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Tissue engineering

Nature Biotechnology volume 17, pages 508–510 (1999)Cite this article

Tissue and organ failure, produced as a result of injury or other type of damage, is a major health problem, accounting for about half of the total annual expenditure in health care in the US1. Treatment options include transplantation (human or xenotransplantation), surgical repair, artificial prostheses, mechanical devices, and in a few cases, drug therapy. Ultimately, however, major damage to a tissue or organ can neither be repaired nor long-term recovery effected in a truly satisfactory way by these methods.

Tissue engineering is emerging as a significant potential alternative or complementary solution, whereby tissue and organ failure is addressed by implanting natural, synthetic, or semisynthetic tissue and organ mimics that are fully functional from the start, or that grow into the required functionality. Initial efforts have focused on skin equivalents for treating burns, but an increasing number of tissue types are now being engineered, as well as biomaterials and scaffolds used as delivery systems. A variety of approaches are used to coax differentiated or undifferentiated cells, such as stem cells, into the desired cell type. Notable results include tissue-engineered bone, blood vessels, liver, muscle, and even nerve conduits. As a result of the medical and market potential, there is significant academic and corporate interest in this technology.

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  1. vice president for business development at Argonex Inc., 2044 India Road, Charlottesville, 22901, VA

    Aris Persidis

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  1. Aris Persidis
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Persidis, A. Tissue engineering. Nat Biotechnol 17, 508–510 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/8700

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