regenerative medicine

noun

: a branch of medicine concerned with developing therapies that regenerate or replace injured, diseased, or defective cells, tissues, or organs to restore or establish function and structure

Note: Regenerative medicine treatments include stem cell therapy to stimulate tissue repair and regeneration at the site of damage or the transplantation of tissues or organs made or grown outside the body.

Companies are trying to harness the [stem] cells to rebuild hearts, bone, blood and other tissues, part of a field coming to be called regenerative medicine.

—Andrew Pollack

Regenerative medicine holds promise for the treatment of degenerative and genetic diseases. One goal is to rejuvenate damaged tissue by establishing processes for the transplantation of pluripotent or multipotent stem cells, which are able to differentiate into a wide range of cell types.

—Joan C. Marini et al.

They were hailed as pioneers leading the world toward an amazing future of regenerative medicine in which doctors will make replacement parts to order. Since then, 14 other patients have received bioengineered tracheas.

—Gretchen Vogel

In an initiative to speed treatments for wounded soldiers, the U.S. Department of Defense … is entering the fast-growing field of regenerative medicine.

—Constance Holden

Examples of regenerative medicine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At Auragens Regenerative Medicine and Research Institute, regenerative medicine has become the centerpiece of a growing longevity movement, attracting A-listers and wellness obsessives seeking access to therapies unavailable at home. — Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026

Bioprinting has advanced rapidly over the past decade, raising hopes that scientists could eventually create tissues for regenerative medicine, disease research, and drug testing. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 11 July 2026

Nelson believes trials like this one are just the beginning of the future of regenerative medicine — and of a future where doctors will be able to repair brain damage. — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026

Ethical issues also include informed consent from tissue donors, the regulation of experimental therapies, the marketing of unproven stem-cell treatments, and equitable access to emerging regenerative medicines. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for regenerative medicine

• biomedicine
• telemedicine

Medical Definition

regenerative medicine

noun

: a branch of medicine concerned with developing therapies that regenerate or replace injured, diseased, or defective cells, tissues, or organs to restore or establish function and structure

Note: Regenerative medicine treatments include stem cell therapy to stimulate tissue repair and regeneration at the site of damage or the transplantation of tissues or organs made or grown outside the body.

Regenerative medicine holds promise for the treatment of degenerative and genetic diseases. One goal is to rejuvenate damaged tissue by establishing processes for the transplantation of pluripotent or multipotent stem cells, which are able to differentiate into a wide range of cell types.

—Joan C. Marini et al.

They were hailed as pioneers leading the world toward an amazing future of regenerative medicine in which doctors will make replacement parts to order. Since then, 14 other patients have received bioengineered tracheas.

—Gretchen Vogel