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Modularity in Developmental Biology and Artificial Organs: A Missing Concept in Tissue Engineering
Author(s) -
Lenas Petros,
Luyten Frank P.,
Doblare Manuel,
NicodemouLena Eleni,
Lanzara Andreina Elena
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
artificial organs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.684
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1525-1594
pISSN - 0160-564X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-1594.2010.01135.x
Subject(s) - modularity (biology) , modular design , tissue engineering , organism , architecture , computer science , biology , systems engineering , engineering , evolutionary biology , art , paleontology , visual arts , operating system , genetics
Tissue engineering is reviving itself, adopting the concept of biomimetics of in vivo tissue development. A basic concept of developmental biology is the modularity of the tissue architecture according to which intermediates in tissue development constitute semiautonomous entities. Both engineering and nature have chosen the modular architecture to optimize the product or organism development and evolution. Bioartificial tissues do not have a modular architecture. On the contrary, artificial organs of modular architecture have been already developed in the field of artificial organs. Therefore the conceptual support of tissue engineering by the field of artificial organs becomes critical in its new endeavor of recapitulating in vitro the in vivo tissue development.