Emerging Scientist: Vocal Fold Immunology

In adults the immune system is intimately involved in restoring function lost after injury. If it is poorly regulated, the initial protective reactions that encompass wound healing can lead to pathologic changes in the vocal fold that are particularly problematic to voice quality. Inflammatory injuries can contribute to pathophysiology of benign vocal fold lesions or scarring. Cells and molecules of the innate immune system are responsible for fighting off challenges and returning the tissue to its pre-injured state. This review briefly discusses aspects of the immune system with a focus on acute inflammation and confers immunological barriers to biomaterial and cell-based approaches for restoration of the voice. Increasing the awareness of laryngeal immunology will facilitate better understanding of the obstacles being faced in bench research and highlight the need for further work.

在成年人中，免疫系统密切参与恢复受伤后丧失的功能。如果调节不佳，包括伤口愈合在内的初始保护反应可能导致声带发生病理变化，这对音质尤其有害。炎症性损伤可能导致良性声带病变或瘢痕的病理生理学改变。固有免疫系统的细胞和分子负责抵御挑战并使组织恢复到受伤前的状态。这篇综述简要讨论了免疫系统的各个方面，重点关注急性炎症，并阐述了生物材料和基于细胞的嗓音恢复方法所面临的免疫障碍。提高对喉部免疫学的认识将有助于更好地理解在实验室研究中面临的障碍，并强调进一步研究的必要性。