Bench work 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, led by principal investigator David G. Lott, M.D., is a translational lab specifically designed for bench work innovation that can be directly applied to clinical medicine. Dr. Lott is an otolaryngologist at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, who specializes in laryngeal surgery.
The Head and Neck Regenerative Medicine Lab spans basic and applied (translational) 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, which is based at Mayo Clinic's campus in Arizona, serves as the flagship lab for the head and neck region in the Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics. It utilizes all components of regenerative medicine — scaffold generation, stem cell differentiation and acellular therapeutics — to develop processes and products for the regeneration of head and neck structures. By advancing larynx transplantation, 3D-printed implants and regeneration, Dr. Lott and his team could 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 on a person with active cancer.
The laryngeal transplant marks 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, the Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics at Mayo Clinic and gifts from benefactors.