to tracheal scaffolds.
Main Methods:
- A mouse model (C57BL/6) was used to create tracheal defects and implant poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds.
- Tracheal cells were isolated via enzyme digestion.
- Immune cell populations were analyzed using flow cytometry on days 1 and 7 post-implantation.
Main Results:
- Successful implantation of PCL scaffolds in mouse tracheal defects.
- Diverse innate and adaptive immune cells were recovered, with myeloid cells predominant in normal trachea.
- Scaffold implantation disrupted immune homeostasis, inducing a significant CD8α- T cell response (approx. 65% of immune cells on day 1).
Conclusions:
- Tracheal scaffold implantation significantly alters local immune homeostasis.
- A strong CD8α- T cell response is a key feature of the early immune reaction.
- These findings can inform immunomodulatory strategies for enhanced biomaterial integration in tracheal reconstruction.
