Tissue Engineering

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer first explains that tissue engineering is an interdisciplinary field which utilizes the principles of life sciences as well as engineering for the creation of biological substitutes or replacements that can heal, improve, maintain or restore the functions of tissues. The writer notes that tissue engineering can be utilized to manufacture whole tissues in vitro or outside the body. The writer discusses the tissue engineering process and looks at biological printing and bionanotechnology. Further, the writer discusses the treatment of patients with spinal cord injury and the applications of tissue engineering in agriculture. The writer concludes that ethical and political aspects of fertility treatments, cloning, stem cell research and genetically modified food can influence or hamper further research and development in this field.

From the Paper:

"Another new technology being used to engineer tissues is bionanotechnology. One of the major advantages of using this technology is that the patient's own cells can be used to fabricate the artificial tissue. This would effectively deal with the issue of organ rejection as the new tissue would have the same immunological characteristics as the patient's own tissue. Tissue engineering with the help of nanotechnology involves the manufacture of a "smart matrix" on a nano-scale containing signals for the growth and differentiation of the cells. The matrix provides a framework of scaffold for the systematic arrangement of embryonic or adult stem cells and provides them with an optimum environment for the growth of the engineered tissue. An interesting fact about stem cells is that they have the capability to differentiate into diverse tissues with different morphology, sensory abilities, functions and synthetic capabilities. Various research studies have suggested that the application of external electrical stimulus can effectively control the process of organ formation."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Atala, Anthony. (2007) "Principles of Regenerative Medicine" Academic Press.
• Bullis, Kevin. (2008, Jan/Feb) "Tiny Living Machines" Technology Review, Retrieved 1 May, 2008 from http://www.technologyreview.com/Nanotech/19874/
• Friedman, Yali. (2007) "The Business of Biotechnology: Profit from the Expanding Influence of ..." Logos Press.
• Gazit, Ehud. (2006) "Plenty of room for biology at the bottom: an introduction to bionanotechnology" Imperial College Press.
• Kessler, Jack. (2008, Apr) "Promising New Nanotechnology for Spinal Cord Injury" Retrieved 1 May, 2008 fromhttp://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2008/04/SpinalCordInjury.html

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