A Regenerative Medicine Approach to the Treatment of Hearing, Balance, and Olfactory Disorders: What Is in the Future for Otolaryngology?

Abstract

Regenerative medicine is being applied to many fields of medicine and is now starting to be considered and developed for application to treat hearing, balance, olfaction, and voice disorders. This special issue of the Anatomical Record with a series of over 20 papers covers many aspects of gene and stem cell therapies as they are developed for clinical applications in both in vitro and in vivo laboratory studies. These studies cover a wide range of approaches from gene editing in zebrafish with the latest technology (i.e., CRISPR/Cas9) to the isolation of human inner ear progenitor cells, to tracking transplanted human umbilical cord stem cells in mini pigs, to the in vitro building of graft tissues to repair tracheal defects with adipose tissue‐derived stem cells. Anat Rec, 303:385–389, 2020. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy

From specialized skin to sensing whiskers to unique depth perception mechanisms to novel eyes and much, much more: The distinctive ways marine mammals interact with their world are explored in a Special Issue of the The Anatomical Record

“…This has been a thread weaving through our journal both by focused Special Issues and independent reports. Some examples of the former can be found in: the Special Issue, “Evolution of the Special Senses in Primates,” Guest Edited by expert comparative anatomists Nathanial Dominy and Callum Ross, both of the University of Chicago, and our own Associate Editor, Tim Smith (who doubles as a magnificent artist whose work has often graced our covers) of Slippery Rock University (Dominy et al, 2004; Laitman, 2004); a most sweet‐smelling Special Issue on “The Vertebrate Nose: Evolution, Structure, and Function,” Guest Edited by frequent contributors Blaire Van Valkenburgh of the University of California, Los Angeles, Brett Craven of Pennsylvania State University, and that Timothy Smith fellow again (Laitman, 2014; Laitman & Albertine, 2014; Van Valkenburgh et al, 2014); and two extraordinary Special Issues loudly broadcasting cutting‐edge science exploring balance, hearing, and olfaction: “The Anatomy and Biology of Hearing and Balance: Cochlear and Vestibular Implants” and “Novel Stem Cell and Gene Therapies for Hearing, Balance and Olfaction,” both Guest Edited by anatomist extraordinaire and long‐time contributor and supporter of the journal, Thomas Van De Water, now Professor Emeritus of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (Laitman, 2012; Laitman & Albertine, 2012, 2020; Van De Water, 2012, 2020).…”

Getting to the Root of It All: The Anatomical Record Explores Advances in Gene and Stem Cell Therapy in the Treatment of Hearing, Balance and Other Head and Neck Disorders

“…The Special Issue is Guest Edited by our favorite hearing anatomist (and one that can still hear! ), Thomas R. Van De Water (Van De Water, , , this issue), Emeritus Professor of Otolaryngology, and Emeritus Director of the Cochlear Implant Research Program of the University of Miami Ear Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. It is, in essence, a “Part 2” to Van De Water's now classic 2012 Special Issue in The Anatomical Record , “The Anatomy and Biology of Hearing and Balance: Cochlear and Vestibular Implants” (Laitman and Albertine, ; Laitman, ; Van De Water, ).…”