It is of great interest for materials scientists to study wet biological adhesives as inspiration for synthetic adhesives that can perform well in wet conditions. A compelling example is given by the adhesive proteins secreted by marine mussels, which have inspired the development of synthetic polymer adhesives and coatings for adhesion to wet surfaces. Mussel byssal proteins contain high levels of the amino acid 3,4-dihydroxy-L-alanine (DOPA), which has a catechol functional group that is believed to contribute to both the interfacial adhesive and bulk mechanical performance of the tissue. In this talk, I will review what is known about the function of DOPA in the mussel byssus and describe our ongoing efforts focused on exploiting catechol-containing polymers to solve practical problems in wet adhesion. Emphasis will be placed on bioinspired adhesives, hydrogels and coatings for tissue repair. Recently, we have begun to combine bioinspired tissue adhesives with a releasable pro-regenerative drug that pharmacologically upregulates the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) to enhance tissue regeneration in mammals. Our early in-vivo results suggest that combining bioinspired tissue adhesives with drug-induced regeneration can produce remarkable results in clinical situations where both tissue repair and regeneration are desired.