Atelocollagen sponge as a stem cell implantation scaffold for the treatment of scarred vocal folds.
OBJECTIVE
Treatment of vocal fold scarring remains a therapeutic challenge. Our group previously reported the efficacy of treating injured vocal folds by implantation of bone marrow-derived stromal cells containing mesenchymal stem cells. Appropriate scaffolding is necessary for the stem cell implant to achieve optimal results. Terudermis is an atelocollagen sponge derived from calf dermis. It has large pores that permit cellular entry and is degraded in vivo. These characteristics suggest that this material may be a good candidate for use as scaffolding for implantation of cells. The present in vitro study investigated the feasibility of using Terudermis as such a scaffold.


METHODS
Bone marrow-derived stromal cells were obtained from GFP (green fluorescent protein) mouse femurs. The cells were seeded into Terudermis and incubated for 5 days. Their survival, proliferation, and expression of extracellular matrix were examined.


RESULTS
Bone marrow-derived stromal cells adhered to Terudermis and underwent significant proliferation. Immunohistochemical examination demonstrated that adherent cells were positive for expression of vimentin, desmin, fibronectin, and fspl and negative for beta III tubulin. These findings indicate that these cells were mesodermal cells and attached to the atelocollagen fibers biologically.


CONCLUSIONS
The data suggest that Terudermis may have potential as stem cell implantation scaffolding for the treatment of scarred vocal folds.
Ohno
Satoshi
S
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
Hirano
Shigeru
S
Tateya
Ichiro
I
Kanemaru
Shin-ichi
S
Umeda
Hiroo
H
Suehiro
Atsushi
A
Kitani
Yoshiharu
Y
Kishimoto
Yo
Y
Kojima
Tsuyoshi
T
Nakamura
Tatsuo
T
Ito
Juichi
J
D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*
C059821:atelocollagen; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D003094:Collagen