Regenerative engineering and bionic limbs

Abstract

Amputations of the upper extremity are severely debilitating, current treatments support very basic limb movement, and patients undergo extensive physiotherapy and psychological counselling. There is no prosthesis that allows the amputees near-normal function. With increasing number of amputees due to injuries sustained in accidents, natural calamities and international conflicts, there is a growing requirement for novel strategies and new discoveries. Advances have been made in technological, material and in prosthesis integration where researchers are now exploring artificial prosthesis that integrate with the residual tissues and function based on signal impulses received from the residual nerves. Efforts are focused on challenging experts in different disciplines to integrate ideas and technologies to allow for the regeneration of injured tissues, recording on tissue signals and feed-back to facilitate responsive movements and gradations of muscle force. A fully functional replacement and regenerative or integrated prosthesis will rely on interface of biological process with robotic systems to allow individual control of movement such as at the elbow, forearm, digits and thumb in the upper extremity. Regenerative engineering focused on the regeneration of complex tissue and organ systems will be realized by the cross-fertilization of advances over the past thirty years in the fields of tissue engineering, nanotechnology, stem cell science, and developmental biology. The convergence of toolboxes crated within each discipline will allow interdisciplinary teams from engineering, science, and medicine to realize new strategies, mergers of disparate technologies, such as biophysics, smart bionics, and the healing power of the mind. Tackling the clinical challenges, interfacing the biological process with bionic technologies, engineering biological control of the electronic systems, and feed-back will be the important goals in regenerative engineering over the next two decades.

Mesenchymal stromal cells’ role in tumor microenvironment: involvement of signaling pathways

“…However, their therapeutic use is entangled with critical ethical issues and uncontrolled proliferation, leading to teratoma formation in vivo ; moreover, the latter issue remains unsolved even with the use of alternative technologies aimed at achieving embryonic stem cell-like cells, such as induced pluripotent stem cells 14 , 15 . Consequently, adult stem cells have rapidly become the main tool in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering because of their high proliferative and differentiation properties, easy collection, and weak immunogenicity 16 - 20 .…”

Catastrophic Talar Bone Loss from High Velocity Trauma Treated with Structural Tricorticate Fibula Autograft, Compression Frame and Midfoot Distraction Arthroplasty

“…Solutions to solve the catastrophic bone loss are limited. Amputation and prosthesis are an alternative solution, but they have poor outcomes as they don't allow normal full functions of the limb and expensive along with low integration rates [27]. The patient was also against amputation and prosthesis to not affect their quality of life and be able to return to work.…”

The convergence of nanotechnology‐stem cell, nanotopography‐mechanobiology, and biotic‐abiotic interfaces: Nanoscale tools for tackling the top killer, arteriosclerosis, strokes, and heart attacks

“…A more reliable conclusion of interference will fill the gap by proposing a better method for preparing nanomaterials and nanoparticles that were used for clinical applications of regenerative remedies. [ 83 ] A small hiatus in any adopted aspect creates hurdles; hence, there is a need to explore every element of pertinent pathways and associated mechanisms inherent in the nanodevices‐stem cell communication. This fulfillment will facilitate the full exploitation of nanomaterials in stem cell therapeutics.…”