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Tissue engineering is the development and manipulation of laboratory-grown molecules, cells, tissues, and organs to replace or support the function of defective or injured body parts. The idea of cells being cultured has been around for many years. However, growing complex, three-dimensional tissues, with the intention of duplicating the design and function of human tissue, is a new development.

The domestication of animals can also be seen as a traditional form of tissue engineering. As an example, the castration of a farm animal alters the animal’s chemical reactions to create a desired result. On the other hand, the manipulation of crops is a form of bioengineering. Plant bioengineering, such as the injection of vitamins in food, is one example in this area.

The 20th century has seen a revolutionary change in biomedical science. New ideas and tools have given rise to an increased understanding of tissue engineering. Recent advances in cell biology, culturing techniques, and biomaterials have pushed the field forward. Scientists have also begun to create living cells through experimentation on animals such as rats and sheep. Tissue engineers began to unravel the complexities of multicellularity and soon afterwards they began work on human tissue regeneration, an idea thought impossible a number of years ago. Currently, researchers are investigating the design and creation of tissue from scratch. The future of tissue engineering looks prosperous and bright. Click here to see a brief history of basic cartilage research

There have been several recent experiments and breakthroughs in the field of tissue engineering. The first of which was lead by Dr. Catherine M. Verfaillie and a conjunction of other researchers at the Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota. Catherine and her team have found a way to create “multi-potent adult progenitor cells” (MAPCs), that have the ability to transform into different tissue types, including muscle, bone, liver, cartilage, and even different neurons in the brain. There is also research being done at the University of Illinois by two PhD students: Adel Al-Hadlaq and Ross Kopher. And they are using Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as progenitor cells. These stem cells, when extracted, can be induced to differentiate into skeletal tissues, which can develop into bone and cartilage.Click here to see a commentary on this research and related information.

The final example is a relatively new field paved by Dr. Jennifer Elisseeff. This field is the design of “poly(ethylene oxide) scaffolds” for tissue development. Dr. Elisseeff essentially created this method by studying procedures of transplanting chondrocytes into mice, using hydrogel scaffolds to support growing tissue. Click here to read about the study.

Researchers tested human chondrocyte cells and sections of cartilage tissue taken from human joints to simulate in the laboratory what happens in a cartilage transplant. They used antibodies to block the integrin proteins to see whether this would affect the integration of new chondrocytes into cartilage. The study showed that integrin proteins play a key role in helping chondrocytes attach to cartilage. The relevance in this is that attachment of cells to the cartilage surface is an important early step in successful cartilage repair. Integrating the old with the new tissue when transplanting cartilage in patients has always to be a concern.

Some investigation in engineering basic cells into differentiated cells that will perform specific functions are also currently being discussed and researched. The potential applications of this would be great.
Elsewhere, researchers are developing and using novel three-dimensional scaffolds as supports for chondrocyte cell cultures, designed to encourage the formation of functional tissue in vitro.
New research has also shown that poly(L[+]-lactic acid) can be recommended for the development of chondrocytes-polymer constructs for in-vitro engineering of cartilage tissue.

Researchers at John Hopkins University have also used adult stem cells to create tissue resembling cartilage by composition and morphology in the photopolymerizing hydrogel, which is a clinically practical way to deliver the cells to the site of an injury, where they can grow to replace injured bone or cartilage.
The U.S. government is also involved with tissue engineering, investing an estimated $ 51.1 million in the research of cartilage tissue repair.

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