The urgency for disruptive technologies continues to be underscored by the rising tide of chronic diseases afflicting an aging global population [1]. By 2020, chronic diseases—in particular cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and respiratory conditions—will collectively cause more than 70% of all deaths in the world [2, 3]. Moreover, among people 60 years and older, half suffer from disabilities—most frequently visual and hearing impairments, dementia, or osteoarthritis [4]. These trends, in part, reflect success in treating acute conditions, injuries, and congenital anomalies. However, the growth of an increasingly elderly population and the prevalence of age-precipitated degenerative diseases and disabilities impose a pressing mandate to decipher actionable mechanisms underlying disease susceptibility and poor outcome, and in turn develop safe and effective strategies that would limit organ dysfunction and reverse tissue degeneration. In this context, regenerative medicine aspires to repair tissues and assemble replacement organs, offering next-generation solutions in promoting longitudinal wellness while reducing the socioeconomic burden associated with chronic disease management [5].