In Vitro Regeneration of Patient-specific Ear-shaped Cartilage and Its First Clinical Application for Auricular Reconstruction
Guangdong Zhou,
Haiyue Jiang,
Zongqi Yin,
Yu Liu,
Qingguo Zhang,
Chen Zhang,
Bo Pan,
Jiayu Zhou,
Xu Zhou,
Hengyun Sun,
Dan Li,
Aijuan He,
Zhiyong Zhang,
Wenjie Zhang,
Wei Liu,
Yilin Cao
Affiliations
Guangdong Zhou
Shanghai Tissue Engineering Research Key Laboratory, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, PR China
Haiyue Jiang
Auricular Center, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing, PR China
Zongqi Yin
Shanghai Tissue Engineering Research Key Laboratory, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, PR China
Yu Liu
Shanghai Tissue Engineering Research Key Laboratory, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, PR China
Qingguo Zhang
Auricular Center, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing, PR China
Chen Zhang
Department of Plastic Surgery, Xin Hua Hospital, Dalian University, Dalian, Liaoning Province, PR China
Bo Pan
Auricular Center, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing, PR China
Jiayu Zhou
Auricular Center, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing, PR China
Xu Zhou
Auricular Center, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing, PR China
Hengyun Sun
Auricular Center, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing, PR China
Dan Li
Shanghai Tissue Engineering Research Key Laboratory, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, PR China
Aijuan He
Shanghai Tissue Engineering Research Key Laboratory, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, PR China
Zhiyong Zhang
Shanghai Tissue Engineering Research Key Laboratory, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, PR China
Wenjie Zhang
Shanghai Tissue Engineering Research Key Laboratory, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, PR China
Wei Liu
Shanghai Tissue Engineering Research Key Laboratory, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, PR China
Yilin Cao
Shanghai Tissue Engineering Research Key Laboratory, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, PR China
Microtia is a congenital external ear malformation that can seriously influence the psychological and physiological well-being of affected children. The successful regeneration of human ear-shaped cartilage using a tissue engineering approach in a nude mouse represents a promising approach for auricular reconstruction. However, owing to technical issues in cell source, shape control, mechanical strength, biosafety, and long-term stability of the regenerated cartilage, human tissue engineered ear-shaped cartilage is yet to be applied clinically. Using expanded microtia chondrocytes, compound biodegradable scaffold, and in vitro culture technique, we engineered patient-specific ear-shaped cartilage in vitro. Moreover, the cartilage was used for auricle reconstruction of five microtia patients and achieved satisfactory aesthetical outcome with mature cartilage formation during 2.5 years follow-up in the first conducted case. Different surgical procedures were also employed to find the optimal approach for handling tissue engineered grafts. In conclusion, the results represent a significant breakthrough in clinical translation of tissue engineered human ear-shaped cartilage given the established in vitro engineering technique and suitable surgical procedure. This study was registered in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-ICN-14005469).
