Health Engineering: From Reparative to Regenerative and Personalized Medicine"

Damage and loss of tissues and organs has been a major problem and the search for appropriate treatment has continued for ages. Biomaterials were developed and research first focused on developing bioinert materials that induce minimal tissue reactions. This was followed by the introduction with bioactive materials such as ceramics/glass that can induce favored reaction in the form of tissue boding. Later, biodegradable materials were developed to provide temporary support for tissue reparative purposes and then eliminated from the body. Due to their nature, it was possible to add many functionalities to biodegradable materials such as drug release properties. Later, biomaterials and cells were utilized as means to engineer tissues and assist in tissue and organ regeneration. Due to problems associated with controlling cell distribution in the scaffolds, their survival and construct vascularization, recent introduction of three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting offers potential solutions to many bottlenecks that limited successful translation of tissue engineering to the clinic. In addition, engineered tissue constructs can be used to serve as models to study normal function, disease and test drugs. With the use of microfluidics, it is becoming possible to develop biomimetic 3D culture that helps to avoid the limitations of two-dimensional (2D) culture in developing and testing drugs. Furthermore, it will ultimately provide an alternative method to reduce the use of experimental animals, reduce the cost of drug development, and to develop personalized medicine. In addition to developing safer and more efficient health technologies, we aim ultimately to manage health before pre-disease states become irreversible. To achieve real impact on the society, it is essential to integrate various fields of science and technology, clinical vision, industrial development and regulatory bodies