Middle ear reconstruction using human mesenchymal stem cells and biological/biocompatible materials: a Tissue Engineering approach

The aim of this study was to find biological/biocompatible-based materials to be used with human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) as promising alternatives for bone replacements in the middle ear to minimize the current autograft demand as mastoid fillers, as well as the prosthetic failures mainly due to extrusion of implanted devices. For this purpose, forefront Tissue Engineering (TE) strategies have been applied, such as the employment of hMSCs as a cellular source, the use of bioreactors for the in vitro culture of the constructs, and the production of bone extracellular matrix (ECM)/synthetic biomaterial composites to enhance the hMSCs osteogenesis and promote the device biocompatibility. Many biological and biocompatible materials have been investigated as scaffolds for hMSCs, focusing on the middle ear reconstruction. This study has shown that a TE approach in the middle ear reconstruction is feasible and can give some interesting early outcomes for the patients.