Mathematical Modelling of Regeneration of a Tissue-Engineered Trachea - Computational Modeling in Tissue Engineering - page 421

can flag possible problems with proposed therapies. An example from the present
study is the deleterious effects that the TGF-b1 produced within the cartilage may
have on the epithelium (Fig. 4 b). This result suggests not to use excessive amounts
of exogenous TGF-b1 in an attempt to boost the regeneration of the cartilage.
Also, to the extent that TNF-a is responsible for inhibiting chondrogenesis in the
trachea, this would suggest using drugs to specifically target the pathways involved
in the production of TNF-a :
To summarise, this chapter has demonstrated the potentially important role that
mathematical modelling has for tissue engineering of whole organs using stem
cells. As the knowledge of the biology underlying regenerative processes
improves, particularly with regards to stem cell biology, the effectiveness of
mathematical models should develop in parallel. The ultimate goal should be to
develop realistic mathematical and computational models that can accurately
predict the time course of regeneration and be useful for developing new therapies,
thereby contributing directly to improving the prognoses of patients. But even in
their nascent form, mathematical models have an important role to play in the
formulating of medical hypotheses and in contributing to the development of new
modelling approaches to biomedicine.
Acknowledgments The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support of the Biotechnology
and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences
Research Council (EPSRC).
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