The loss or failure of an organ or tissue is devastating. 器官、组织的丧失或衰竭是毁灭性的。
Current treatment methods include transplantation of organs, surgical reconstruction, use of mechanical devices, or supplementation of metabolic products. 现有的治疗方法有器官移植、外科重建、机械装置的应用以及代谢性产品的补充治疗。
However, the ultimate goal of transplantation should reside in the ability to restore living cells to maintain or even enhance existing tissue function. 移植的最终目的应该基于重建活细胞群以维持甚至增进现有组织的功能。
By developing replacement tissues that remain intact with bioactive properties after implantation, retaining physiologic functions as well as structure to the tissue or organ damaged by disease or trauma, tissue engineering could provide an alternative to transplantation and other forms of reconstruction.通过植入后仍有生物活性的替换组织发展，保持因病变或创伤而损害器官的生理功能和组织结构，组织工程能提供移植和其它重建方式的一种替代选择。
Skin replacement products are the most advanced, with several tissue-engineering wound care materials currently on the market worldwide. 皮肤替代产品最为成熟，最近有好几个组织工程（产商)将在全球市场经营这些材料。
The potential impact of this field is endless, offering unique solutions to the medical field for tissue and organ replacement. 这个领域的冲力是无限的，它提供了组织、器官替代领域独特的解决方法。
Tissue engineering may eventually be applied to the regeneration of diverse tissues such as the liver, small intestine, cardiovascular structures, nerve, and cartilage. 组织工程可能最终能应用于各种组织的重建，如肝、小肠、心血管结构、神经和软骨。
Work on bioartificial liver devices has been under way for several years.进行中生物人工肝装置的研究工作已经进行了好几年。
The sources of cells required for tissue engineering are summarized by three categories, autologous cells (from the patient), allogeneic cells (from donor, but not immunologically identical), and xenogeneic cells (donor form a different species). 组织工程所需的细胞源被总结为三大类，自体细胞（来源于病人)、同种异体细胞（来源于供者，但不是免疫同源的)和异种细胞（不同物种的供者)。
each category may be further delineated in terms of stem cells (adult or embryonic) or “differentiated” cells obtained from tissue, where the cell population obtained from tissue dissociation comprises a mixture of cells at different maturation stages and includes rare stem and progenitor cells. 每一类可以用术语干细胞进一步描述（成人的或胚胎的)，或从组织获得的“不同”细胞进一步描述医,学.全在.线网,站.搜集，组织分离获得的细胞群包含着不同成熟时期的细胞混合体，包括半成熟细胞和原始细胞。
Recent discoveries have indicated that stem cells of one type can transdifferentiate to repair damaged tissue of another type (i.e., hematopoietic stem cells home to infarcted myocardium and repair the tissue). 最近的发现提示一种类型的干细胞能够转分化以修补另一类型的损伤组织（这就是说，造血干细胞可植入梗死的心肌进行修复)。
Tissue engineering will remain an area of intense research. 组织工程学将保持一个富有希望的研究热园。
Advances in the areas of growth factors, stromal matrices, gene encapsulation, and gene delivery will all play a role.在这个热园中，已有进展的生长因子、间质其质、基因封闭、基因传递都将扮演一份角色。
