Given the limited spontaneous repair that follows cartilage injury, demand is growing for tissue engi- neering approaches for cartilage regeneration. There are two major applications for tissue-engineered cartilage. O...Given the limited spontaneous repair that follows cartilage injury, demand is growing for tissue engi- neering approaches for cartilage regeneration. There are two major applications for tissue-engineered cartilage. One is in orthopedic surgery, in which the engineered cartilage is usually used to repair cartilage defects or loss in an articular joint or meniscus in order to restore the joint function. The other is for head and neck reconstruction, in which the engineered cartilage is usually applied to repair cartilage defects or loss in an auricle, trachea, nose, larynx, or eyelid. The challenges faced by the engineered car- tilage for one application are quite different from those faced by the engineered cartilage for the other application. As a result, the emphases of the engineering strategies to generate cartilage are usually quite different for each application. The statuses of preclinical animal investigations and of the clinical translation of engineered cartilage are also at different levels for each application. The aim of this review is to provide an opinion piece on the challenges, current developments, and future directions for cartilage engineering for both applications.展开更多
Replacing urethral tissue with functional scaffolds has been one of the challenging problems in the field of urethra reconstruction or repair over the last several decades. Various scaffold materials have been used in...Replacing urethral tissue with functional scaffolds has been one of the challenging problems in the field of urethra reconstruction or repair over the last several decades. Various scaffold materials have been used in animal studies, but clinical studies on use of scaffolds for urethral repair are scarce. The aim of this study was to review recent animal and clinical studies on the use of different scaffolds for urethral repair, and to evaluate these scaffolds based on the evidence from these studies. Pub Med and OVID databases were searched to identify relevant studies, in conjunction with further manual search. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were systematically evaluated. Of 555 identified studies, 38 were included for analysis. It was found that in both animal and clinical studies, scaffolds seeded with cells were used for repair of large segmental defects of the urethra, such as in tubular urethroplasty. When the defect area was small, cell-free scaffolds were more likely to be applied. A lot of pre-clinical and limited clinical evidence showed that natural or artificial materials could be used as scaffolds for urethral repair. Urinary tissue engineering is still in the immature stage, and the safety, efficacy, cost-effectiveness of the scaffolds are needed for further study.展开更多
文摘Given the limited spontaneous repair that follows cartilage injury, demand is growing for tissue engi- neering approaches for cartilage regeneration. There are two major applications for tissue-engineered cartilage. One is in orthopedic surgery, in which the engineered cartilage is usually used to repair cartilage defects or loss in an articular joint or meniscus in order to restore the joint function. The other is for head and neck reconstruction, in which the engineered cartilage is usually applied to repair cartilage defects or loss in an auricle, trachea, nose, larynx, or eyelid. The challenges faced by the engineered car- tilage for one application are quite different from those faced by the engineered cartilage for the other application. As a result, the emphases of the engineering strategies to generate cartilage are usually quite different for each application. The statuses of preclinical animal investigations and of the clinical translation of engineered cartilage are also at different levels for each application. The aim of this review is to provide an opinion piece on the challenges, current developments, and future directions for cartilage engineering for both applications.
文摘Replacing urethral tissue with functional scaffolds has been one of the challenging problems in the field of urethra reconstruction or repair over the last several decades. Various scaffold materials have been used in animal studies, but clinical studies on use of scaffolds for urethral repair are scarce. The aim of this study was to review recent animal and clinical studies on the use of different scaffolds for urethral repair, and to evaluate these scaffolds based on the evidence from these studies. Pub Med and OVID databases were searched to identify relevant studies, in conjunction with further manual search. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were systematically evaluated. Of 555 identified studies, 38 were included for analysis. It was found that in both animal and clinical studies, scaffolds seeded with cells were used for repair of large segmental defects of the urethra, such as in tubular urethroplasty. When the defect area was small, cell-free scaffolds were more likely to be applied. A lot of pre-clinical and limited clinical evidence showed that natural or artificial materials could be used as scaffolds for urethral repair. Urinary tissue engineering is still in the immature stage, and the safety, efficacy, cost-effectiveness of the scaffolds are needed for further study.