This Area will supply important technological platforms for the above areas, and is also essential for translating research findings from Area B into broad clinical application. To this end, the required conditions must be met in order to facilitate cell and tissue culture on a clinically relevant scale. In Area C, various Service Units make their expertise available in many areas (of which the following are merely examples):
• Developing and optimizing the production of growth and differentiationfactors;
• Designing bioreactor systems for cultivating/generating artificial tissue structures under controlled and reproducible conditions;
• Optimizing cultivation conditions and developing bioreactor systems for large- or clinical-scale stem cell cultivation;
• Enhancing methodological approaches to the development of analytical systems for observing stem cell growth and differentiation;
• Developing tailor-made biomatrices through surface functionalization and/or integration of microspheres as controlled release systems;
• Imaging techniques;
• Good practice (GXP): good laboratory/manufacturing/clinical practice (GLP l GMP l GCP); and
• Clinical studies.
Another research focus in Area C involves conducting various tests on the compatibility of implants and artificial tissues (such as cytotixicity, histopathological processing, genotoxicity and haemocompatibility testing).
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Report by the Area Manager (B. Schlegelberger)
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AREA C – Managers
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Prof. Dr. Brigitte Schlegelberger
MHH – Institute of Cellular and Molecular Pathology
Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover
E-Mail: schlegelberger.brigitte (at) mh-hannover.de
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Prof. Dr. Michael P. Manns
MHH – Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology
Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover
E-Mail: manns.michael (at) mh-hannover.de
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Within the REBIRTH Cluster of Excellence, the translation into clinical application of research findings from Areas A (Regenerative Biology and Related Sciences) and B (Reconstructive Therapy in Preclinical Models) is of great importance. For this purpose, Area C provides important technological platforms, such as spectral karyotyping, which enable embryonic stem cells to be tested to rule out the possibility that genetic alterations have occurred during cell culture which may carry the risk of leukaemia development. Translation involves, for instance, measuring the biocompatibility of modified cells or tissues, investigating their long-term integrity, and analysing potential toxicity, as well as studying the genetic stability of these cells. In this way, for example, testing of implants and engineered tissues can be performed. Additionally, customized biomatrices can be developed by means of surface functionalization, and conditions for large- and clinical-scale stem cell cultivation optimized. These tasks require close networking and interaction between groups from Area C and those from other Areas. Area C consists of a total of nine groups – six Service Units (SU), two Junior Research Groups (JRG) and one group supporting clinical trials. Over the last two and a half years, all projects in Areas A and B have cooperated with one or more groups from Area C. These highly constructive and interdisciplinary collaborations have resulted in numerous papers during the course of REBIRTH, which have been submitted to or already accepted by high-ranking international scientific journals. (Among them is a paper titled ‘Transplanted human cord blood-derived unrestricted somatic stem cells improve left-ventricular function and prevent left-ventricular dilation and scar formation after acute myocardial infarction’ by Ghodsizad et al., 2009.) In addition, the work groups in Area C are working together with international researchers, thus incorporating into the REBIRTH projects the high standards driven by international competition. Planned or already prepared patent applications also indicate the potential of the scientific work. Area C thus fully meets the expectations of REBIRTH and is thoroughly integrated into the long-term objective of the REBIRTH Excellence Initiative, namely to take its place as a consistent leader in the field of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.
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