Tissue Engineering for Pediatric Applications.

Severe birth defects occur in ∼ 2-3% of live-born infants and are a leading cause of death in the young. Structural malformations can occur in just about any major organ system and often their causes are unknown. The pediatric population presents a unique set of opportunities to the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM). Infants and young children have significantly greater regenerative capacity than adults, which could be leveraged in TERM strategies. Children also arguably stand to benefit the most from TERM. Although the lack of growth potential and relatively short life span of synthetic materials may be suitable for adults, it is unacceptable for children. Furthermore, given that there is a particular scarcity of pediatric donor organs, the need for living functional tissue replacements that can grow with the child is quite evident. There is enormous potential for the TERM community to address the needs of the pediatric population.