We envision that REBIRTH will reach the following goals:

1. to form a centre for basic and translational studies on stem cells and tissue engineering in hematopoietic, cardio-vascular, respiratory and hepatopancreatic medicine, leading to innovative therapeutic strategies

1. to create an internationally renowned major player in the design and implementation of regenerative clinical studies with a strong emphasis on biosafety and predictability

1. to realise trans- and intrainstitutional networking by forming dual leaderships of clinical departments and technical/naturalscientific institutes with a regenerative focus

1. to strengthen our position as an attractive national and international networker, characterized by an interdisciplinary culture of open-minded, hypothesis-driven and innovative research.

Our overall objective is to establish an internationally renowned interdisciplinary research centre for regenerative sciences, primarily targeting diseases of heart, respiratory system, liver and blood. This leads to three major goals:

Goal 1. Understanding the interplay of epigenetic reset and molecular programming:

A major goal of this proposal is to reveal the molecular mechanisms of “reprogramming” and to develop novel therapeutic perspectives based on this knowledge. The potential availability of recombinant “reprogramming agents“ may allow to design approaches for partial reprogramming, which might be fully sufficient for therapeutic purposes while circumventing technical issues related to micromanipulation of single cells, and ethical issues related to the induction of totipotency. Conversely, we also examine mechanisms underlying the induction of commitment and differentiation following ectopic expression of transcription factors, modifications of signal transduction pathways, and alterations of cell cycle functions.

Goal 2. Dissecting intrinsic and milieu-dependent mechanisms of regeneration:

Holistic concepts that consider intrinsic forces of genetics and extrinsic impulses of the milieu will generate innovative hypotheses to explore the context-dependence of regeneration in the developing, diseased or ageing organism. Similar programmatic studies are likely to reveal key insights into the potential context-dependence of stem cell behaviour in terms of phylogeny and ontogeny. Novel technologies in the fields of nanoengineering, chemistry and biomechanics will greatly expand our abilities to modify cell behaviour in regenerative processes.

Goal 3. Developing therapies with regenerative agents, engineered cells and tissues:

Eventually, the success of REBIRTH will be determined on the basis of carefully designed and innovative therapeutic trials. We aim to further expand our successes in establishing therapeutic paradigms by identifying novel recombinant growth factors, developing innovative applications for their clinical use and by designing advanced cell therapy using novel cell sources. Moreover, we will strongly contribute to both polymeric and biological scaffold design and engineering of bioartificial tissue and functionalized implants, primarily for heart and respiratory tract. Finally, we want to achieve the highest possible quality in the preparation and conduct of clinical trials, and the prevention of side effects of advanced therapeutics.


The specific work programme of REBIRTH thus covers a broad interdisciplinary spectrum of basic, preclinical and clinical disciplines, and converts these three strategic goals into defined specific aims.