Cellular & Molecular Medicine: Open access

Tissue engineering is an emerging multidisciplinary field that uses a combination of cells, engineering materials and biochemical factors to improve or replace biological functions which in turn improve the health and quality of life for millions of people worldwide by restoring, maintaining, or enhancing tissue and organ function. Tissue engineering evolved from the field of biomaterials development and refers to the practice of combining scaffolds, cells, and biologically active molecules into functional tissues. The goal of tissue engineering is to assemble functional constructs that restore, maintain, or improve damaged tissues or whole organs. Artificial skin and cartilage are examples of engineered tissues that have been approved by the FDA; however, currently they have limited use in human patients.