PANEL 3: Otitis media animal models, cell culture, tissue regeneration & pathophysiology

To review and summarize recently published key articles on the topics of animal models, cell culture studies, tissue biomedical engineering and regeneration, and new models in relation to otitis media (OM). Electronic databases: PubMed, National Library of Medicine, Ovid Medline. Key topics were assigned to the panel participants for identification and detailed evaluation. The PubMed reviews were focused on the period from June 2019 to June 2023, in any of the objective subject(s) or keywords listed above, noting the relevant references relating to these advances with a global overview and noting areas of recommendation(s). The final manuscript was prepared with input from all panel members. In conclusion, ex vivo and in vivo OM research models have seen great advancements in the past 4 years. From the usage of novel genetic and molecular tools to the refinement of in vivo inducible and spontaneous mouse models, to the introduction of a wide array of reliable middle ear epithelium (MEE) cell culture systems, the next five years are likely to experience exponential growth in OM pathophysiology discoveries. Moreover, advances in these systems will predictably facilitate rapid means for novel molecular therapeutic studies.