(Via the Business Journal). Tengion is representative of a number of efforts to commercialize the first steps in tissue engineering; building comparatively simple, smaller organs such as veins and bladders. It sounds like things are moving ahead: "Wake Forest University has signed a 'multiyear, multimillion-dollar' deal with a private firm to fund research and commercialization of Dr. Tony Atala's work in regenerative medicine. ... Under the new contract, Tengion will fund research projects that focus on blood vessel and other vascular systems and urinary organs. Tengion will receive an exclusive worldwide license or option to develop the technology that results from the research." Now that venture money is involved, with its own sense of haste and profit, we should expect to see real products emerge over the next few years.

Link: http://triad.bizjournals.com/triad/stories/2006/01/09/daily6.html