Prospects for organ and tissue replacement

Damage or loss of a tissue or organ is common, costly, and tragic. Advances in mechanical artificial organs and organ transplantation have improved th e treatment of organ failure, and advances in molecular immunology, tissue engineering, and stem cell biology offer the promise of even better therape utic modalities for treating organ failure in the future. Enhancement of im mune tolerance of transplanted tissues, improved understanding of cellular differentiation and tissue development, and advances in biomaterials may en able the de novo creation of implantable tissue and organs for transplantat ion, Innovative techniques for prevention and treatment of tissue loss and organ failure should improve the quality and length of life.