Clinical Trial of Stem Cell Based Tissue Engineered Laryngeal Implants

Stem cells from the patient receiving the implant are removed from the bone marrow, and are then grown on the scaffold in the laboratory. These cells will form the cartilage in the wall of the scaffold. The implant can be considered 'living' due to the cells grown on it, and this type of treatment is referred to as 'tissue engineering' or 'regenerative medicine'. Once these cells have attached and started to grow on the scaffold, it is ready to be implanted into the patient and a two separate operative stages can occur. The final stage of the operation involves removing the narrow section of voicebox or upper windpipe and implanting the scaffold to reconstruct it.