Methods Of Tissue Engineering

This reference book combines the tools, experimental protocols, detailed descriptions and know-how for the successful engineering of tissues and organs in one volume.

This reference book combines the tools, experimental protocols, detailed descriptions and know-how for the successful engineering of tissues and organs in one volume.

Tissue engineering research continues to captivate the interest of researchers and the general public alike. Popular media outlets like The New York Times, Time, and Wired continue to engage a wide audience and foster excitement for the field as regenerative medicine inches toward becoming a clinical reality. Putting the numerous advances in the field into a broad context, Tissue Engineering: Principles and Practices explores current thoughts on the development of engineered tissues. With contributions from experts and pioneers, this book begins with coverage of the fundamentals, details the supporting technology, and then elucidates their applications in tissue engineering. It explores strategic directions, nanobiomaterials, biomimetics, gene therapy, cell engineering, and more. The chapters then explore the applications of these technologies in areas such as bone engineering, cartilage tissue, dental tissue, vascular engineering, and neural engineering. A comprehensive overview of major research topics in tissue engineering, the book: Examines the properties of stem cells, primary cells, growth factors, and extracellular matrix as well as their impact on the development of tissue-engineered devices Focuses upon those strategies typically incorporated into tissue-engineered devices or utilized in their development, including scaffolds, nanocomposites, bioreactors, drug delivery systems, and gene therapy techniques Presents synthetic tissues and organs that are currently under development for regenerative medicine applications The contributing authors are a diverse group with backgrounds in academia, clinical medicine, and industry. Furthermore, this book includes contributions from Europe, Asia, and North America, helping to broaden the views on the development and application of tissue-engineered devices. The book provides a useful reference for courses devoted to tissue engineering fundamentals and those laboratories developing tissue-engineered devices for regenerative medicine therapy.

In recent years, the field of tissue engineering has begun, in part, to c- lesce around the important clinical goal of developing substitutes or repla- ments for defective tissues or organs. These efforts are focused on many tissues including skin, cartilage, liver, pancreas, bone, blood, muscle, the vascu- ture, and nerves. There is a staggering medical need for new and effective treatments for acquired as well as inherited defects of organs/tissues. Tissue engineering is at the interface of the life sciences, engineering, and clinical medicine and so draws upon advances in cell and molecular biology, mate- als sciences, and surgery, as well as chemical and mechanical engineering. Such an interdisciplinary field requires a broad knowledge base as well as the use of a wide assortment of methods and approaches. It is hoped that by bringing together these protocols, this book will help to form connections - tween the different disciplines and further stimulate the synergism underlying the foundation of the tissue engineering field.

This reference book combines the tools, experimental protocols, detailed descriptions and know-how for the successful engineering of tissues and organs in one volume.

Tissue engineering is an emerging field that involves the combination of materials, cells, and other signals or growth factors to generate new tissue that can be used to repair or replace damaged tissues due to injury or disease. This groundbreaking volume presents the latest methods and protocols for systematically building tissues in 3D configuration outside the body, as well as providing techniques that modulate repair and regeneration processes that occur "in situ" (in their natural or original place).

The opportunity that tissue engineering provides for medicine is extraordinary. In the United States alone, over half-a-trillion dollars are spent each year to care for patients who suffer from tissue loss or dysfunction. Although numerous books and reviews have been written on tissue engineering, none has been as comprehensive in its defining of the field. Principles of Tissue Engineering combines in one volume the prerequisites for a general understanding of tissue growth and development, the tools and theoretical information needed to design tissues and organs, as well as a presentation of applications of tissue engineering to diseases affecting specific organ systems. The first edition of the book, published in 1997, is the definite reference in the field. Since that time, however, the discipline has grown tremendously, and few experts would have been able to predict the explosion in our knowledge of gene expression, cell growth and differentiation, the variety of stem cells, new polymers and materials that are now available, or even the successful introduction of the first tissue-engineered products into the marketplace. There was a need for a new edition, and this need has been met with a product that defines and captures the sense of excitement, understanding and anticipation that has followed from the evolution of this fascinating and important field. Key Features * Provides vast, detailed analysis of research on all of the major systems of the human body, e.g., skin, muscle, cardiovascular, hematopoietic, and nerves * Essential to anyone working in the field * Educates and directs both the novice and advanced researcher * Provides vast, detailed analysis of research with all of the major systems of the human body, e.g. skin, muscle, cardiovascular, hematopoietic, and nerves * Has new chapters written by leaders in the latest areas of research, such as fetal tissue engineering and the universal cell * Considered the definitive reference in the field * List of contributors reads like a "who's who" of tissue engineering, and includes Robert Langer, Joseph Vacanti, Charles Vacanti, Robert Nerem, A. Hari Reddi, Gail Naughton, George Whitesides, Doug Lauffenburger, and Eugene Bell, among others

There is an urgent need to develop new approaches to treat conditions as- ciated with the aging global population. The surgeon’s approach to many of these problems could be described as having evolved through three stages: Removal: Traditionally, diseased or badly damaged tissues and structures might simply be removed. This was appropriate for limbs and non-essential organs, but could not be applied to structures that were critical to sustain life. An additional problem was the creation of disability or physical deformity that in turn could lead to further complications. Replacement: In an effort to treat wider clinical problems, or to overcome the limitations of amputation, surgeons turned to the use of implanted materials and medical devices that could replace the functions of biological structures. This field developed rapidly in the 1960s and 1970s, with heart valve and total joint replacement becoming common. The term “biomaterial” was used increasingly to describe the materials used in these operations, and the study of biomaterials became one of the first truly interdisciplinary research fields. Today, biomaterials are employed in many millions of clinical procedures each year and they have become the mainstay of a very successful industry.