A report of the ASPS Task Force on regenerative medicine: opportunities for plastic surgery

In 2011, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) created the Task Force on Regenerative Medicine to address the Society's strong interest in the emerging field of regenerative medicine, particularly cell- and tissue-based therapies applicable to plastic surgery procedures. The Task Force's U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Workgroup is informing ASPS interactions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Engaging in dialogue with the agency to determine which research protocols will produce scientific data necessary to determine safety and efficacy for regenerative cellular therapies can allow research to be targeted to gather data that prove safety and efficacy of specific categories of therapies and/or products. This article reviews the regulatory backdrop of regenerative medicine, briefly reviews the history of regenerative medicine, and then looks at current research and potential future areas of research and clinical application. The historic ability of plastic surgeons to innovate and apply translational research positions the specialty of plastic surgery as a strong leader in clinical applications of regenerative medicine therapies.