Medicinal Plants in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine in the African Continent

Abstract

Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine therapy is still in a very early phase in the African continent, despite the significant progress that has been made in many parts of the world. Although South Africa's position in the world competitiveness scale has improved, there is an urgent need for a skilled and technically sophisticated workforce to be developed in the African continent. The existence of traditional and complementary medicine is known to be a fertile ground source of Western Medicine and Africa is rich with medicinal plants. Lack of tissue and organ shortages have been identified as a major public health challenge. Organ transplantation has been an evolving specialty for a number of decades and most solid organ transplantation has become an accepted and viable treatment option for end-stage organ failure. Allogeneic and/or autogenic osteochondral transplants have also been used to repair damaged tissues. However, these approaches have several disadvantages, which include difficulty in maintaining tissue viability, the small amount of cartilage available in the body for transplantation to other sites, the potential for disease transmission, and the creation of a new wound at the autograft donor site. Natural products do not have the disadvantages mentioned earlier. This offers novel and alternative treatment opportunities for fracture healing, bone and cartilage regeneration. Africa is also rich in native flora that is currently tapped as medicine by traditional healers. Taken together, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine using medicinal plants have the potential to resolve the transplantation crisis caused by a shortage of donor tissues and organs. The future of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering relies on the ability of scientists to work together with the clinicians in coming up with innovative idea using medicinal plants to advance the field.

Impact Statement

Medicinal plants are used by various traditional healers to alleviate the signs and symptoms associated with numerous diseases such as osteoarthritis, asthma, cancer, heart disease, tuberculosis, swollen ankles, bone fracture, malaria, convulsion, piles, hypertension, typhoid fever, diabetes, and anemia. Our research is relevant to communities that rely solely on traditional medicine for their well-being.