Tissue Engineering in Medicine

Abstract

Transplantation of whole organs and complex tissues is plagued by issues of inadequate donor sources and immunosuppression morbidity. Furthermore, there exists no treatment for the restoration of deceased tissue such as that incurred after myocardial infarction. The field of tissue engineering is concentrated on a multi-disciplinary effort to generate techniques that restore organ and tissue function. The field is young, but has already yielded many experimental and clinical successes. This article attempts to introduce the reader to the concepts of tissue engineering and provides examples of successes in the field. Clinicians should be aware of these technologies as they gain traction and are introduced into clinical care.