Tissue engineering and biomaterials offer new clinical applications, with advanced treatments endeavoring to heal hearts, vessels, muscles, and bones, and providing hope where no other medical solution is available. By developing biological substitutes, incorporating living cells and synthetic or natural materials, scientists can now foster tissue regeneration, remodeling, and repair of damaged tissues and organs.
These technologies use the body’s natural ability to adjust, incorporate, and heal, and replace or enhance vital tissue function. The emerging field of stem cells has challenged the traditional view that organs have only limited regenerative capacity. Stem cells represent natural units of embryonic development and tissue regeneration. Embryonic stem (ES) cells, in particular, possess a nearly unlimited capacity for self-renewal, and the potential for differentiating into virtually any cell type of an organism. While most current strategies for tissue engineering depend upon a sample of cells from the diseased organ of the host, pluripotent ES cells are envisioned as a viable source of cells, since they can serve as an alternative source from which the desired tissue can be derived. Novel sources of replacement organs can be produced by combining the techniques learned in tissue engineering over the past few decades with this potentially endless source of versatile cells.
The Principle
This discipline is concerned with the development of biological substitutes incorporating living cells and synthetic or natural materials to foster tissue regeneration and remodeling to repair, replace, or enhance tissue function.
The Promise
New, non-invasive treatments can be developed for neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, heart diseases, and a broad array of other genetically-inherited diseases. As science develops the potential of this field, every area of human health will be imbued with the new hope of sophisticated, precise and lasting medical solutions.
The Process
The Technion is already advancing the tissue engineering industry in Israel by researching the core technologies in developing tissue substitutes and inducing stem cells to differentiate into various tissues. Through vigorous pursuit of interdisciplinary efforts, obstacles are overcome, and new techniques, skills and applications are being created.