Tissue engineering: A promising therapeutic approach to necrotizing enterocolitis

Tissue engineering is a promising potential candidate for treating intestinal failure resulting from necrotizing enterocolitis. This requires the acquisition, preparation and implantation of autologous organoid units. This may be affected by the complexities of periods of storage of viable donor tissue and delayed implantation. This chapter addresses the development, methodology, and application of tissue-engineered intestine in the experimental and clinical setting. Tissue engineering has the potential of avoiding the inherent toxicities of intestinal transplantation and prolonged immunosuppression. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.