title: Tissue-engineered allograft tracheal cartilage using fibrin/hyaluronan composite gel and its in vivo implantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Treatment and management of tracheal defects remain challenging in head and neck surgery. Various reconstruction techniques have been used, with no consensus on the best approach. The purpose of this study was to explore a novel strategy to fabricate tissue-engineered trachea by using fibrin/hyaluronic acid (HA) composite gel and evaluate the feasibility of creating tracheal cartilage.
  
  
  METHODS
  A preliminary animal experiment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chondrocytes from rabbit cartilage were expanded and seeded into a culture dish at high density to form mechanically stable allograft tracheal cartilage using fibrin/HA composite gel. After a longitudinal cervical skin incision, the trachea was exposed and a rectangular defect (1 x 0.5 cm) was created on the cervical trachea by scalpel on six rabbits. Tissue-engineered cartilage using fibrin/HA composite was trimmed and fixed to defect boundaries with Tissucol (Baxter International, Deerfield, IL). Postoperatively, the site was evaluated endoscopically, histologically, radiologically, and functionally.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Postoperatively, rigid telescopic examination showed that the implanted scaffolds in all cases were completely covered with regenerated mucosa without granulation or stenosis. Histologic data showed ciliated epithelium regenerated at the operated site from 2 months postoperatively. Ciliary beat frequency of ciliated epithelium on implants was very similar to normal respiratory mucosa. Computed tomography images revealed fine luminal contour of the regenerated site. However, allograft cartilage implanted was found to be partially preserved on the postoperative specimen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The tracheal luminal contour and functional epithelial regeneration without graft rejection and inflammation were observed after repair of a tracheal resection using allogeneic implants with chondrocytes cultured with fibrin/HA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Graduate School of Medicine, Gachon University of Medicine and Science, Incheon, South Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Young
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: JungHee
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pyun
authors.forename: Jae Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jang-Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyang Ae
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Hyun-Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ha-Neul
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Byoung-Hyun
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Heung Eok
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.forename: Chul-Ho
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002356:Cartilage / Q000637:transplantation*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000601:surgery; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology; D002923:Cilia / Q000502:physiology; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D005337:Fibrin; D005782:Gels; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011817:Rabbits; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D014132:Trachea / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D005782:Gels; D005337:Fibrin; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid