Stem cell voice box transplant trials could begin in 2013

The first clinical trials for stem cell based voice box transplants could begin as soon as 2013, according to leading expert Professor Martin Birchall speaking at the UK National Stem Cell Network annual science meeting today in York.

Thanks to a million pounds provided by the Medical Research Council (MRC) to fund pre-clinical work, this revolutionary new treatment could change the lives of up to 1300 patients a year in the UK who suffer serious problems with breathing, speaking and swallowing as a result of a damaged larynx (voice box).

Professor Birchall, leader of the international team which carried out the world’s first tracheal (windpipe) stem cell transplant in 2008, will be heading up a new team to formally assess whether a similar approach can be used to repair problems for the voice box.

This story first appeared on the UK National Stem Cell Network