Currently, if you injure your larynx, you don’t have many options to repair it. Surgery might cause give you a permanent rasp, and replacement with a digital voicebox is notoriously tough to adapt to. But much to the surprise of University of Wisconsin researchers, growing vocal cords in the lab is not just easy, it might pave the way for simple, drug-free transplantation.
The original research wasn’t aiming to grow replacement vocal cords in the lab; it was instead focused on how vocal cords grow. So, they collected cells from a few volunteers and a cadaver, and began culturing them on a collagen scaffold. They were taken by surprise to find that in two weeks, they had vocal cords.
Even better, animal tests have found that the cords can, so far, be transplanted without the need of immunosuppressant drugs. That doesn’t just mean faster recovery from surgery: It means there’s less overall risk. After all, rejected organs tend to swell, and you don’t want that happening in your throat.
We’re still years away from human transplantation; the FDA has exceptionally strict medical requirements for lab-grown transplants, and extensive testing will need to be done to confirm immunosuppressants aren’t necessary. But the future seems bright for giving a voice to those who can’t speak.
(Via Buzzfeed News)
