Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (560 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
A tubular organ of voice production. It is located in the anterior neck, superior to the trachea and inferior to the tongue and hyoid bone.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Laryngeal Anterior Commissure; Anterior Commissures, Laryngeal; Commissure, Laryngeal Anterior; Commissures, Laryngeal Anterior; Laryngeal Anterior Commissures; Anterior Commissure, Laryngeal; Anterior Commissure, Larynx; Anterior Commissures, Larynx.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Respiratory System
- Narrower topics
- Glottis; Laryngeal Cartilages; Laryngeal Mucosa; Laryngeal Muscles
- See also
- Laryngectomy; Laryngoscopy
Related concepts
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 45,669 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Larynx” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 5,917 of them (13.0%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 20,897 records.
Reviews account for 3,166 records (6.9%) and meta-analyses for 173. Randomized controlled trials number 830 (1.8%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 20,897 |
| 2000-2009 | 8,360 |
| 2010-2019 | 10,495 |
| 2020 onward | 5,917 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 3,166 | 6.9% |
| Meta-analyses | 173 | 0.4% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 830 | 1.8% |
Method: PubMed query "Larynx"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in anatomy and physiology
Anatomy describes how body structures are built and physiology describes how they normally work, so most findings here are descriptive or mechanistic rather than evidence about treatment. Much of what is known comes from dissection, imaging, tissue studies and experiments in animals, and measurements in healthy volunteers can differ from those in people with disease or at different ages. Normal ranges vary between individuals and populations. Check whether a result was measured in people or in another species, the age and health of the participants, and the method used.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akkermansia muciniphila outer membrane protein Amuc_0904 modulates intestinal homeostasis by promoting goblet cell differentiation | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 12 | cc by PMID 41424360 · DOI · PMC12810044 |
| Expression Levels of MUC5AC and MUC5B in Airway Goblet Cells Are Associated with Traits of COPD and Progression of Chronic Airflow Limitation | 2024 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 12 | cc by PMID 39769414 · DOI · PMC11678853 |
| Using MUC2 mucin producing tumorigenic human goblet-like cells to uncover functional properties of the mucus barrier | 2025 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 10 | cc by PMID 40781862 · DOI · PMC12931731 |
Akkermansia muciniphila outer membrane protein Amuc_0904 modulates intestinal homeostasis by promoting goblet cell differentiation [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Akkermansia muciniphila is recognized as a promising probiotic that improves the symptoms of a variety of diseases.
- Closing excerpt
- muciniphila-mediated intestinal homeostasis recovery and provides a bioactive molecule with the potential to treat intestinal disorders.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (146 words)
Akkermansia muciniphila is recognized as a promising probiotic that improves the symptoms of a variety of diseases. However, the role and mechanism of A. muciniphila in regulating intestinal homeostasis remain to be explored. Here, we discovered that A. muciniphila was dramatically increased during colitis recovery, and its colonization greatly increased goblet cells to protect the intestinal barrier in mice. Amuc_0904, a previously uncharacterized A. muciniphila outer membrane protein, was identified to induce goblet cell differentiation. Mechanistically, Amuc_0904 directly interacted with MET and decreased its phosphorylation in epithelia, leading to decreased Wnt/β-catenin signaling and enhanced oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial function. Furthermore, Amuc_0904 and engineered probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 expressing Amuc_0904 were demonstrated to protect mice from colitis and colitis-associated colorectal cancer. The study reveals a previously unknown mechanism of A. muciniphila-mediated intestinal homeostasis recovery and provides a bioactive molecule with the potential to treat intestinal disorders.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41424360 · DOI · PMC12810044
Expression Levels of MUC5AC and MUC5B in Airway Goblet Cells Are Associated with Traits of COPD and Progression of Chronic Airflow Limitation [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Mucins 5AC (MUC5AC) and 5B (MUC5B) are the major mucins providing the organizing framework for the airway's mucus gel.
- Closing excerpt
- Our findings strengthen the hypothesis that MUC5AC and MUC5B are yet another contributing factor to smoking-associated lung disease progression.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (212 words)
Mucins 5AC (MUC5AC) and 5B (MUC5B) are the major mucins providing the organizing framework for the airway's mucus gel. We retrieved bronchial mucosal biopsies and bronchial wash (BW) samples through bronchoscopy from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n = 38), healthy never-smokers (n = 40), and smokers with normal lung function (n = 40). The expression of MUC5AC and MUC5B was assessed immunohistochemically. The mucin concentrations in BW were determined using the slot-blot technique. The immunohistochemical expression of MUC5AC and MUC5B was localized to goblet cells and submucosal glands. Smokers had higher MUC5AC and lower MUC5B goblet cell expression and higher concentrations of soluble MUC5AC in BW than never-smokers. The MUC5B expression in goblet cells correlated positively with expiratory air flows, diffusing capacity, and the dyspnoea score. Chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and the progression of chronic airflow limitation during a median follow-up time of 8.4 years were associated with higher MUC5AC and lower MUC5B expression in goblet cells. Sustainers, slow progressors, and rapid progressors of airflow obstruction differed in their MUC5B expression at baseline. Emphysema and bronchial wall thickening on CT at a follow-up visit were associated with lower MUC5B expression at baseline. Our findings strengthen the hypothesis that MUC5AC and MUC5B are yet another contributing factor to smoking-associated lung disease progression.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 39769414 · DOI · PMC11678853
Using MUC2 mucin producing tumorigenic human goblet-like cells to uncover functional properties of the mucus barrier [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Goblet cells are the guardians that produce MUC2 mucin that forms the protective mucus barrier as the first line of innate host defense against pathogen invasion while sustaining a healthy gut microbiota.
