Evidence-based evaluation of publications on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

The performed study gives a literature review of preclinical and clinical publications on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Furthermore, an overview of the clinical application of these processes is given. The literature research was based on different electronic media, e.g. Medline of the National Library of Medicine. The quality assessment of this study was performed by standardized, evidence-based criteria. Studies were analyzed regarding the clinical area of application, organ systems, tissue types, level of evidence, cell types and release date. Since 1989, the number of publications in the field of tissue engineering has increased dramatically. The articles deal predominantly with three tissues (skin, bone or cartilage). Even if the number of clinical studies is increasing, there is still a lack of clinical studies with a high level of evidence. The research has moved from preclinical research to the field of applied medicine. There is a need for strategically planned clinical trials to establish clinical guidelines for this field.