Benchwork innovation
With a focus on regenerative cell-based therapies and bioengineered constructs for head and neck conditions, our lab is pioneering work that will restore the ability of patients to speak, breathe and swallow.
Overview
The Head and Neck Regenerative Medicine Laboratory is a translational lab specifically designed for benchwork innovation that can be directly applied to clinical medicine. The lab is led by principal investigator David G. Lott, M.D., an otolaryngologist at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, who specializes in laryngeal surgery.
The Lott Lab spans basic and applied science, applied engineering science, medical device product development, clinical translational research, and ultimately end-use clinical application. This team systems paradigm facilitates full-spectrum, detailed and safe scientific advancement, including pioneering work in larynx and tracheal transplantation.
Our laboratory serves as the flagship lab for the head and neck region in the Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics. Our research focuses on developing processes and products to regenerate head and neck structures using all components of regenerative medicine, including scaffold generation, stem cell differentiation and acellular therapeutics. By advancing larynx transplantation, 3D printed implants and regeneration, our goal is to restore function to people whose voice box has been damaged or removed.
Ongoing research in our lab aims to treat laryngeal cancers, voice disorders, laryngeal trauma, and other head and neck conditions with regenerative cell-based therapies and bioengineered constructs. This research will restore the ability of patients to speak, breathe and swallow, improving their overall quality of life.
Pioneering research
Decades of work in our lab laid the foundation for a groundbreaking achievement in total larynx transplant in early 2024. Led by Dr. Lott, a team at Mayo Clinic performed the world's first laryngeal transplant for a person with active cancer.
This laryngeal transplant marked a major step forward in making the procedure a viable option for more people, giving new hope to those who have lost their ability to speak, swallow and breathe on their own.
Funding
The Head and Neck Regenerative Medicine Laboratory is supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and gifts from benefactors.