Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
This is an interdisciplinary field that exploits a combination of living
cells, engineering materials and suitable biochemical factors in a
variety of ways to improve, replace, restore, maintain or enhance
living tissues and whole organs [657, 658]. However, as two of
three major components (namely, cells and biochemical factors) of
the tissue engineering subject appear to be far beyond the scope
of this topic, the topic of tissue engineering is narrowed down to
the engineering materials prepared from calcium orthophosphate
bioceramics only.
Regeneration, rather than a repair, is the central goal of any
tissue engineering strategy [659]. Thus, tissue engineering has a
potential to create tissues and organs
. This field of science
[661] started more than two decades ago [662, 663] and a famous
review article by Langer and Vacanti [664] has greatly contributed
to the promotion of tissue engineering research worldwide. The field
of tissue engineering, particularly when applied to bone substitutes
where tissues often function in a mechanically demanding
environment [665], requires a collaboration of excellence in cell and
molecular biology, biochemistry, material sciences, bioengineering
and clinical research. For the success, it is necessary that researchers
with expertise in one area have an appreciation of the knowledge
and challenges of the other areas. However, since the technical,
regulatory and commercial challenges might be substantial, the
introduction of new products is likely to be slow [660].
Nowadays tissue engineering is at full research potential due to
the following key advantages: (i) the solutions it provides are long-
term, much safer than other options and cost-effective as well; (ii)
the need for a donor tissue is minimal, which eliminates the immuno-
suppression problems; (iii) the presence of residual foreign material
is eliminated as well.
de novo
4.7.2
Scaffolds and Their Properties
It would be very convenient to both patients and physicians if
devastated tissues or organs of patients can be regenerated by simple
cell injections to the target sites but such cases are rare. The majority
of large-sized tissues and organs with distinct 3D form require a
support for their formation from cells. The support is called scaffold
[666], template and/or artificial extracellular matrix [158, 159,
422, 662, 665, 667-670]. The major function of scaffolds is similar
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