Chapter 1

Tissue Engineering in Vascular Medicine

Tadahisa Sugiura, Avione Y. Lee and Toshiharu Shinoka

Abstract

Tissue engineering is a major breakthrough in cardiovascular medicine that holds amazing promise for the future of reconstructive surgical procedures. The three main components used in creating a tissue engineered construct are: 1) a scaffold: used to mimic the extracellular matrix, 2) a cell type: seeded to the scaffold to help with biocompatibility and regeneration, and 3) cell signaling: communication between the cells via biochemical, physio-chemical signaling. Our goal in this chapter is to review the short history of organ and tissue regeneration, the advances in the regeneration field, and the current state of vascular tissue engineering.

Total Pages: 3-31 (29)

Purchase Chapter  Book Details