Book excerpt: In Situ Tissue Regeneration: Host Cell Recruitment and Biomaterial Design explores the body's ability to mobilize endogenous stem cells to the site of injury and details the latest strategies developed for inducing and supporting the body's own regenerating capacity. From the perspective of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, this book describes the mechanism of host cell recruitment, cell sourcing, cellular and molecular roles in cell differentiation, navigational cues and niche signals, and a tissue-specific smart biomaterial system that can be applied to a wide range of therapies. The work is divided into four sections to provide a thorough overview and helpful hints for future discoveries: endogenous cell sources; biochemical and physical cues; smart biomaterial development; and applications. - Explores the body's ability to mobilize endogenous stem cells to the site of injury - Details the latest strategies developed for inducing and supporting the body's own regenerating capacity - Presents smart biomaterials in cell-based tissue engineering applications—from the cell level to applications—in the first unified volume - Features chapter authors and editors who are authorities in this emerging field - Prioritizes a discussion of the future direction of smart biomaterials for in situ tissue regeneration, which will affect an emerging and lucrative industry