<i>Lrig1</i>-expressing quiescent stem cells maintain vocal fold mucosal homeostasis via <i>Notch</i> signaling.

ABSTRACT: Identifying progenitor cells in laryngeal and vocal fold (VF) mucosa is essential for advancing stem cell-based therapies for VF diseases. In this study, we used Lrig1 (leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin-like domains 1) gene to label tissue-resident stem cells within laryngeal and VF mucosa, aiming to investigate cellular networks underlying VF homeostasis and regeneration. Lrig1⁺ cells exhibited hallmark features of quiescent stem cells-including slow cycling, long-term persistence, and differentiation potential-and contributed to sustained VF regeneration and repair after naphthalene injury. By one week post injury Lrig1⁺ progeny restored the damaged VF epithelium. Transcriptionally, these cells suppressed cell type specific genes and proli

SUBMITTER: Lungova V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12685045 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature