Regenerative Engineering

Distinct from tissue engineering, which focuses primarily on the repair of tissues, regenerative engineering focuses on the regeneration of tissues: creating living, functional tissue that has the ability to replace organs that are dysfunctional. The challenge of working in an area like regenerative engineering lies, in part, in the breadth of information required to truly appreciate and begin to think about this field. Regenerative Engineering introduces the field through the presentation of fundamental concepts of cell biology, stem cell science, materials science, and cell-material interactions.

It also focuses on specific organ and tissue types and presents up-to-date examples of ongoing work, often in the context of a specific clinical need. Regenerative medicine focuses on the biological aspects of tissue regeneration via stem cells, factors, and cytokines, while tissue engineering focuses on the integration of materials science and life sciences. This book integrates these two areas, presenting each concept in the framework of regenerative engineering.