Wound Healing and Tissue Regeneration 
Research at PCOM

Tissue regeneration research focuses on finding ways to help the human body repair and replace damaged tissues. Tissues are groups of cells that work together to perform specific functions in our bodies such as our organs and muscles.

Researchers are studying different approaches to enhance tissue regeneration including:

• Stem cells - These are special cells that can develop into a variety of types of cells in the human body. Scientists are learning how to guide stem cells to grow into specific tissues and organs, so they can be used to replace damaged ones.
• Biomaterials - Biomaterials are artificial materials such as metals or polymers that can be implanted into the body to provide structural support and promote tissue growth. These materials can act as scaffolding for new cells to attach to and grow, encouraging tissue regeneration.
• Natural signals - Another wound healing approach involves studying the processes that occur naturally in the body during tissue repair and using that knowledge to develop therapies and procedures for patient recovery.

Following an injury, finding restoration of normal architecture and function is a complex process involving the growth of new cells that clear dead tissue and facilitate wound healing.

PCOM researchers dissect the events leading to normal and abnormal wound healing and tissue regeneration in the liver, skin, heart, nervous system and eyes, with the purpose of developing treatments that promote the restoration of function.