About this Research Topic
Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine field is a multidisciplinary science, combining materials science, cell biology, biomechanics and medicine to develop functional tissue/organ models and solutions for repair and reconstruction. Thus, the complexity of the developed tissue engineered systems can limit the researchers’ vision in exploring sustainable sources and pathways for a revolutionary science. It is our duty to change the mindset and follow this new trend in which environment, global health and circular economy can be combined.
Thus, the main goals of this Research Topic include:
1. Explore recent research strategies in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine based on the 3 pillars of sustainability: environment, economy, and society;
2. Survey for high value-added biomaterials and ecological processing methodologies as the future of circular economy in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine;
3. Explore the multi-valorization of human tissue waste as a source of cells and extracellular matrix for a progressive regenerative medicine.
Specific themes:
• Sustainable Biomaterials: Biomass and Waste-derived Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine: Recent progresses in biomaterials sources from wastes and environmentally-friendly polymers and its regulatory challenges.
• Sustainable Technologies and renewable feedstocks: Sustainable technologies for tissue engineering applications and renewable feedstocks as the first step for creating new biomaterials.
• Environmentally-friendly Scaffold-based Strategies: Sustainable scaffolding techniques and designs.
• Human Tissue Waste as a Source of Cells and Extracellular Matrix: Valorization of human tissue waste from surgical resections, liquid waste and blood waste as a sustainable source of cells and ECM for tissue engineering applications.
• Sustainable cell culture systems and cell-signaling compounds: Novel cell culture systems and approaches to improve sustainability in cell culture laboratories: Non-animal cell culture media, cell culture subtracts, biomolecules (i.e. bioactive ions, plant-based exosomes and non-protein molecules for triggering cell differentiation) and renewable cell culture consumables.
• Bio-Functional and Sustainable in vitro Models: Applied biotechnologies for sustainable tissue engineering systems and in vitro models.
• Sustainable Implantable Devices and Drug Delivery Systems: Sustainable tissue engineering as a progress towards clinical and commercial applications.
Keywords: Sustainability, Environmentally-friendly, Waste, Recycling, Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering, Regenerative Medicine
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