Applied Tissue Engineering

Tissue engineering, which aims at regenerating new tissues, as well as substituting lost organs by making use of autogenic or allogenic cells in combination with biomaterials, is an emerging biomedical engineering field. There are several driving forces that presently make tissue engineering very challenging and important: 1) the limitations in biological functions of current artificial tissues and organs made from man-made materials alone, 2) the shortage of donor tissue and organs for organs transplantation, 3) recent remarkable advances in regeneration mechanisms made by molecular biologists, as well as 4) achievements in modern biotechnology for large-scale tissue culture and growth factor production. This book was edited by collecting all the achievement performed in the laboratory of oral and maxillofacial surgery and it brings together the specific experiences of the scientific community in these experiences of our scientific community in this field as well as the clinical experiences of the most renowned experts in the fields from all over Nagoya University. The editors are especially proud of bringing together the leading biologists and material scientists together with dentist, plastic surgeons, cardiovascular surgery and doctors of all specialties from all department of the medical school of Nagoya University. Taken together, this unique collection of world-wide expert achievement and experiences represents the current spectrum of possibilities in tissue engineered substitution.