The Ethics involved in the Role of Tissue Engineering in the Management of Ligament and Tendon Injuries

Two years ago, the Tissue Engineering International and Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS) awarded my research group a large grant to design and develop stem cell derived replacement tissue for ligaments and tendons in the body. According to an article I recently read, “What We Should Know Before Using Tissue Engineering Techniques to Repair Injured Tendons: A Developmental Biology Perspective”, “In the United States, about 45% of the 32.8 million musculoskeletal injuries each year involve tendons and ligaments” [1]. This means that 14.76 million people each year in the United States need treatment for these types of injuries. The limitations of current treatments have led to an increased urgency for better treatment options for tendon and ligament injuries. Knowing these facts, my research team was excited to begin our research to engineer replacement tissues for ligament and tendon reconstructions. This was an opportunity for our team to really impact millions of people’s lives. If our research is successful, it could lead to many new advancements in the field of tissue engineering. The possibilities in this field hold “tremendous promise of curing disease or accidental body damage” [2]. Advancements made in tissue engineering of ligaments and tendons could lead to breakthroughs in tissue engineering of other parts of the body, ultimately altering modern medical practices. My team’s research could advance the concept of applying the principles of engineering to medical science to generate living tissue and organ replacements.