Although most definitions of Tissue Engineering encompass a wide variety of applications, in reality, the word is most frequently used in connection with procedures that repair or replace whole or parts of tissues (i.e. bone, cartilage, blood vessels, bladder, skin, muscle etc.). Frequently, the tissues involved need specific mechanical and structural characteristics to function properly. The phrase has also been used to describe initiatives to carry out particular biochemical operations employing cells inside a synthetic support system (e.g. an artificial pancreas, or a bio artificial liver). Although the terms "regenerative medicine" and "tissue engineering" are frequently used interchangeably, individuals who practise regenerative medicine emphasise the use of stem cells or progenitor cells more than tissue engineering.
