Ocular Tissue Engineering

Abstract

In the early 1990s, tissue engineering emerged as a new concept to overcome the problem of tissue and organ failure. It proposed to supply engineered, yet biological, organ and tissue substitutes. It was anticipated that this technology would soon allow us to overcome donor shortages and graft rejection, the major limitations of tissue and organ transplantation. Tissue engineering approaches that were developed on the basis of this paradigm relied on the use of cells and stem cells, preferably of autologous origin, the application of growth factors and cytokines, the design of biodegradable scaffolds and bioreactor technology1, 2.