Editorial
Daniel J. Gould
Abstract
Tissue engineering as a field is rapidly developing in order to provide new scaffolds, tissues and organs or\r\ndevices to replace or supplement function. One key limitation within tissue engineering is the need for rapid perfusion\r\nand microvascularization of implanted tissues. Many investigators are currently focused on the rational design of\r\nangiogenic tissue engineering scaffolds which can induce the formation of a microvascular host response. This\r\ncontribution is critical to the field because recently developed tissue engineering products for use in humans lack\r\nmicrovascularization. These successfully engineered thin tissue components include cartilage, bladder and cornea.\r\nThe lack of microvascularization limits the types of tissue replacements that can be engineered. In order to better\r\nunderstand the need for microvascularization, a basic discussion on the demand for tissue engineering, an overview\r\nof current strategies employed by tissue engineering and some successes and challenges within the field must first\r\nbe presented.