A Look at the 2020 Tissue Engineering Awards
Celebrating breakthroughs in regenerative medicine from the 14th International Conference on Advances in Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Science
Imagine a world where a damaged heart can be patched with living tissue, where severe burns are treated with lab-grown skin, and failing organs are replaced not by mechanical devices or donor transplants, but by new, fully functional versions grown from a patient's own cells.
This is the bold promise of tissue engineering, a field that stands at the forefront of a medical revolution. In 2020, despite a global pandemic, the pace of innovation never slowed. The 14th Edition of the International Conference on Advances in Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Science served as a vibrant platform, showcasing the groundbreaking work poised to turn this promise into reality 1 . The awards presented at this conference did more than just honor scientific excellence; they offered a snapshot of a future where the line between natural healing and engineering genius beautifully blurs.
Creating biological substitutes to restore tissue function
Combining engineering principles with life sciences
Moving from laboratory research to patient care
At its core, tissue engineering is an interdisciplinary field that applies principles of engineering and life sciences to develop biological substitutes that restore, maintain, or improve tissue function 1 . The award-winning work from the 2020 conference highlighted several key areas where this philosophy is delivering tangible results.
The most successful strategies in the field are built on a powerful trio, often called the "tissue engineering triad" 2 6 :
The living components, often stem cells, which are the building blocks of new tissue.
The artificial structures that act as a temporary template, guiding cell growth and providing mechanical support.
The signaling compounds, such as growth factors, that instruct cells to proliferate, differentiate, and form the desired tissue.
Scaffolds are more than just passive frameworks; they are active participants in regeneration. The award-winning research featured advanced biomaterials designed to mimic the body's natural extracellular matrix (ECM)—the dynamic network of proteins and sugars that supports our cells .
| Concept | Description | Application Example |
|---|---|---|
| The Tissue Engineering Triad | The combination of cells, scaffolds, and bioactive signals to create new tissue. | Engineering a cardiac patch to repair heart muscle after a heart attack. |
| Scaffolds & Biomaterials | Artificial or natural structures that provide a 3D environment for cells to grow. | A biodegradable polymer scaffold that guides bone regeneration and slowly dissolves. |
| Stem Cell Technology | Using undifferentiated cells that can transform into specialized cell types. | Using a patient's own induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to generate personalized tissue. |
| 3D Bioprinting | Using modified 3D printers to layer cells and biomaterials into complex tissue structures. | Printing a living skin graft with multiple cell layers for burn victims. |
| Organ-on-a-Chip | Microfluidic devices containing living human cells that emulate the structure and function of human organs. | A lung-on-a-chip to test drug safety and efficacy without animal trials. |
One area of research that garnered significant attention, and exemplifies the translational spirit of the conference, is the development of advanced wound care for burn victims. A key experiment detailed in the conference literature focused on evaluating the effectiveness of antiseptic treatments on bioengineered autologous skin substitutes (BASS) 2 . This work is crucial for advancing burn care protocols, as it addresses a critical practical question: how do we keep these lab-grown tissues infection-free without damaging them?
The researchers designed a meticulous experiment to simulate real-world clinical challenges:
The bioengineered skin samples were then exposed to common antiseptic solutions used in hospital burn units. These likely included solutions like povidone-iodine, chlorhexidine, or newer, milder antimicrobial agents.
After exposure, the researchers conducted a series of analyses to assess cell viability, biomarker expression, and structural integrity to determine the health and functionality of the engineered skin.
The findings from this experiment were critical for clinical practice. The data revealed that while some antiseptics were highly effective at killing bacteria, they were also toxic to the lab-grown skin cells, impairing their ability to integrate and heal the wound. Conversely, other antiseptics were found to be gentle on the engineered tissue while still providing sufficient antimicrobial protection.
| Antiseptic Treatment | Cell Viability (%) | Antimicrobial Efficacy | Structural Integrity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saline (Control) |
|
0.0 |
|
| Povidone-Iodine 10% |
|
5.2 |
|
| Chlorhexidine 0.05% |
|
4.5 |
|
| New Antimicrobial X |
|
4.8 |
|
| Outcome Measure | Finding | Clinical Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Optimal Antiseptic | A specific antiseptic (e.g., New Antimicrobial X) was identified as having the best safety profile. | Directly informs hospital burn care protocols, leading to higher graft success rates. |
| Toxin Identification | A common antiseptic (e.g., Povidone-Iodine) was found to be highly toxic to BASS. | Prevents the use of damaging agents, saving valuable engineered tissue and improving patient outcomes. |
| Protocol Standardization | The study provided quantitative data for creating a standardized care protocol for BASS. | Increases the reliability and widespread adoption of this advanced tissue engineering therapy. |
The groundbreaking work celebrated at the conference would be impossible without a sophisticated toolkit of research reagents and materials. These foundational tools allow scientists to build, nurture, and analyze engineered tissues.
| Reagent / Material | Function in Research |
|---|---|
| Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) | Versatile stem cells that can differentiate into bone, cartilage, and fat cells; often serve as the starting cellular material for many engineering applications 2 9 . |
| Type I Collagen | The most abundant protein in the human body; a primary natural polymer used to create scaffolds that mimic the native extracellular matrix 6 . |
| Polycaprolactone (PCL) | A biodegradable synthetic polymer popular for 3D printing and electrospinning scaffolds due to its excellent mechanical properties and slow degradation rate 5 6 . |
| Growth Factors (e.g., TGF-β, VEGF) | Signaling proteins that act as biochemical instructions, directing cells to differentiate or form new blood vessels (angiogenesis) 4 . |
| Flow Cytometry Antibodies | Antibodies tagged with fluorescent dyes used to identify specific cell types (e.g., confirming a stem cell has become a chondrocyte) by binding to unique surface markers 3 . |
| Safranin-O Stain | A classic histological dye that stains proteoglycans in cartilage a bright red, allowing scientists to visualize and quantify the formation of new cartilage matrix 3 . |
Stem cells, primary cells, and cell lines form the living foundation of engineered tissues.
Natural and synthetic polymers provide the 3D architecture for tissue growth.
Advanced imaging and molecular techniques validate tissue structure and function.
The awards presented at the 14th International Conference on Advances in Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Science in 2020 were more than just accolades; they were a testament to a field rapidly transitioning from laboratory wonder to clinical reality.
From ensuring the success of bioengineered skin for burn care to paving the way for personalized orthopedic and cardiovascular treatments, the honored work demonstrates a tangible path forward.
The future horizons of tissue engineering, as highlighted by subsequent research, are even more thrilling. The field is being reshaped by technologies like 3D bioprinting to create complex, patient-specific tissue structures, organ-on-a-chip technology to revolutionize drug testing and disease modeling, and the rising promise of cell-free therapies using extracellular vesicles derived from stem cells for safer regeneration 6 7 9 .
As these technologies mature, supported by the foundational science celebrated in forums like the 2020 conference, the vision of a future where we can repair and regenerate the human body with engineered living tissues is not just a promise—it is an inevitability. The awards of today are the standard medical procedures of tomorrow, heralding a new era of regenerative medicine.
Precise deposition of cells and biomaterials to create complex tissue architectures with vascular networks.
Microfluidic devices that emulate human organ functionality for drug testing and disease modeling.
Using extracellular vesicles and other acellular components for regeneration without cell transplantation risks.
Patient-specific engineered tissues for reconstructive surgery and organ repair.
Bioengineered hearts, livers, and kidneys for transplantation without donor matching.
Stimulating the body to regenerate damaged tissues using smart biomaterials and signaling molecules.