Cartilage Tissue Engineering

Cartilage tissue engineering aims to repair injured and diseased tissue to restore function. Traditional approaches to engineering cartilage employ cells, scaffolds, and biological signals or growth factors, alone or in combination. Cartilage has been engineered both in vitro and directly in vivo. This research has resulted in numerous therapies in development and clinical testing, as well as some clinically approved products for treating cartilage defects. However, clinical efficacy in a broad patient population remains a challenge. Defining the impact of a diseased or inflammatory environment on cartilage tissue engineering is an area of growing interest that will lead to approaches to increase efficacy further for these new therapies. This chapter will also discuss future perspectives in the field, highlighting research into the role of the immune environment in tissue regeneration and the potential impact on cartilage.