The origins of tissue engineering date to the sixteenth century when complex skin flaps were used to replace the nose. Modern tissue engineering combines the disciplines of materials sciences and life sciences to replace a diseased or damaged organ with a living, functional substitute. The most common tissue engineering approach combines cells and matrices to produce a living structure (Fig. 69-1). These strategies also include the use of scaffolding, cells, and growth factors to shape new tissues. The term regenerative medicine has emerged as a concept inclusive of tissue engineering and stem cell therapy (Chap. 67). .
