Specialists from the Department of Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases of the Sklifosovsky Institute of Clinical Medicine, the Sechenov University of the Russian Ministry of Health and the Biomedical Science and Technology Park have developed a method of restoring the voice in case of vocal damage. folds. This is a high-precision, high-tech, minimally invasive operation that is performed through the larynx and does not require incisions in the neck tissue. The development of the methodology was carried out in several stages.
MSCs (mesenchymal stromal cells that can be isolated from fat, blood, bone marrow, and other tissues in the body) are known to have a regenerative function: they can help replace damaged structures. This property of MSCs was used by the Sechenov University scientists in the first stage. They used MSC from the gums and molded them into spheroids, the building blocks for the impression. These were then combined with fibrin gel and an implant (bioequivalent) was printed.
In the second stage, scientists from the Department of Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases began preclinical studies in animal models. They performed operations on laboratory rabbits with injured vocal cords. First, the doctors excised the scar that formed at the lesion site, then a bioequivalent was injected into the defect site with a syringe. The operation did not require an incision in the neck, since it was performed through the larynx. The doctors then watched for three months how the tissues regenerated after the operation.
The scientists were interested in how the biomechanical properties of the vocal cords would be restored, whether it would be able to vibrate and at what frequencies, how much the “patch” at the defect site would resemble healthy tissue. According to the results of the study, an excellent result was obtained: the tissue that formed at the site of the defect turned out to be practically indistinguishable from the native natural vocal cord. The scientists carried out the work under a grant from the Russian Science Foundation.
“These are amazing results for us, which open up great prospects for helping patients. Until now, there have been no such technologies,” said Mikhail Svistushkin, MD, assistant in the Department of Ear, Throat and Nose Diseases at the Institute of Medicine. Clinic. Sechenov University Medicine, to “RG”.Regeneration of the body’s own cells, while “forcing” them not to develop a rough scar, but to restore the architecture of the vocal cord tissue – the original, natural, which was established by nature”.
At present, the attention of the whole world is fixed on the possibilities of regenerative medicine. Scientific groups in this direction are working in China, Japan, Brazil and European countries. Scientists have tried injecting MSC, fat, and hyaluronic acid into damaged vocal cords. The bioequivalent created at Sechenov University, due to its unique composition, was able to act on the defect of the vocal cords like a medicine and helped to recover them.
Scientists from Sechenov University are ready to help people who have lost their voice – perform personalized therapy for laryngeal scars. They are awaiting the adoption of amendments to Federal Law No. 180-FZ on biomedical cell products. Then the developers of the methodology will have to go through the ethics committee, after which it will be possible to start clinical trials; at this stage, volunteer patients receive full treatment. According to the authors of the development, its potential is very high, it allows you to return a person’s voice in one operation. Also, the technology itself is pretty simple and standardized for a doctor; With the right equipment, any ENT surgeon can master it.
The scientists point out that the voice is not only a means of communication necessary for social interaction, for many it is also a tool of the profession. For teachers, doctors, managers, journalists, cultural workers and many others, it is important for professional adaptation, so its loss has a negative impact on the standard of living. Thus, the Sechenov University methodology for restoring the voice will not only restore people’s health, but also improve the quality of life.
Why do people lose their voice?
There are a large number of diseases that affect the voice, the most common being acute laryngitis. Other causes include: neck trauma, surgical interventions, chronic inflammation, hemorrhage, burns, incorrect conduction of the voice: overexertion and excessive vocal loads. Sometimes the scars that form in the ligaments are so rough and large that they block the lumen of the larynx, causing stricture; in such cases, doctors have to impose a tracheotomy on patients, since it becomes difficult for them to breathe.
After some diseases, such as acute laryngitis, the voice often recovers on its own, others lead to irreversible changes when the unique architecture of the folds is replaced by a rough, shapeless scar. This leads to partial or complete loss of voice.
