Computer Aided Tissue Engineering from Modeling to Manufacturing

Tissue engineering, a field of science which is approximately a decade old, has been labeled as one of the more promising domains within the broader field of biotechnology. In a simple definition, it is an interdisciplinary field that applies the principles and methods of bioengineering, material science, and life sciences toward the assembly of biologic substitutes that will restore, maintain, and improve tissue functions following damage either by disease or traumatic processes. The general principles of tissue engineering involve combining living cells with a natural/synthetic scaffold to build a threedimensional living construct that is functionally, structurally and mechanically equal to the tissue that is to be replaced. Tissue engineering is founded on three principal components (Scaffolds, Cells, Growth Factor and Mechanical Stress), which may be used independently or incorporated in combinatorial form (Figure 1). ABSTRACT