biostudies-literatureThapa Sthe National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT)the Soonchunhyang University Research Fund1412https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12468236biostudies-literatureUnknown14(18)Therapeutic advances for vocal fold (VF) disorders are limited by the scarcity of VF-derived epithelial cells (VFEs). Despite their substantial self-renewal capability in vivo, VFEs expand for only a few passages in vitro before succumbing to growth arrest. This has led to the extensive use of alternative cellular sources that are not exposed to physiological stresses of phonation. To address this, we developed an ideal culture strategy that enables long-term expansion of rabbit VFEs (rbVFEs), by utilizing Rho kinase inhibitor (ROCKi), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and mitomycin-treated STO cells or its conditioned media (STO-CM). ROCKi only could support short-term proliferation, and rbVFEs eventually underwent senescence. Further enhancement to ROCKi-containing media with EGF or STO-CM CellsMechanotransduction-Mediated Expansion of Rabbit Vocal Fold Epithelial Cells via ROCK Inhibition and Stromal Cell-Derived Paracrine Signals.PMC12468236NARS-2019-NR0400682021R1I1A3050685RS-2023-00284258Jeong JYLee SWKim JHHur SSThapa SHwang YfalseMechanotransduction-Mediated Expansion of Rabbit Vocal Fold Epithelial Cells via ROCK Inhibition and Stromal Cell-Derived Paracrine Signals.Therapeutic advances for vocal fold (VF) disorders are limited by the scarcity of VF-derived epithelial cells (VFEs). Despite their substantial self-renewal capability in vivo, VFEs expand for only a few passages in vitro before succumbing to growth arrest. This has led to the extensive use of alternative cellular sources that are not exposed to physiological stresses of phonation. To address this, we developed an ideal culture strategy that enables long-term expansion of rabbit VFEs (rbVFEs), by utilizing Rho kinase inhibitor (ROCKi), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and mitomycin-treated STO cells or its conditioned media (STO-CM). ROCKi only could support short-term proliferation, and rbVFEs eventually underwent senescence. Further enhancement to ROCKi-containing media with EGF or STO-CM 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Sep2026-05-01T03:23:03.479Z2026-05-01T03:11:20.635ZS-EPMC124682364100237910.3390/cells14181412