This special issue of Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology includes much of the research presented at the recent Second International Tissue Engineering Conference. Held in Crete, Greece, as part of the Aegean Conference Series, the Second International Tissue Engineering Conference was organized by Dr. Kiki Hellman of the Hellman Group, Dr. John Jansen of the Nijmegen University Medical Center, and Dr. Antonios Mikos of Rice University. The conference brought over 150 researchers from around the world to the Knossos Royal Village Conference Center in Crete from May 22 to 27, 2005. Following along the lines of the conference program, this volume is divided into seven sections, focusing on stem cells, signals, scaffolds, applied technologies, animal models, regulatory issues, as well as specific tissue engineering strategies. Both original research papers and review papers are presented. The chapters reflect a diverse group of authors, including both clinicians and academicians. Furthermore, the issue contains - pers from Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America, demonstrating the international component of the conference. The intended audience for this issue includes researchers, advanced students, and - dustrial investigators. This issue should be a useful reference for tissue engineering courses as well as for researchers developing engineered tissues for clinical applications.
