Abstract
The management of tympanic membrane (TM) perforations by stem cells and biological molecules has gained increasing interest in the past decade. This is a 10 year review of the major cornerstones published on stem cells and their related products in affecting healing of major TM perforations.
Surgical methods, including paper patch and tympanoplasty through reconstruction with temporal muscle fascia and tragal cartilage, have been and still are the most common methods. However, recent methods using scaffolding materials like calcium alginate, silk and chitosan are being used along with harvested human TM cells. In the past 5 years, the use of biomolecules like basic fibroblast growth factors, hyaluronic acid, platelets derived growth factors and epidermal growth factors has gained a lot of clinical interest supported by experimental and clinical data.
Furthermore, the implication of stem cells in the healing of wounds, in general, and of tympanic perforations, in particular, has been documented since 2002. The high rate healing capacity of stem cells in the TM was reported through a series of studies using mesenchymal stem cells harvested from multiple sites of the ear.
Although most TM perforations heal spontaneously by self-healing or by surgical intervention, the tendency towards minimal invasive techniques is encouraged. The use of biomolecules, scaffolding materials and stem cells has offered promising results. Despite the positive results, stem cell therapy of TM perforations is still a very young field that needs further research.
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The authors would like to thank the Lebanese Health society for supporting this work and Miss Hanine Haidar for her assistance in finalizing this chapter.
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El Baba, B., Barake, C., Moukarbel, R., Jurjus, R., Sertel, S., Jurjus, A. (2017). Stem Cells in the Management of Tympanic Membrane Perforation: An Update. In: Pham, P. (eds) Neurological Regeneration. Stem Cells in Clinical Applications. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33720-3_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33720-3_11
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