Vocal fold is a mechanically active tissue, composed of muscle, lamina propria (LP) and epithelium. The lamina propria is extremely soft and pliable, sustaining up to 30% strain at frequencies of 100-1000 Hz during normal phonation. However, scares in the vocal fold LP, due to voice abuse, disease or surgery, alter the biomechanical properties of LP, resulting in hoarseness and/or voice loss. In order to engineer functional vocal fold LP, its biomechanical microenvironment needs to be restored in vitro. Mechanical stimuli have been shown to have an impact on cell behavior. Mechanical stimuli can alter the expression levels of genes related to extracellular matrix (ECM), ultimately affecting the production of ECM proteins.
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