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

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

Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above

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