Mathematical modelling of regeneration of a tissue-engineered trachea

Abstract

One of the most promising recent achievements in the field of regenerative medicine was the first successful transplantation of a tissue-engineered trachea (Macchiarini et al. The Lancet 372(9655), 2023–2030). This land-mark operation has paved the way for developing a host of successful stem cell-based therapies for treating disease, and the exciting possibility of the tissue engineering of whole organs. It has also provided the opportunity for new directions in mathematical and computational modelling for tissue engineering. By way of describing an approach to modelling the regeneration of a tissue-engineered trachea seeded with cells in situ this chapter will highlight some of the opportunities and challenges involved in applying mathematical models to these new therapies.