In this episode of Longevity Roadmap, host Buck Joffrey speaks with Dr. Jennifer Elisseeff, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University and Director of the Translational Tissue Engineering Center. The discussion explores how tissue engineering is evolving from traditional stem cell approaches to immune-guided regenerative medicine, with implications for aging, fibrosis, and organ repair.

Key Points:

Dr. Jennifer Elisseeff shares how immune-guided regeneration is reshaping tissue engineering. She explains why senescent cells and inflammation can both help and hinder repair. The episode reveals how AI and immunotherapy are driving the next decade of regenerative medicine.

• Redefining Tissue Engineering: Once focused on scaffolds and stem cells, the field now aims to engineer the structure and function of tissues by leveraging the body’s own repair mechanisms.
• Immune System as a Regulator: Elisseeff’s team has discovered that immune cells, particularly T cells and macrophages, play a central role in tissue repair, opening new paths for immunotherapy-driven regeneration.
• Scaffolds and Biological Signals: Using tissue-derived scaffolds made from pig matrices, researchers can signal immune cells to promote healing and rebuild damaged muscle, cartilage, or joint tissue.
• Rethinking Senescent Cells: While often called “zombie cells,” some senescent cells are beneficial during early wound healing, aiding in blood vessel formation before becoming harmful if they persist.
• Toward Personalized Regeneration: Combining big data and AI, scientists are mapping cell interactions to design individualized therapies that address aging-related fibrosis, vascular decline, and tissue dysfunction.