Regenerative Medicine and stem cell research

Abstract

Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine are fundamentally based on principles of cell transplantation, cell culture, stem cell function and materials science and engineering toward the development of functional substitutes. Definitely the most physiological substitutes are from autologous cells. A tissue from the host is dissociated and expanded in culture, and the expanded cells are implanted into the same host.The expanded cells are seeded onto a scaffold synthesized with the appropriate biocompatible, biodegradable and bioresorbable biomaterial. In case of collection of autologous cells from the diseased organ of the host a tissue biopsy may not yield enough normal cells for expansion and transplantation. In these situations, pluripotent human embryonic stem cells are considered to be a viable source of cells because they can serve as an alternative source of cells from which the desired tissue can be derived.