The role of cells and their derivatives in otorhinolaryngologic diseases treatment.

Otolaryngology is an important specialty in the field of surgery that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of the ear, nose, throat, trachea, as well as related anatomical structures. Various otolaryngological disorders are difficult to treat using established pharmacological and surgical approaches. The advent of molecular and cellular therapies led to further progress in this respect. This article reviews the therapeutic strategies of using stem cells, immune cells, and chondrocytes in otorhinolaryngology. As the most widely recognized cell derivatives, exosomes were also systematically reviewed for their therapeutic potential in head and neck cancer, otitis media, and allergic rhinitis. Finally, we summarize the limitations of stem cells, chondrocytes, and exosomes, as well as possible solutions, and provide an outlook on the future direction of cell- and derivative-based therapies in otorhinolaryngology, to offer a theoretical foundation for the clinical translation of this therapeutic modality. Common ENT diseases include hearing loss, sinusitis, bronchial defects, head and neck cancer, etc. Cells and their derivatives used in the study and treatment of these diseases mainly include stem cells, chondrocytes, and exosomes, with systemic and local drug administration, in vitro tissue culture, and genetic engineering being the common interventions. The main logic of the research consists of two parts: one is to use the differentiation ability of stem cells to culture them into target organs or target tissues, so as to replace their functions; the other is to use the transport properties of exosomes to deliver drugs or use them as biomarkers to predict disease progression. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]