Tissue engineering - Toward new solutions for transplantation and reconstructive surgery

Great advances in the field of transplantation have been made in the last h alf of this century. However, the severe scarcity of donor organs, especial ly in the pediatric population, has become a major limitation A new field, tissue engineering, applies the principles of biology and engineering towar d the development of biological substitutes that restore, maintain, or impr ove tissue function. This article discusses the groundwork and challenges o f this interdisciplinary field and its attempts to provide solutions to cre ate new tissue for transplantation and other fields of reconstructive surge ry.