Figure 2.

Fundamental principles of tissue engineering applied to current progress in medicine and biology. (A) Various fields in biology, biomaterials, and medicine that span fundamental lab research and applied clinical translation. Tissue engineering is uniquely poised to enable bridging the gap between basic and applied sciences to improve human health; (B) Domino model of directing stem cell differentiation and promoting tissue-organ generation by utilizing a single, pivotal potent cue that promotes directed biological responses; (C) The switchboard model of directed differentiation of stem cells that utilizes multiple, “switch”-like cues that promote functional generation of tissues or organs. Both models can utilize soluble (biological) and insoluble (matrix) cues.