Concise Review: Organ Engineering: Design, Technology, and Integration

Engineering complex tissues and whole organs has the potential to dramatically impact translational medicine in several avenues. Organ engineering is a discipline that integrates biological knowledge of embryological development, anatomy, physiology, and cellular interactions with enabling technologies including biocompatible biomaterials and biofabrication platforms such as three‐dimensional bioprinting. When engineering complex tissues and organs, core design principles must be taken into account, such as the structure‐function relationship, biochemical signaling, mechanics, gradients, and spatial constraints. Technological advances in biomaterials, biofabrication, and biomedical imaging allow for in vitro control of these factors to recreate in vivo phenomena. Finally, organ engineering emerges as an integration of biological design and technical rigor. An overall workflow for organ engineering and guiding technology to advance biology as well as a perspective on necessary future iterations in the field is discussed. Stem Cells 2017;35:51–60 Organ engineering offers tremendous promise for regenerative medicine on multiple fronts, including transplants for patients and improved preclinincal diagnostic modeling. This review encompasses integrative approaches in engineering in an accessible manner. In addition to its core subject, improved culture systems are discussed which could benefit biologists across fields, not just stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.