Middle ear mucosal regeneration by tissue-engineered cell sheet transplantation

Abstract

Nose tissue that helps the ear heal Transplanting a sheet of cells from the nose to the middle ear could improve postoperative prognosis for middle ear inflammatory conditions. Kazuhisa Yamamoto of Jikei University School of Medicine and colleagues in Japan developed a novel surgical technique to prevent postoperative recurrence of chronic middle ear conditions. In adhesive otitis media, the eardrum gets sucked into and stuck in the middle ear space. Cholesteatoma involves abnormal skin growth in the middle ear. Recurrence often follows surgical treatment for these conditions due to delays in regeneration of the middle ear’s mucosal epithelium. The new technique involves transplanting cultured cells from the lining of the nasal cavity to the middle ear during surgery. Five patients treated this way had favorable postoperative outcomes with no adverse effects or complications and satisfactory improvement in hearing levels.