Inflammation and Fibrosis of the Vocal Folds

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In many cases, injury to the vocal fold results in fibrosis and dysphonia. Current therapies for these challenging patients are unsatisfactory, likely due to limited insight into the biochemical processes underlying vocal fold injury and repair. COX-2/PGE2 signaling is upregulated in fibrotic lesions in many tissues and has emerged as a target for antifibrotic therapy. In the larynx, our laboratory and others have reported upregulation of COX-2 and PGE2 in vocal fold injury and we now seek to expand these findings to determine the regulatory role of this signaling pathway in vocal fold injury and repair. In examining this pathway, we will examine key temporal and molecular switches related to vocal fold scarring that are suitable for pharmacological manipulation. Furthermore, we will obtain preliminary data regarding pharmacological inhibition of COX-2 as a means to facilitate a less fibrotic response following vocal fold injury. These findings are significant and have the potential for far-reaching scientific and clinical applications. Public Health Relevance: Fibrosis of the vocal folds is associated with significant morbidity. The current proposal seeks to investigate one regulatory signaling pathway in order to develop novel therapies for this challenging patient population.