Advances and Challenges in Regenerative Medicine: A Comprehensive Review

Humans and animals often lose tissues and organs due to congenital defects, injuries, and diseases. Unlike urodele amphibians, such as salamanders, which have remarkable regenerative abilities, the human body has limited capacity for tissue regeneration. Across the world, millions of individuals could greatly benefit if tissues and organs could be generated on demand. Traditionally, transplantation has been the primary approach for replacing damaged or diseased body parts. However, the heavy reliance on organ donation has resulted in long waiting lists, with demand far exceeding supply. The societal costs of caring for patients with organ failure and debilitating conditions are immense. In response to this challenge, scientists and clinicians are working to develop safe and reliable methods for generating tissues and organs. Advances in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering—disciplines that integrate engineering and biological principles—are making it possible to restore or even create new tissues and organs. One of the most groundbreaking innovations in these fields is three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting, which has the potential to transform regenerative medicine by enabling the fabrication of artificial tissues and organs. This review explores how recent developments in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering are advancing 3D bioprinting and how 3D bioprinting, in turn, is driving progress in these fields. However, before this revolutionary technology can be widely adopted to produce functional, organ-like constructs for regenerative medicine, several significant challenges must be addressed.