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ABSTRACT:
Tissue engineering is the field of functional restoration of tissue structure and physiology for impaired or damaged tissues because of cancer, disease, and trauma. The field has gained importance due to the inadequate supply of organs and tissues for patients requiring organ and tissue replacement. Research in this field continues to advance knowledge about how an organism develops from a single cell and how healthy cells replace damaged cells in adult organisms. Tissue-engineered oral mucosal equivalents have been developed for clinical applications and also for in vitro studies of biocompatibility, mucosal irritation, disease, and other basic oral biology phenomena. This paper reviews different tissue-engineering strategies used for the production of human oral mucosal equivalents, and their relative applications.
Key words: Tissue engineering, strategies, applications
Corresponding author: Sukhleen Sandhu, BDS(Intern), E mail: [email protected]
INTRODUCTION
The term "tissue engineering" was first given at a National Science Foundation (N.S.F.) in Washington D.C., in 1987. At the following N.S.F. sponsored workshop, it was defined as "the application of principles and methods of engineering and life sciences, to obtain a fundamental understanding of structural and functional relationships in novel and pathological mammalian tissues, and the development of biological substitutes to restore, maintain or improve tissue function"1 Tissue engineering has also been defined as "understanding the principles of tissue growth, and applying this to produce functional replacement tissue for clinical use." A further description goes on to say that an "underlying supposition of tissue engineering is that the employment of natural biology of the system will allow for greater success in developing therapeutic strategies aimed at replacement, repair, regeneration, maintenance, and/or enhancement of tissue function."2
Research in this field continues to advance knowledge about how an organism develops from a single cell and how healthy cells replace damaged cells in adult organisms. Dental practice has been consistently influenced by newer technologies, for example development of high-speed handpieces, modern restorative materials, or tissue engineering. Tissue engineering brings the power of modern biological, chemical, and physical science to solve real clinical problems. This should yield numerous clinical benefits in dentistry, e.g., improved treatment for intra-osseous periodontal defects; enhanced maxillary and mandibular grafting procedures, possibly even allowing lost teeth to be regrown; use of devices such as an artificial salivary gland and...