A blueprint for translational regenerative medicine

The past few decades have produced a large number of proof-of-concept studies in regenerative medicine. However, the route to clinical adoption is fraught with technical and translational obstacles that frequently consign promising academic solutions to the so-called "valley of death." Here, we present a proposed blueprint for translational regenerative medicine. We offer principles to help guide the selection of cells and materials, present key in vivo imaging modalities, and argue that the host immune response should be considered throughout design and development. Last, we suggest a pathway to navigate the often complex regulatory and manufacturing landscape of translational regenerative medicine.