Applications of tissue engineering in the genitourinary tract.
Congenital abnormalities and acquired disorders can lead to organ damage or loss of tissue within the genitourinary tract. For reconstructive purposes, tissue-engineering efforts are currently underway for virtually every type of tissue and organ within the urinary tract. Tissue engineering incorporates the fields of cell transplantation, materials science and engineering for the purpose of creating functional replacement tissue. This article reviews some of the principles of tissue engineering and some of the applications of these principles to the genitourinary tract.
Atala
Anthony
A
Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd., Winston Salem, NC 27157, USA. aatala@wfubmc.edu
Koh
Chester
C
D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D017690:Cell Transplantation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D052776:Female Urogenital Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D048091:Guided Tissue Regeneration / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D052801:Male Urogenital Diseases; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends
D001672:Biocompatible Materials