Human vocal cords have been grown in the laboratory for the first time in a development that could one day lead to "voice" transplants for people who cannot speak because of a permanently damaged larynx. Scientists said that the bioengineered vocal cords grown from individual cells produced sounds similar to those made by the human voice box when warm, moist air was passed over them to make them vibrate. They believe that it may be possible to generate a variety of synthetic vocal cords which can be used "off the shelf " for transplant operations to suit the individual needs of different patients who cannot speak.
At present, there are limited treatment options available for people with a larynx damaged by cancer or other disorders because of the highly specialised nature of the vibrating cells of the vocal cords. Speech is generated by passing air over the vocal folds -commonly called…
