Microstructure characterization of a decellularized vocal fold scaffold for laryngeal tissue engineering.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS One potential treatment for vocal fold injury or neoplasia is to replace the entire vocal fold with a tissue-engineered scaffold. This scaffold should ideally have similar mechanical properties and extracellular matrix composition as the native vocal fold. As one approach toward this goal, we decellularized human vocal folds and characterized their mechanical properties and extracellular matrix microstructure. STUDY DESIGN Basic science investigation. METHODS Human vocal folds were dissected from the laryngeal framework and treated with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) to remove all cells. Mechanical properties were measured by indentation before and after SDS treatment. The extracellular matrix components of collagen, laminin, elastin, and hyaluronic acid were also characterized before and after decellularization using histology and immunofluorescence. RESULTS After 4 days of SDS treatment, we obtained a scaffold that retained the original geometry of the vocal fold but was devoid of cells. The elastic modulus of the vocal folds did not change significantly before and after decellularization. Upon qualitative inspection, the decellularized vocal folds retained the original collagen, elastin, and laminin content and orientation but lost the original hyaluronic acid. CONCLUSIONS Vocal folds can be decellularized using SDS without adversely affecting its mechanical stiffness and fibrous extracellular matrix. This preliminary study demonstrates the potential of a decellularized scaffold to serve as a tissue-engineered construct for vocal fold replacement.