STKE Focus Issue on the Bionic Human: The Molecular Signaling of Tissue Repair

Abstract

The prospect of replacing injured or diseased human cells, tissues, and organs with their normal counterparts lies at the evolving interface between two disciplines--biological science and applied engineering. The special issue in Science magazine on the Bionic Human (http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/295/5557/995 and http://stke.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/vj_sci;295/5557/995) highlights current state-of-the-art technologies that are revolutionizing the development of prosthetic devices and engineered tissues, bringing this clinical goal ever so closer. This issue of the STKE expands on several of these topics, revealing why a fundamental understanding of cell signaling remains at the heart of many of these technological advances.