Tissue regeneration: preclinical research and therapeutic perspectives

Continuous advancements in healthcare and the resulting increase in life expectancy have led to a rise in chronic and degenerative diseases, highlighting the need for innovative therapeutic approaches. Among these, tissue regeneration has emerged as a promising strategy to restore and enhance the functionality of damaged tissues, particularly in conditions affecting musculoskeletal health. Tissue regeneration encompasses diverse approaches, including the use of bioactive molecules to stimulate endogenous repair mechanisms and stem cell-based therapies to enhance tissue regeneration. In parallel, tissue engineering approach is playing an increasingly crucial role, especially in cases of severe injuries requiring extensive tissue reconstruction. This field leverages both traditional scaffold-based models and emerging scaffold-free approaches, such as spheroids, organoids, and organ-on-chip systems, to develop more effective solutions for tissue repair. In recent years, these complex in vitro models (ClVMs) have gained traction in biomedical research, driven by the need for more predictive, ethical, and human-relevant alternatives. These models offer innovative tools to study biological processes, disease mechanisms, and therapeutic responses, addressing the limitations of traditional in vivo approaches. However, the full integration of new approach methodologies (NAMs) as viable alternatives to animal testing requires standardized validation processes and stronger collaboration between the different stakeholders.