Affiliations: Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, University of Ulm, Prittwitzstr. 43, 89075 Ulm, Germany | Central Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Department for Biomaterials, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, 89081 Ulm, Germany | Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, Institute for Biological Interfaces, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany | Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Surgery and The Vascular Biology Program, Children's Hospital, 320 Longwood Avenue, Karp. 12.214, Boston, MA 02115, USA | Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, 320 Longwood Avenue, Karp. 12.214, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Note: [] Corresponding author: Dr. med. Dorothee Rickert, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Ulm, Prittwitzstr. 43, 89075 Ulm, Germany. Tel.: + 49 0731/500 33001; Fax: +49 0731/500 26703; E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: The upper aerodigestive tract, composed of the oral cavity, the pharynx and the esophagus, is a complex system whose components function in both organ-specific ways as well in serving as a protective barrier against the enzymes which initiate digestion as well as against the mechanical functions which serve to ensure movement of food through the upper aerodigestive tract. Given these diverse functional requirements, the study of the anatomy and physiology of this region are uniquely complex and significantly understudied. The goal of the current study was to develop a simple and reproducible method for the isolation, growth, and maintenance of primary epithelial cells from the oral cavity, the pharynx and the esophagus. In addition, given the increased interest in diseases characterized by a loss of mucosal integrity in these areas which is often accompanied by a diminished wound healing capability, these cells were biochemically characterized with a focus on the components of the extracellular matrix remodeling axis including the activity and inhibition of the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs).
