Opening General Session: Technology and Innovation: Regenerative Medicine and 3D Printing

Sunday Session, 8–10 a.m.
Program Track: Imaging and Emerging Technologies

Moderator: Jeanne M. Salcetti
Speaker: Anthony Atala, MD

Patients with diseased or injured organs may be treated with transplanted tissues. There is a severe shortage of donor organs and tissues, which is worsening yearly due to the aging population. Regenerative medicine and tissue engineering apply the principles of cell transplantation, material sciences, and bioengineering to construct biological substitutes that may restore and maintain normal function in diseased and injured tissues. Stem cells may offer a potentially limitless source of cells for tissue engineering applications and are opening new options for therapy. Recent advances that have occurred in regenerative medicine will be reviewed. Applications of these new technologies that may offer novel therapies for patients with tissue injury and organ failure will be described.

Educational Objectives:
• Describe the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
• Explain some of the current research applications in regenerative medicine.
• Discuss some of the current clinical applications in regenerative medicine.