Frontiers of Biomedical Engineering (BENG
100)
Professor Saltzman motivates the need for tissue engineering,
and describes the basic elements of the tissue engineering
approach. Professor Saltzman defines three different types of
tissue transplants: autografts, allografts, and xenografts. An
online resource for organ donors/recipients is presented, which
stresses the great need for donors, and the important
contribution of tissue engineering in producing/growing organs
that can be used for this purpose. Next, Professor Saltzman
compared drug and gene therapy, and discusses the use of stem
cell in tissue engineering for wound healing. The need for
compatible biomaterials to support growth and differentiation of
stem cells into functional organ is also highlighted.