Using muscle cells to treat vocal fold paralysis
Official title: Treatment of Vocal Fold Paralysis with Muscle Progenitor Cells
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11058973 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how special muscle cells can help improve voice and swallowing for people with vocal fold paralysis, often caused by nerve damage during thyroid surgery, and it will first test this treatment in dogs before moving on to humans.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2025 |
| Project end | February 28, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $631,703 |
| NIH project number | 1R01DC021830-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11058973 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adults suffering from vocal fold paralysis due to nerve injury, particularly those who have not responded well to existing treatments.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with vocal fold paralysis caused by conditions other than nerve injury, or those who are not candidates for surgical intervention, may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the use of muscle progenitor cells (MPCs) to treat vocal fold paralysis, a condition often caused by nerve injury during thyroid surgery. The approach involves isolating these cells from healthy muscle, culturing them, and then implanting them into the affected laryngeal muscles. By doing so, the researchers aim to enhance nerve recovery and muscle strength, potentially improving voice and swallowing functions for patients. The effectiveness of this treatment will be tested in a canine model before considering human applications.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could provide a novel treatment option that significantly improves voice and swallowing functions for patients with vocal fold paralysis.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results using muscle progenitor cells in similar applications, indicating potential for success in this novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Paniello, Randal C — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Paniello, Randal C
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Neuromuscular Junction Problems in Hyperkalemic Paralysis
A clinician-scientist is pursuing five years of advanced training and research to better understand and care for people with neuromuscular diseases related to hyperkalemic paralysis.
-
Restoring movement after paralysis with AI-powered copilots
A patient-facing AI-aided system would help people with paralysis perform everyday tasks by interpreting the user’s intent and guiding assistive robots.
-
CoPE II: Personalizing patient-reported outcomes for vocal fold paralysis care
Aimed at tailoring patient-reported outcome measures to each person with unilateral vocal fold paralysis to better guide treatment decisions.
-
Mobile brain-computer interface to help veterans with paralysis control devices
Aimed at improving a mobile brain-computer interface to help veterans with paralysis better control assistive devices at home.
-
Preventing awareness during paralysis in emergency ventilated patients and reducing PTSD
This project will change emergency department medication defaults to cut back on a paralytic drug and see if that lowers the chance that adults put on ventilators wake up while paralyzed and later develop PTSD.
-
Muscle stem cells to repair paralyzed vocal cords
This project uses muscle-derived stem cells to rebuild and strengthen paralyzed vocal cords in adults with vocal fold paralysis.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.