Scaffold Connectivity and Ear Cartilage Progenitor Cells’ Chondrogenic Potential Support a Tissue-Engineered Strategy for Pediatric Airway Repair

Pediatric subglottic stenosis is a narrowing of the airway below the vocal folds due to prolonged intubation. Severe cases (>71% closure) often require laryngotracheal reconstruction (LTR). Current treatments use rib cartilage, which is limited in children and associated with donor site morbidity and restenosis. There is a need for a tissue-engineered LTR option that matches the size and clinical timeline of treatment. The goal is to produce tissue-engineered cartilage by seeding ear cartilage progenitor cells (eCPCs) onto a micro-structured polymeric scaffold. We show that the scaffold maintains high connectivity and that eCPCs exhibit robust chondrogenesis.