Tissue scaffolding, nerve grafting and skin printing hold promise, but there is much more work to be done. Nathan examines current work in each of these areas of tissue engineering.
Tissue Scaffolding: “The first step of creating functional tissue is to provide a viable matrix or scaffold to accommodate their growth and integration.”
Nerve Grafting: “Early-stage research using microfiber scaffolds has shown promise in cultivating and directing the growth of nerve cells—motor neurons in particular.”
Skin Printing: “Breakthrough work by several labs is bringing a novel concept to life—the real-time printing of skin directly onto patients.”
Müller concludes:
“While tissue engineering is driving fast towards real-life applications, the research and development of viable tissues and treatments is still progressing. Once ready, clinical trials demonstrating the in situ treatments with bioengineered tissue will be instrumental to their introduction into medicine.”