Nimesh N. Patel F.R.C.S. a1, Peter E. M. Butler M.D., F.R.C.S. a2, Lee Buttery M.Sc., Ph.D. a1, Julia M. Polak M.D., D.Sc., F.R.C.Path., F.R.C.P. a1andNeil S. Tolley M.D., F.R.C.S. a3 a1 Tissue Engineering Centre, Imperial College School of Medicine, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK a2 Department of Plastic Surgery, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK a3 Department of Otolaryngology, St Mary’s Hospital, London, UK
Tissue engineering is the development of biological substitutes for the repair and regeneration of damaged tissues. We explain the principles of this emerging field of biotechology. The present and potential applications of tissue engineering technologies in ENT surgery are then reviewed.
