Tissue engineering: in vitro creation of tissue substitutes

Tissue engineering is a young, multidisciplinary scientific field which aims at generating bioartificial tissues in vitro to restore diseased human organs. This fledgling sector of biosciences emerged few years ago but draws scientific and public attention increasingly, as the recent accomplishments are impressive and promise alternative therapeutic concepts to replace or enhance failing human organs. Tissue engineering using either polymers or decellularized native allogeneic or xenogeneic matrices may provide the techniques to develop the ideal graft. The matrix scaffold can be seeded with cells that organise and develop into tissue prior to or following implantation. This review surveys upon recent developments in the field of in vitro tissue engineering (skin, heart, heart valves, blood vessels, liver, kidney, urogenital, and nerves), without claiming completeness, thus providing an insight into what has been attempted and what may be possible in the near future.