According to Jia, the vocal cords are more accurately defined as “vocal folds.” Each vocal fold is a laminated structure consisting of a pliable vibratory layer of connective tissue, known as the lamina propria, sandwiched between a membrane (epithelium) and a muscle. These flexible folds of tissue, coated in mucous to keep them moist, operate like an elevator door and must come together to produce a sound.
When you talk or sing, the folds may vibrate more than 100 times a second from the air that is forced up from the lungs through the trachea. However, excessive use or abuse of the voice can lead to scarring of the vocal fold lamina propria, which disrupts their natural pliability, resulting in hoarseness and other symptoms of vocal dysfunction.
“The reduction of vocal-fold scarring remains a significant therapeutic challenge,” Jia said.
Jia and her colleagues want to explore two parallel tissue-engineering approaches to regenerate the lamina propria. One method focuses on injecting gelatin-like materials, composed of soft, strong and long-lasting hydrogels, into damaged tissue to improve its pliability and prevent scar formation.
In the second approach, the scientists want to form functional tissue from a combination of vocal fold connective tissue cells (fibroblasts), artificial extracellular matrix, and biological cues and mechanical stimuli that capture the mechanical and biological characteristics of the natural organs.
“In order to grow a functional tissue in vitro, you need to provide the cells with a biological and physical environment that is as close to that of the natural tissue as possible,” Jia said.
To mimic the complex and rigorous movement experienced by vocal fold tissue, the researchers have constructed a bioreactor capable of delivering well-defined vibrational and tensile stresses.
The device, which Jia designed, simulates the demanding, high-frequency environment in which vocal fold cells live, vibrating back and forth at up to 100 hertz (100 times a second). Not only do the vocal folds collide as they open and close, driven by air from the lungs, they also must be able to elongate as the pitch of the voice changes, a movement that occurs at a much slower frequency of 1-2 hertz (1-2 times a second), according to Jia.
Image of normal vocal cords, courtesy of the Milton J. Dance Jr. Head and Neck Center at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Baltimore. For video of the vocal cords in action and vocal cord disorders, click here.
“The combination of vocal fold fibroblasts, elastic and bioactive artificial extracellular matrices, and a dynamic bioreactor offers an exciting opportunity for in vitro tissue engineering of vocal fold lamina propria,” Jia noted.
Earlier this year, Jia received the National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development Award. The highly competitive award is bestowed on those scientists deemed most likely to become the academic leaders of the 21st century.
Jia received her bachelor's degree in applied chemistry and master's degree in polymer chemistry and physics from Fudan University in Shanghai, China, and a doctoral degree in polymer science and engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Before joining the UD faculty in 2005, Jia worked as a postdoctoral researcher with Robert Langer, a pioneer in tissue engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Langer recently was awarded the National Medal of Science, the nation's highest honor for science and technology.
Article by Tracey Bryant |
