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Tissue Regeneration And Healing : A New Standard For Healing And Repair

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1 TISSUE REGENERATION AND HEALING
Tissue regeneration has become the new standard for healing and repair. The goal of tissue regeneration is to repair and replace damaged or diseased tissue with healthy tissue that is fully functional, free of scar tissue, and completely replicates the healthy, pre-injury tissue. In contrast, the current state of tissue healing or repair often results in tissue that may be look, feel, or function differently from healthy tissue. While healing and repair are often sufficient to remedy the root symptoms of injury, full tissue regeneration remains to be the goal when treating damaged tissues.
Tissues are primarily composed of cells and extracellular matrix. Cells are the biological building blocks of tissue. They maintain the function of the tissue by synthesizing proteins or metabolizing waste. Single cells communicate with one another and respond to stimuli in their surrounding environments. Cells secrete and maintain extracellular matrix (ECM) which is the structural component of tissues. Cells interact with each other and the ECM through direct contact as well as soluble signaling molecules, including cytokines, growth factors, hormones, steroids, enzymes, and other chemicals. These signals stimulate a chain reaction or cascade which alters cell behavior, both in the releasing cell itself, as well as other neighboring cells. Cells and structural matrix (for example, cardiomyocyte) are organized to function together as a tissue (e.g.,

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