Kudosteknologia

Kudosteknologia, or tissue technology, is a multidisciplinary field within regenerative medicine and biomedical engineering focused on creating, repairing, or replacing living tissues. It combines cell biology, materials science, and engineering to guide cells to form functional tissues. Central elements include living cells, biocompatible scaffolds, and signaling molecules that mimic natural tissue structure and function.

Approaches include tissue engineering (seeding cells on scaffolds and cultivating them into tissue), 3D bioprinting (layer-by-layer construction with bioinks), and scaffold-free methods such as cell sheet engineering. Scaffolds may be polymers or natural materials and often biodegrade. Decellularized donor tissues can serve as natural scaffolds. Bioreactors aid tissue maturation by delivering nutrients and mechanical cues.

Applications include cartilage and bone repair, skin substitutes for burns and ulcers, corneal repair, and cardiovascular tissue models. In research, tissue constructs and organ-on-a-chip systems support drug testing and disease study. Clinical products exist for wound care and orthopedic repair, with broader medical uses pursued.

Challenges include achieving vascularization and innervation, immune compatibility, scaling production, and meeting safety and regulatory requirements. Ethical and quality-control considerations affect translation from lab to clinic.

The field continues to advance with stem cell technologies, induced pluripotent stem cells, gene editing, and improved biomanufacturing, aiming for more complex, patient-specific tissues and eventually whole-organ engineering.