Regenerative Engineering: Current Applications and Future Perspectives

Abstract

Many pathologies, congenital defects, and traumatic injuries are untreatable by conventional pharmacologic or surgical interventions. Regenerative engineering represents an ever-growing interdisciplinary field aimed at creating biological replacements for injured tissues and dysfunctional organs. The need for bioengineered replacement parts is ubiquitous among all surgical disciplines. However, to date, clinical translation has been limited to thin, small, and/or acellular structures. Development of thicker tissues continues to be limited by vascularization and other impediments. Nevertheless, currently available materials, methods, and technologies serve as robust platforms for more complex tissue fabrication in the future. This review article highlights the current methodologies, clinical achievements, tenacious barriers, and future perspectives of regenerative engineering.

Nanostructure characteristics of three types of platelet-rich fibrin biomaterial: a histological and immunohistochemical study

“…This interdisciplinary field aims to develop materials with mechanical stability, porosity, and degradation rates that can be controlled. These materials can address the challenges associated with tissue-regenerative medicine [29]. Various natural and synthetic polymers, as well as their hybrid combinations, have been utilized in tissue engineering.…”

Vascular persistence following precision micropuncture

“…Additionally, this impacts more advanced tissue engineering methodologies and precludes our ability to manufacture thicker tissue replacements as required by both reconstructive and transplant surgery 14–16 . Rapid and stable vascularization is a major problem in the clinical translation of engineered tissues and organs, and has been so for the past 30 years 17–22 . A variety of vascularization strategies have been trialed including scaffold functionalization, cell‐based techniques, bioreactor designs, microelectromechanical systems, modular assembly, and in vivo systems based on surgical principles 23,24 .…”

“…[14][15][16] Rapid and stable vascularization is a major problem in the clinical translation of engineered tissues and organs, and has been so for the past 30 years. [17][18][19][20][21][22] A variety of vascularization strategies have been trialed including scaffold functionalization, cell-based techniques, bioreactor designs, microelectromechanical systems, modular assembly, and in vivo systems based on surgical principles. 23,24 Unfortunately, all have their limitations but surgical induction of angiogenesis has been translated to clinical use in some instances.…”

Recent advances and trends in the applications of MXene nanomaterials for tissue engineering and regeneration

“…However, autograft is not only expensive but also risky, which is usually accompanied by side effects such as infection, inflammation and chronic pain; Allograft is limited by the lack of donor organs and may cause serious immune response 1–3 . The emergence of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine has overcome these problems 4 . As a branch of regenerative medicine, tissue engineering refers to the integration of materials science, chemistry, biology and engineering through cells, scaffolds and/or signal molecules 5,6 .…”