History of regenerative medicine: looking backwards to move forwards

Abstract

If the song by the international popstar Sting is to be relied upon, ‘History will teach us nothing’. At the risk of contradicting a one-time schoolteacher, I believe the reverse is true for regenerative medicine. In fact, I think we dismiss the past at our peril. In this review, I aim to trace the history of regenerative medicine to date. I will examine parallels with other areas of medicine and show how commercial, technical and socio/economic factors have influenced the pace and direction of the sector’s evolution. I will discuss how, by learning from the past, those involved in regenerative medicine are reinventing their sector for the better. In conclusion, I will evaluate the current state of the industry, suggest what the future may hold and explain why I believe regenerative medicine is about to ‘come of age’.