Future directions: what the future holds for TERM

Abstract

TERM field promised to generate new tissues using the principles of engineering in combination with an understanding and application of the biologic sciences, defying the boundaries of biomedicine. Twenty-five years have passed with scientific, regulatory, and societal challenges, a few translational successes and new roadmaps to be explored hasten by an increasingly aging population. From the conceptual mouse with a human ear up to new biofabrication platforms and stem cell technologies, the future is now and offers great opportunities to pursue and deliver exciting solutions for failing tissues and organs.

This article overviews the developments on TERM, their impact in therapeutic strategies and society, and anticipates new realities and paradigms that will take the TERM landscape into the 22nd century.