Regeneration and Tissue Microenvironment

The human body is composed of trillions of cells, which, despite sharing the same genetic material, differentiate into different cell types. For a long time, scientists have been fascinated by the enigma of cell fate determination, which is thought to be a complex process involving epigenetic mechanisms that modulate gene expression and consequently cellular phenotypes. Evidence from a series of investigations across time suggests that the tissue microenvironment, which comprises mainly surrounding nearby cells, insoluble extracellular matrix, and soluble signaling molecules, representing a synergistic architecture varying from tissue to tissue, is a key modulator of cellular differentiation. Thus, manipulating the tissue microenvironment is of central importance in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, which encompasses a developing branch of medicine with the objective of replacing, engineering, or regenerating human cells, tissues, or organs to restore or reestablish normal function. The identification and understanding of the precise roles of the different players in the tissue microenvironment and unraveling the minimal and exact set of biophysical and biochemical cues required to modulate specific signaling pathways guiding cell behavior are expected to result in major advancement in the field of regenerative medicine for the treatment of complex pathologies. While a comprehensive review of all the related information concerning cell fate determination is beyond the scope of discussion, this book chapter will particularly focus on the different aspects of the tissue microenvironment and its involvement in cellular differentiation and regeneration.