Guided regeneration via embedded intelligence of engineered endosymbionts

Guided regeneration via embedded intelligence of engineered endosymbionts Christopher H. Contag explores how tissue regeneration involves organized interactions beyond just cell replacement, highlighting two emerging technologies – engineered endosymbionts and spatial biology – that are transforming the field. Tissue regeneration and regenerative medicine are often framed as a problem of cellular replacement, but tissues are not mere collections of cells, rather they are spatially organized, dynamically regulated systems whose function emerges from coordinated multicellular interactions. Successful repair requires more than proliferation; it demands positional instruction, temporal control, immune orchestration, metabolic alignment, and architectural fidelity. Despite decades of progress in stem cell biology and gene therapy, regenerative medicine remains largely open-loop: we deliver cells, factors, or genes and hope for appropriate responses.