Organregeneration

Organregeneration refers to the regrowth or repair of damaged tissues or an organ, restoring structure and function. It encompasses natural regenerative processes within a tissue as well as medical strategies designed to replace lost organ mass.

Biological capacity to regenerate varies widely among organs and species. Humans show robust regeneration in the liver and skin but limited capacity in the heart or central nervous system. Some non-mammalian vertebrates, such as salamanders and zebrafish, regenerate limbs or cardiac tissue more completely.

Cellular mechanisms include proliferation of resident stem or progenitor cells, dedifferentiation or transdifferentiation of mature cells, and remodeling of the extracellular matrix. Regeneration is coordinated by signaling pathways such as Wnt, Notch, FGF, and BMP, as well as inflammatory and vascular processes.

Common targets of regenerative research include liver regeneration, skin wound healing, bone and cartilage repair, and intestinal epithelium renewal. Cardiomyocyte turnover is limited in adults, contributing to poor heart regeneration compared with neonatal hearts or some other species.

Regenerative medicine employs strategies to enhance natural repair or to replace tissue, including stem cell therapies, tissue engineering with biomaterial scaffolds, decellularized organ matrices, organoids, and gene editing. Advances in 3D bioprinting and immunomodulation support vascularized, functional tissues.

Clinical translation is advancing but uneven. Some therapies, such as skin grafts, cartilage repair, and certain liver-directed procedures, are routine or approved in places; many organ-regeneration approaches remain experimental, with barriers such as vascularization, integration, immune responses, and ethical considerations.