- Closing excerpt
- These results highlight the importance of regulatory genes for proper mucus production in providing barrier function and homeostasis in the gastrointestinal tract that is markedly affected by metabolic stress and glycosylation prevalent in colonic carcinomas.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (202 words)
Goblet cells are the guardians that produce MUC2 mucin that forms the protective mucus barrier as the first line of innate host defense against pathogen invasion while sustaining a healthy gut microbiota. Using an unbiased screen, we cloned a high LS174T colonic adenocarcinoma MUC2 mucin-producing goblet-like cell that revealed by whole genome sequencing, mutations that upregulated the expression of tumor suppressor TP53, anterior gradient 2 (AGR2) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases (MEK and MAPK) genes that enhanced MUC2 biosynthesis and secretion. Hypersecretory mutant (Mut) cells exhibited a phenotype characterized by high constitutive MUC2 mRNA, upregulation of glycosyltransferases, and hypersecretion of sialylated and fucosylated MUC2 mucus enumerated by glycomics analysis. Mut secreted mucus was altered quantified by increased permeability to fluorescence microsphere (0.2 μm and 1 μm) beads and to Salmonella enterica adherence, invasion, and cell death as compared to WT controls. Shotgun proteomic analysis revealed that Mut cells were upregulated in metabolic pathways for oxidative stress, HIF pathways and growth factors that enhanced wound healing, and tumorigenesis. These results highlight the importance of regulatory genes for proper mucus production in providing barrier function and homeostasis in the gastrointestinal tract that is markedly affected by metabolic stress and glycosylation prevalent in colonic carcinomas.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 40781862 · DOI · PMC12931731
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, larynx, oropharynx and hypopharynx: EHNS-ESMO-ESTRO Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up [4]
- Research article Mucins and the Microbiome [5]
- Research article Cricoid pressure [6]
- Research article The Dubai Definition and Diagnostic Criteria of Laryngopharyngeal Reflux: The IFOS Consensus [7]
- Research article Laryngeal Injury and Upper Airway Symptoms After Endotracheal Intubation During Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis [8]
- Research article The relationship between intestinal goblet cells and the immune response [9]
References
- Yang L, Yang J, Kong X, Tang Q, Song R, Zhou K, et al.. Akkermansia muciniphila outer membrane protein Amuc_0904 modulates intestinal homeostasis by promoting goblet cell differentiation. . 2026. PMID 41424360 · DOI · PMC12810044
- Pincikova T, Merikallio H, Kotortsi I, Karimi R, Li CX, Lappi-Blanco E, et al.. Expression Levels of MUC5AC and MUC5B in Airway Goblet Cells Are Associated with Traits of COPD and Progression of Chronic Airflow Limitation. . 2024. PMID 39769414 · DOI · PMC11678853
- Gorman H, Moreau F, Beaupré E, Nitin N, Zandberg WF, Bergstrom K, et al.. Using MUC2 mucin producing tumorigenic human goblet-like cells to uncover functional properties of the mucus barrier. . 2025. PMID 40781862 · DOI · PMC12931731
- Machiels JP, René Leemans C, Golusinski W, Grau C, Licitra L, Gregoire V, et al.. Squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, larynx, oropharynx and hypopharynx: EHNS-ESMO-ESTRO Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Ann Oncol. 2020. PMID 33239190 · DOI
- Hansson GC. Mucins and the Microbiome. Annu Rev Biochem. 2020. PMID 32243763 · DOI · PMC8442341
- Brimacombe JR, Berry AM. Cricoid pressure. Can J Anaesth. 1997. PMID 9104526 · DOI
- Lechien JR, Vaezi MF, Chan WW, Allen JE, Karkos PD, Saussez S, et al.. The Dubai Definition and Diagnostic Criteria of Laryngopharyngeal Reflux: The IFOS Consensus. Laryngoscope. 2024. PMID 37929860 · DOI
- Brodsky MB, Akst LM, Jedlanek E, Pandian V, Blackford B, Price C, et al.. Laryngeal Injury and Upper Airway Symptoms After Endotracheal Intubation During Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Anesth Analg. 2021. PMID 33196479 · DOI · PMC7969363
- Zhang M, Wu C. The relationship between intestinal goblet cells and the immune response. Biosci Rep. 2020. PMID 33017020 · DOI · PMC7569202
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.