ABSTRACT
The recently coined term “regenerative medicine” represents a shift in emphasis from current methods to replace tissues with medical devices and artifi cial organs toward more biological approaches, which focus on regeneration rather than replacement or repair. Regenerative medicine has many components, however, it can be argued that cell therapy and tissue engineering are currently the fl agship areas. In addition, this technology has the potential to develop therapies for previously untreatable diseases and conditions. Examples of diseases that regenerative medicine might alleviate one day include diabetes, heart disease, renal failure, osteoporosis, and spinal cord injuries. The current generation of baby boomers would almost certainly rally behind the rationale to advance into regenerative medicine as it offers them the greatest hope for the most effective medical treatment and quality of life in their senior years. Beyond the obvious health benefi ts of regenerative medicine from a patient’s point of view, this technology is desperately needed to challenge rising healthcare costs around the world.1
