Generation of Ear Cartilage for Auricular Reconstruction

Abstract

Auricular reconstruction is among the most challenging surgical procedures in plastic and reconstructive surgery because of the lack of an ideal auricle substitute that can guarantee a long-lasting outcome while involving minimal donor site morbidity. Tissue-engineered cartilage may provide an ideal autologous solution. After the first report on generation of human ear-shaped cartilage in a nude mouse model in 1997, cartilages with human ear shape have been engineered in vitro, in nude mice, and in immunocompetent animals using various cells and scaffolds. Recently, our group reported a pilot clinical trial of in vitro engineered human earshaped cartilage and its clinical translation for auricular reconstruction. This bench-to-bed process spanning over the past two decades can provide an indepth understanding of the development of cartilage tissue engineering for