Animal models for the evaluation of tissue engineering constructs

Abstract

In the last decade, tissue engineering has attracted a considerable amount of attention in medical research. Obviously, tissue-engineered constructs need to be tested for their safety and efficacy before they can be used in the daily clinic. At present, animal models offer the best possibility to do so. Each medical specialty favors its own specific model to test tissue-engineered constructs. This chapter focuses upon the different animal models used in dentistry for the evaluation of tissue-engineered constructs in periodontal and bone regeneration. Various models ranging from small animals, like mouse and rat, to the larger animals, such as dog and nonhuman primates are described