Pediatric Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Fellow Seattle Children's Hospital/University of Washington Seattle Children's Hospital/University of Washington
Advances in regenerative medicine hold potential for a significant impact in the field of airway reconstruction, specifically in patients with long-segment tracheal stenosis. The primary objective of this panel is to discuss the application regenerative medicine to airway reconstruction. The panel will discuss bioengineering research being performed at multiple tertiary care pediatric centers. Clinical translation and the development of tissue-engineered tracheal grafts will be reviewed by Dr. Tendy Chiang, from Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Dr. Chiang will also discuss tracheal grafting techniques using animal models and factors that impact tissue-engineered tracheal grafting success. Dr. Christian Hochstim, a pediatric otolaryngologist from Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, will review his work studying tissue-engineered larynx and trachea using human and mouse postnatal organoid units. Tracheal mucosal stem cells and their role in re-epithelization and will be reviewed by Dr. Susan Reynolds, from Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Dr. Reynolds will discuss the impact of stem cell differentiation on graft epithelialization and how this process may be regulated by inflammation. Finally, Dr. John Dahl, from Seattle Children’s Hospital, will discuss the role of molecular genetics in airway development. Specifically, Dr. Dahl will review the development of murine models for studying common fibroblast growth factor mutations observed in patients with tracheal cartilaginous sleeve.