Airway transplantation: a debate worth having?
Authors: Martin Birchall
Paolo Macchiarini
Journal: Transplantation (2008)
Discipline: CLINICAL MEDICINE
Keywords: Laryngeal transplantation; tracheal transplantation; irreversible airway disease; patient selection; reinnervation
Affiliations: Laryngeal Research Group, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom. 

Abstract:  Laryngeal and tracheal transplantation have been proposed as treatments for irreversible airway disease for many years. Despite much research, there has only been one true laryngeal transplant reported. Although this was in many ways a success, several barriers remain before full clinical trials. There are issues over patient selection, reinnervation, immunosuppression, and cost-benefit. For the trachea, where finely tuned neuromuscular activity is not an issue, tissue-engineering probably represents the future. This overview discusses the arguments for and against laryngeal and tracheal transplantation and suggests ways of overcoming these barriers. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 Reader comment from 2016 on my site: https: forbetterscience.com 2016 09 12 macchiarini-acolyte-philipp-jungebluth-left-surgeon-job-in-heidelberg #comment-2451 Birchall M, Macchiarini P (2008) Airway transplantation: a debate worth having? Transplantation 27;85(8):1075-1080. (Wolters Kluwer) doi: 10.1097 TP.0b013e31816a10e4 http: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed 18431223 http: journals.lww.com transplantjournal pages articleviewer.aspx?year=2008 issue=04270 article=00003 type=abstract Kalathur M, Baiguera S, Macchiarini P (2010) Translating tissue-engineered tracheal replacement from bench to bedside. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 67(24):4185-4196. (Springer Nature) doi: 10.1007 s00018-010-0499-z http: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed 20730554 http: link.springer.com article 10.1007%2Fs00018-010-0499-z Birchall and Macchiarini 2008 Fig. 5c vs Kalathur et al. 2010 Fig. 3A ![file] , 
 Another comment by same reader: https: forbetterscience.com 2016 09 12 macchiarini-acolyte-philipp-jungebluth-left-surgeon-job-in-heidelberg #comment-2475 Birchall M, Macchiarini P (2008) Airway transplantation: a debate worth having? Transplantation 85(8):1075-80. (Wolters Kluwer) doi: 10.1097 TP.0b013e31816a10e4 http: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed 18431223 http: journals.lww.com transplantjournal pages articleviewer.aspx?year=2008 issue=04270 article=00003 type=abstract Jungebluth P, Go T, Asnaghi A, Bellini S, Martorell J, Calore C, Urbani L, Ostertag H, Mantero S, Conconi MT, Macchiarini P (2009) Structural and morphologic evaluation of a novel detergent-enzymatic tissue-engineered tracheal tubular matrix. The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 138(3):586-593. (Elsevier) doi: 10.1016 j.jtcvs.2008.09.085 http: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed 19698839 http: www.jtcvsonline.org article S0022-5223(09)00772-7 abstract http: www.sciencedirect.com science article pii S0022522309007727 Birchall and Machiarini 2008 Fig. 5b vs Jungebluth et al. 2009 Fig. 2F Birchall and Machiarini 2008 Fig. 5a vs Jungebluth et al. 2009 Fig. 2H ![file] , 
  Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no. This is known as Betteridgeu2019s Law https: en.wikipedia.org wiki Betteridge%27s_law_of_headlines ** Airway transplantation: a debate worth having? ** **No.** ,