1. Tissue Engineering

2. Tissue Engineering
“Application of principles and methods of engineering and life sciences toward fundamental understanding of structure-function relationships in normal and pathological mammalian tissues and the development of biological substitutes to restore, maintain or improve tissue conditions.”

3. Tissue Engineering
In 2007, US Federal R&D agencies have suggested an updated term and definition
Tissue Science and Engineering: the use of physical, chemical, biological and engineering processes to control and direct the aggregate behavior of cells

4. Tissue Engineering Started in the late 1980s (approved in 1987)
Draft definition by Allan Zelman: “The term ‘tissue engineering’ indicates a new inter-disciplinary initiative which has the goal of growing tissues or organs directly from a single cell taken from an individual.”

5. Tissue Enggineering Specific list of goals according to Eugene Bell:
1) providing cellular prostheses or replacement parts for the human body;
2) providing formed acellular replacement parts capable of inducing regeneration;
3) providing tissue or organ-like model systems populated with cells for basic research and for many applied uses such as the study of disease states using aberrant cells;
4) providing vehicles for delivering engineered cells to the organism; and
5) surfacing non-biological devices.

6. Tissue Engineering Research fields/subfields
Cell and developmental biology
Cell differentiation, morphogenesis and tissue assembly
Cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions
Growth factors
Cell isolation and selection
Cell culture
Angiogenesis
Stem cells

7. Tissue Engineering Research fields/subfields
Basic medical and veterinary sciences
anatomy
cytology
physiology and pathophysiology
Transplantation science
Applied immunology – immunosuppression, immunomodulation and immunoisolation
Organ preservation

8. Tissue Engineering Research fields/subfields Biomaterials
Natural and synthetic, biodegradable and non-biodegradable polymers
Polymer chemistry
Ceramics
Cell interactions with biomaterials
Controlled release of bioactive molecules
Microencapsulation
Microfabrication techniques

9. Tissue Engineering Research fields/subfields Biomaterials (continued)
3D fabrication techniques
Surface Chemistry
Biophysics and biomechanics
Molecular and cell transport
Micro- and macrocirculatory dynamics
Cell and tissue mechanics

10. Tissue Engineering Research fields/subfields Biomedical engineering
Bioreactors
Membranes and filtration
Musculoskeletal joint engineering
Biomedical sensors
Biomedical signal processing, feedback and control
Electrical and mechanical engineering of biohybrid systems
Engineering design and systems analysis
Quantitative tissue characterization
Biosensors and biolectronics

11. Tissue Engineering Examples
Vascular grafts
Skin grafts
Kidney
Pancreas/Islet cells
Liver
Bone/Cartilage
Either laboratory-based or over-the-counter

12. Tissue Engineering Drawbacks Cost Specificity Ethical issues
Animal use
Component synthesis (e.g. cells)

13. Regenerative Medicine

14. Regenerative Medicine
Greatly similar to tissue engineering
Overlapping field
“…encompasses some of the knowledge and practice of tissue engineering but also includes ‘self-healing through endogenous recruitment or exogenous delivery of appropriate cells, biomolecules, and supporting stuctures.”

15. Xenotransplantation

16. Xenotransplantation
The transfer of an organ/tissue from one species to another
Humans using organs derived from animals
Low success rate
Excellent source of information for new therapies

17. Xenotransplantation Drawbacks Incompatibility
Issues regarding animal use
Cost
Ethics
Risks
Introduction of bacteria and viruses
*HIV originated from monkeys