Description of tissue regeneration may date back to the Greek mythology, where Prometheus is punished by Zeus for stealing from Mount Olympus the sacred fire for humankind. The myth describes a vulture that feasts from an open wound in the liver, yet the liver renews daily, demonstrating a unique capacity to regenerate. The concept of regeneration is commonly observed, but often unappreciated in daily medical practice. The rapid healing of skin cuts and abrasions exemplifies natural repair processes in which new tissue formation is derived from multiple stem cell populations, including epidermal, mesenchymal, neural crest-derived, and circulating stem cells. The capacity for regeneration is particularly evident in the young, in comparison to those with degenerative diseases or the elderly who typically are stress intolerant. Repair mechanisms remain, however, active even in advanced senescence as elderly patients can heal well after major surgical injuries. This active, self-reparative process of regeneration throughout the lifespan establishes the essential elements for the maintenance of tissue homeostasis and serves as the basis for the emerging field of therapeutic repair and stem cell-based regenerative medicine.

The evolution of pharmacotherapy toward reparative paradigms exploits the growing understanding of disease pathways and natural repair mechanisms to discover, validate, and ultimately, apply stem cell therapeutics targeted to the cause of disease. The multidisciplinary and complementary sciences of molecular medicine, bioengineering, and network biology have catalyzed the growth of stem cell applications. Tailored to the genetic and molecular profile of the individual patient, regenerative medicine integrates stem cell biology with personalized therapeutic, diagnostic, prognostic, and preventive solutions across human diseases, providing a cornerstone of modern individualized medicine practice.