Medical Imaging

Medical Engineering

Search

Site search

Pubmed Journal Search

Search OmniMedical

Related Sites

Biomedical Engineering Society Biomedical Engineering Network Biomedical Engineering Online

The classic essential text on anatomy...

tissue engineering

Pancreatic tissue engineering

V F Murphy< a> Tuesday 27th May 2003

Define the design requirements and constraints for an immuno-isolation membrane to encapsulate isolated islets of Langerhans for pancreatic tissue engineering.

The design requirements and constraints must spring from the function of the immuno-isolation membrane. The membrane serves to isolate the islets without exposing them to the immune system, but still permitting them to work with certain other nutrients within the bloodstream.

The function we are concerned with is the detection of g…

Free Postgraduate Position Service

What is Tissue Engineering?

Vincent Murphy Thursday 1st January 1970

It is a matter of public record that the loss of tissue and organ functionality is very costly to treat, being estimated at some 350 to 400 billion dollars a year within the US alone, around 8 of total medical spending ( Lysaght and O'Loughlin 2000 ). Such expenditure represents both a significant burden upon the health system and an enormous number of lives affected by serious disease or mortality.

The treatment of tissue deficiency is currently constrained, if not by financial implications, b…

Advantages and Disadvantages of Tissue Engineering

Diana Oprean Thursday 1st January 1970

Thousands of people of all ages are admitted to hospitals daily because of the malfunction of a vital organ. Until very recently, it was believed that the only solutions to treat these cases were organ transplants or replacements by totally artificial parts.

There are several treatment options for organ failure or tissue loss transplants, reconstructive surgery, artificial prosthesis or mechanical devices (kidney dialyzers, prosthetic hip joints, mechanical heart valves), but unfortunately, t…

Tissue Engineered Heart Repair

Diana Oprean Thursday 1st January 1970

Recent research has uncovered the role of a naturally-occurring protein which can promote healing after a heart attack.

Researchers at Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network have discovered the mechanism by which stem cells and some immune cells are activated in order to quickly move to the site of injury in the heart and take part in cell repair.

Dr. Peter Liu, one of the lead researchers of the study, explains how after a heart attack, the damaged heart tissue cannot regener…

Cartilage Tissue Engineering

Vincent Murphy Thursday 1st January 1970

The human articulating joints, particularly those of the lower limbs, are able to last a lifetime, with good care, and good luck. All-too-often, however, either through traumatic injury or a simple over-use, the cartilage surface of the joint starts a slow and steady decay. This decay, often described as abnormal turnover in which the destruction of cartilage exceeds the production, eventually leads to painful joints and a loss of mobility.

There are a wide range of treatments in active use…

Natural Breast Implants

Diana Oprean Thursday 1st January 1970

The implant methods used by modern breast reconstructive and cosmetic surgery rely on artificial implants consisting of bags of silicone or saline solution. Silicone saline solution implants, however, have not presented a strong safety record, since there were many cases of rejection or rupture of the implant. Not to mention that they tend to lose their shape after a few years, thus not being suitable for lifetime use. Silicone saline solution implants, however, have not presented a strong safet…

Achilles Tendon Repair

Diana Oprean Thursday 1st January 1970

Achilles tendon, the largest and strongest tendon in the human body, is most commonly injured in sports, and therefore, there has been an increasing incidence of injuries of the tendon over the past decade, particularly in the more developed countries.

To avoid confusing terminology referring to Achille tendon injuries, the clinical syndrome in and around the tendon characterized by pain, swelling and impaired ability to perform certain movements or activities has been generically called Achi…

Polyhydroxyalkanoates for tissue engineering

Anne John Michael Thursday 1st January 1970

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), polyesters produced by microorganisms under unbalanced growth conditions (Doi 2002) have potential applications for medical and pharmaceutical purposes. The primary factor is because of their biodegradability. Nevertheless other favorable qualities such as their adaptability to suit the requirements of different applications, non-toxicity and thermoprocessibility properties have propelled their uses as tissue engineering biomaterials. Polyhydoxyalkanoates (PHA) and i…

Windpipe Defect Repair Possible

Sources BBC, American Acadamy of Pediatrics Thursday 1st January 1970

It 's been across the world 's press, yes, the report by Dr. Fauza 's group in the Boston Children 's Hospital.

The team have employed a method of seeding embryonic cells onto a biodegradable scaffold, and with the addition of growth factors, the cells produced healthy cartilage. The grafts, once mature, were used to repair the windpipes of seven foetal lambs, animals which grow at approximately the same rapid rate as a human.

The technology, termed autologous chondrocyte implantation, has…

EU Regulations for Tissue Engineering

Brussels Thursday 1st January 1970

BRUSSELS Commission unveils new rules to support gene, cell or tissue based therapies

Today, the European Commission has proposed new EU wide rules to facilitate gene, cell and tissue-based therapies. These so-called advanced therapies enable revolutionary treatment of a number of diseases or injuries, such as cancer, Parkinson s disease, skin in burn victims or serious cartilage damage. With this proposal the Commission covers all advanced therapies within a single, integrated and tailored E…