Regulation challenge of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine in China

The current regulatory status in the USA, European Union (EU), Japan, and China, associated with the clinical application of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine is presented. It is found that similar regulatory framework has been constructed in the USA and EU, in which risk-based regulatory strategy is used to determine which regulatory mode is more desirable between medical technique and medical product. Also, it is suggested that two-tier regulatory framework of medical products be constructed, with the first level built on existing and newly introduced regulatory provisions and the second technical level encompassing all the technical requirements. In China, the demarcation line between medical technique mode and medical product mode is not made clear and coherent and flexible regulatory framework has not been intentionally designed. If the recommendations concerning the desirability of regulatory framework will be adopted in China, it means the present application of medical technique mode should be reconsidered and adjusted based on the risk analysis. Furthermore, the construction of two-tier regulatory framework which is tailored to meet the demands of development of medical products of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine still remains a challenge.