Dramatic advances in the fields of biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, genetics, biomedical engineering and materials science have given rise to the remarkable new cross-disciplinary field of tissue engineering. Tissue engineering uses synthetic or naturally derived, engineered biomaterials to replace damaged or defective tissues, such as bone, skin, and even organs.
Several technologies come together in tissue engineering.
Pancreatic beta cells required to produce insulin may be encapsulated in engineered biomolecular cages that allow them to function normally in a foreign host without triggering immune responses. Biocompatible polymers may be developed to cover implants and shield them from adhesion of circulating proteins that initiate rejection responses. Transgenic animals may provide a source of cells, tissues, and organs for xenografts. Tissue engineering potentially offers dramatic improvements in medical care for hundreds of thousands of patients annually, and equally dramatic reductions in medical costs. Organ transplants alone present many opportunities because of the significant shortage of donor organs.