Our research and development program
Cell-based therapy solutions for tomorrow’s health
Shaping the health of the future and providing people with sustainable and effective treatment methods – that is the engine that drives our company. With this motivation and our passion for the range of possibilities offered by biotechnology, we run an extensive research and development program in close cooperation with renowned national and international partners from the clinical, university and industrial sectors. We are convinced that tissue engineering and regenerative medicine will revolutionise tissue and organ replacement – enabling effective treatment and healing methods.
Today, cartilage, bone and skin defects in particular can be successfully treated with innovative cell therapies – in the near future, it will also be possible to treat diseases of the circulatory system, the heart and other internal organs thanks to biological tissue replacement.
New therapy procedures
Modern osteoarthritis therapy
Osteoarthritis is one of the most common chronic degenerative diseases. In Germany alone, more than 400,000 artificial joints are implanted every year. Our goal is to successfully treat degenerative cartilage damage, such as occurs in osteoarthritis, in the medium term.
Biochemical and gel-based treatment
In clinical studies, we have been able to identify different marker molecules that promote degenerative changes in the joint, and thus the development of osteoarthritis, as well as hindering cartilage regeneration. Suppressing the negative effect of these messengers is a promising therapeutic approach.
However, switching off individual messengers is not enough: we want to increase the therapeutic effect by combining the anti-inflammatory and cartilage-protecting properties of our hydrogel with active substances – and thus sustainably improve the treatment of osteoarthritis.
Chronic inflammatory diseases
Chronic-inflammatory-disease
Rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis: chronic inflammatory diseases are among the most difficult diseases to treat and are often associated with a significant psychological burden. As in osteoarthritis in the inflammatory Step, the malfunctioning immune system targets the body’s own structures. This results in repeated inflammatory flare-ups with significant consequences for those affected. Immunosuppressants are often used for treatment inhibiting the functioning of the whole immune system – with serious side effects. More therapeutically sensible: targeted suppression of the immune system activated against the body’s own structures.
Mesenchymal stroma cells (MSC)
MSCs are able to suppress the activity of a variety of immune cells, which is why they are already used today for certain inflammatory conditions or potentially life-threatening overshooting immune responses. In this field, we also conduct research with MSC of different origins, MSC-identifying and sorting antibodies, and MSC-activating techniques. Similarly, the combination of MSC with our smart biomaterial for local application in
3D bioprinting
3D-printed tissue structure
3D bioprinting enables the production of three-dimensional tissue structures with pre-programmed structures and geometries. For this, biomaterials and living cells are melded into what are known as bioinks and printed with a 3D printer. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scans can be used to produce customised tissue structures for each patient.
Future tissue reconstruction
There is still a long way to go before 3D-printed organic tissue finds its way into clinics. In industrial manufacturing processes in particular, there is still a lack of uniform standards, guidelines and laws. That is why we are committed to working with B. Braun on the industrial use of bioprinters: we are a member of the VDI's “5708 Bioprinting” guideline committee and, together with partners from science and industry, we are developing a guideline for the reproducible processing of bioinks into 2D and 3D structures.