The Role of Biotech and Tissue Engineering for Humanity

With science rapidly evolving day by day, the rate of new technologies being adapted for personal and social applications has risen exponentially and has led humanity to move ahead in accord with futuristic years. We have now risen from the survival stage and have moved to the stability stage in the 3-step pyramid of life. One such area of research and development of Tissue and Organ Regeneration. Our human body consists cells which are building blocks of tissue. Tissues are the basic unit of function in the body. Groups of cells make and create their support structure. This structure is important for relaying messages which may lead to some action from the body.

Sometimes due to our voluntarily or involuntarily action they get damaged. Such as, when a person has met with a road accident, the person may have damaged their organs or tissues to a great extent and the person has a very short span in recovering these damaged parts as they form an essential part in the overall functioning of the body. It is in these scenarios where Biotech field Artificial Tissue Engineering or Regenerative Medicine research and development will help humanity evolve to the next level in the future.

Tissue Engineering is the field of study where scientists and researchers are trying to develop the concept of how to restore, support and improve damaged tissues or organs. Now it may sound as a new technology but it has been present for the past few decades through the Skin Grafting surgery i.e. using skin from one part of our/donor body to another where it is necessary most to cover these essential tissues and organs but now we are talking about regenerating portions/whole tissues by allowing group of cells to re-create/self-heal in a live environment and sustain with the help of foreign biological materials. Many researchers are now trying to develop artificial kidneys and liver along with self-healing skin tissues. Many of the serious medical issues such as Tumour and Cancer will be cured with much ease with the rise of this technology. The future sure does look promising!

It is still a primitive technology and has a long way to go as graphed by Gartner in the hype cycle 2018, it is still at the starting point of the Innovation Trigger and they expect more than 10 years for this technology to reach the Plateau of Productivity. It is now slowly booming to form its big mark on the bio-pharmaceutical industry space with many big MNCs such as GE Healthcare and Microsoft investing a huge amount of talent and capital on the research and development of this technology to find suitable solutions for the survival necessities for humanity.

Personal Reflection

I believe the biotech domain will have a major role to play in each individual's life in the upcoming years, and tissue engineering is one such area of technology which will help humanity preserve and have a stable life, but at the moment the social adoption is one another side of this coin to look at. With big pharmaceutical companies exploiting the market with high rates and charges, it would not be common to see much of its widespread practical application anytime soon.