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Tissue
engineering
is the use of a combination of cells,
engineering
and materials methods, and suitable biochemical and physio-chemical factors
to improve or replace biological functions. While most definitions of tissue engineering cover a broad range of applications, in practice the term is closely
associated with applications
that repair or replace portions of or whole tissues (i.e., bone, cartilage,
blood vessels, bladder, etc.). Often, the tissues involved require certain mechanical and structural properties for proper
functioning. The term has also been applied to efforts to perform specific
biochemical functions using cells
within an artificially-created support system
(e.g. An artificial pancreas, or a bioartificial liver). The term regenerative medicine is often used
synonymously with tissue engineering,
although those involved in regenerative medicine place more
emphasis on the use of stem cells
to produce tissues.
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