Regenerative medicine

A colony of human embryonic stem cells

Regenerative medicine deals with the "process of replacing, engineering or regenerating human or animal cells, tissues or organs to restore or establish normal function".[1] This field holds the promise of engineering damaged tissues and organs by stimulating the body's own repair mechanisms to functionally heal previously irreparable tissues or organs.[2]

Regenerative medicine also includes the possibility of growing tissues and organs in the laboratory and implanting them when the body cannot heal itself. When the cell source for a regenerated organ is derived from the patient's own tissue or cells,[3] the challenge of organ transplant rejection via immunological mismatch is circumvented.[4][5][6] This approach could alleviate the problem of the shortage of organs available for donation.

Some of the biomedical approaches within the field of regenerative medicine may involve the use of stem cells.[7] Examples include the injection of stem cells or progenitor cells obtained through directed differentiation (cell therapies); the induction of regeneration by biologically active molecules administered alone or as a secretion by infused cells (immunomodulation therapy); and transplantation of in vitro grown organs and tissues (tissue engineering).[8][9]

  1. ^ Mason, Chris; Dunnill, Peter (2008). "A brief definition of regenerative medicine". Regenerative Medicine. 3 (1): 1–5. doi:10.2217/17460751.3.1.1. ISSN 1746-0751. PMID 18154457.
  2. ^ "UM Leads in the Field of Regenerative Medicine: Moving from Treatments to Cures - Healthcanal.com". 8 May 2014.
  3. ^ Mahla RS (2016). "Stem cells application in regenerative medicine and disease threpeutics". International Journal of Cell Biology. 2016 (7): 1–24. doi:10.1155/2016/6940283. PMC 4969512. PMID 27516776.
  4. ^ "Regenerative Medicine. NIH Fact sheet" (PDF). September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-26. Retrieved 2010-08-16.
  5. ^ Mason C; Dunnill P (January 2008). "A brief definition of regenerative medicine". Regenerative Medicine. 3 (1): 1–5. doi:10.2217/17460751.3.1.1. PMID 18154457.
  6. ^ "Regenerative medicine glossary". Regenerative Medicine. 4 (4 Suppl): S1–88. July 2009. doi:10.2217/rme.09.s1. PMID 19604041.
  7. ^ Riazi AM; Kwon SY; Stanford WL (2009). "Stem Cell Sources for Regenerative Medicine". Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine. Methods in Molecular Biology. Vol. 482. pp. 55–90. doi:10.1007/978-1-59745-060-7_5. ISBN 978-1-58829-797-6. PMID 19089350.
  8. ^ Stoick-Cooper CL; Moon RT; Weidinger G (June 2007). "Advances in signaling in vertebrate regeneration as a prelude to regenerative medicine". Genes & Development. 21 (11): 1292–315. doi:10.1101/gad.1540507. PMID 17545465.
  9. ^ Muneoka K; Allan CH; Yang X; Lee J; Han M (December 2008). "Mammalian regeneration and regenerative medicine". Birth Defects Research. Part C, Embryo Today. 84 (4): 265–80. doi:10.1002/bdrc.20137. PMID 19067422.