Regenerative medicine in society: interdisciplinary perspectives (part 1)

During the last two decades, funding bodies in many countries have financed a growing number of interdisciplinary research projects that have examined the social, ethical, regulatory, legal, economic and healthcare aspects of the regenerative medicine field. This emerging body of research has contributed to the shaping and evaluation of regulations and policies, the facilitation of public debate and engagement, and the critical reflection of the practices, limits and values through which new therapeutic strategies are translated from the lab bench to patients, healthcare systems and the market. It has also played a vital role in identifying and discussing the challenges and opportunities that result from the globalization of regenerative medicine research and the existence of regulatory, cultural and socio-economic differences between countries.