Protective Biology and Engineering

Abstract

Protective biology and engineering are an integrated discipline aiming to understand the naturally occurring protective mechanisms established through an evolution in response to environmental insults and genetic defects (protective biology), and develop and use engineering strategies and technologies to optimize protective processes against cell death in injury and disease based on the naturally occurring protective mechanisms (protective engineering). There exist systems protective mechanisms in mammals, including regional mechanisms activated in a disordered organ and distant mechanisms in non-disordered organs, both acting in coordination to support cell survival and prevent cell death in the disordered organ. However, these mechanisms are not all optimized for promptness and effectiveness. Protective engineering strategies can be developed and used to correct natural deficiencies and optimize protective mechanisms. This paper addresses the fundamental concepts and potential protective engineering strategies by using two examples of diseases—heart attack and ischemic stroke, leading causes of human morbidity and mortality.