Regenerative Medicine
Regenerative medicine is an exciting and promising field of biomedical research. It has the potential to help many people with its new innovations and technologies. The field is pioneering a whole new side of medicine and healing - the ability to repair damaged organs and introduce new organ tissues into patients with previously uncurable conditions.
Since the first successful organ transplant in 1954, the field of regenerative medicine has been growing rapidly. New technologies and applications are being discovered everyday, and its impact on society has become unmeasurable. Tissue engineering can be used to help patients everywhere, from stimulating organs to heal themselves to implanting completely new, functional organs. Regenerative medicine has the potential to save many lives and establish a whole new frontier of biomedical engineering.
THE FACTS:
- Nearly 500,000 Americans receive an organ transplant per year
- Organ transplants are available for the heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas, intentines and thymus
- Tissue transplants are available for bones, tendons, skin, veins, nerves, heart valves and the cornea
- As of August 2010, more than 100,000 people are on the waiting list for organ transplants. Regenerative medicine is trying to solve the organ shortage problem by allowing many of these people to receive the help they need through engineered tissues and organs.
The Promise of Regenerative Medicine
Stem Cells
Stem cells are an important part of regenerative medicine. These special cells have the ability to develop into many different types, which makes them extremely valuable in the field of biomedical research.
Stem cells have the ability to change patients' lives by repairing and replacing damaged or worn-out tissues and organs. Unlike other cells, they are undifferentiated, meaning that they have not matured and expressed their specific function in the body. This characteristic allows the stem cells to later differentiate into many different kinds of specialized cells. For example, stem cells can become bone, skin or blood cells. The possibilites are endless!
The versatility of stem cells makes them extremely vital to the applications of regenerative medicine. The cells are able to renew themselves and divide by mitosis, so they are capable of creating nearly unlimited amounts of undifferentiated cells. Many stem cells only differentiate and/or divide when exposed to certain biological conditions, allowing them to be manipulated in medical treatments.
What are stem cells?
Learn about the different types of stem cells here
Learn about the challenges of stem cells research here
Learn about the history of stem cells here