Stem Cells and Ear Regeneration

Abstract

Repair of total human ear loss due to trauma or cancer or congenital lack of ears is one of the challenging issues in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Reconstruction of the human ear with costal cartilage has been introduced by Tanzer, Brent, Firmin, and Nagata. But it needs 2–4 sessions of operation and had some morbidity in donor site. Newer techniques focused on using stem cells. Best option for regeneration of ear cartilages is bone marrow stem cells. They can be cultured in chondrogenic media or co-culture with chondrocytes or culture in a cartilage extracellular matrix or cartilage scaffold. Therefore they can multiply, differentiate, and produce millions of chondrocytes from the patient’s own stem cells. These cells will be seeded over an external or internal framework and with the help of in vivo culture a new cartilage with special configuration of ear framework would be regenerated. These frameworks should go under maturation process and can be used as a new ear framework for reconstruction of a missed ear. Regenerated ears have similar shape so they are very suitable for bilateral reconstruction of missed ears. This method is a one-stage operation and without donor-site morbidity and complications and without any chance for graft rejection or extrusion.