Tissue engineering and bioreactor technology
The term tissue engineering refers to the cultivation of tissues (e.g. skin, cartilage, bone) in the laboratory. To treat larger defects that the body can no longer heal itself (defects of critical size), the patient's own (autologous) tissue is often transplanted, which has been removed from another part of the body. The idea of tissue engineering is to be able to dispense with such transplants and still provide the patient with optimally functioning autologous tissue. For this purpose, cells are removed from the patient and multiplied in the laboratory. Depending on the type of tissue, the cells are then seeded onto a three-dimensional carrier material and differentiated into the desired tissue - so much for the theory. In practice, tissue engineering presents scientists with numerous challenges: Each cell type has special properties and needs, functional tissues only develop when cells differentiate (i.e. specialize in certain functions), different cell types differentiate into different tissues and not every carrier material is suitable for every tissue type. Kerstin Reimer's laboratory is working on these challenges. One focus is the use of fat stem cells for tissue engineering. These cells are found in the fatty tissue of every human being. They are very easy to isolate and multiply from a tissue sample. In addition to fat, connective tissue, tendons, cartilage and bone can also be cultivated from fat stem cells. In order to differentiate into the aforementioned tissues, the fat stem cells require certain stimuli, depending on the differentiation target. These can be mechanical stresses, for example, which are applied in a bioreactor (a closed container for the sterile cultivation of cells and tissues). In addition to tissue engineering based on fat stem cells, the cultivation of artificial skin is also of great importance in Kerstin Reimer's laboratory. Among other things, spider silk and synthetically produced materials are used for this purpose.
Laminar flow bioreactor
In the field of this bioreactor technology, several international patents have already been granted for developments by the Department together with various cooperation partners. Detailed information can be found under the following external links:
https://patents.google.com/patent/US20170062645A1/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US9222074
Publications of our working group
An Y, Reimers K, Allmeling C, Liu J, Lazaridis A, Strauss S, Vogt PM (2020). Large-Volume Vascularized Muscle Grafts Engineered From Groin Adipose Tissue in Perfusion Bioreactor Culture. Journal of Craniofacial Surgery 31(2), 588-593.
Dastagir K, Dastagir N, Limbourg A, Reimers K, Strauß S, Vogt PM (2020). In vitro construction of artificial blood vessels using spider silk as a supporting matrix. Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials, 101, 103436.
Kolodziej M, Strauss S, Lazaridis A, Bucan V, Kuhbier JW, Vogt PM, Könneker S (2019). Influence of glucose and insulin in human adipogenic differentiation models with adipose-derived stem cells. Adipocyte. 8(1):254-264.
Schlottmann F, Strauss S, Hake K, Vogt PM, Bucan V (2019). Down-Regulation of MHC Class I Expression in Human Keratinocytes Using Viral Vectors Containing US11 Gene of Human Cytomegalovirus and Cultivation on Bovine Collagen-Elastin Matrix (Matriderm®): Potential Approach for an Immune-Privileged Skin Substitute. Int J Mol Sci. 20(9):2056.
Vogt PM (2017). Tissue conservation, preservation and substitution in plastic surgery. Innovative Surgical Sciences, 2(4), 163-164.
Weyand B, Israelowitz M, Kramer JM, Bodmer C, Noehre M, Strauß S, Schmälzlin E, Von Schroeder HP, Reimers K, Vogt PM (2015). Three dimensional modeling inside a differential pressure laminar flow bioreactor filled with porous media. BioMed Research International doi:10.1155/2015/320280
Weyand B, Nöhre M, Schmälzlin E, Stolz M, Israelowitz M, Gille C, von Schroeder HP, Reimers K, Vogt PM (2015). Noninvasive oxygen monitoring in three-dimensional tissue cultures under static and dynamic culture conditions. BioResearch open access, 4(1), 266-277.
Strauß S, Neumeister A, Barcikowski S, Kracht D, Kuhbier JW, Radtke C, Reimers K, Vogt PM (2013) Adhesion, Vitality and Osteogenic Differentiation Capacity of Adipose Derived Stem Cells Seeded on Nitinol Nanoparticle Coatings. PLoS ONE 8(1): e53309. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0053309
Mirastschijski U, Kerzel C, Schnabel R, Strauss S, Breuing KH (2013). Complete Horizontal Skin Cell Resurfacing and Delayed Vertical Cell Infiltration into Porcine Reconstructive Tissue Matrix Compared to Bovine Collagen Matrix and Human Dermis. Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery 132(4):861-869. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0b013e31829fe461
Weyand, B., Kasper, C., Israelowitz, M., Gille, C., von Schroeder, H. P., Reimers, K., & Vogt, P. M. (2012). A differential pressure laminar flow reactor supports osteogenic differentiation and extracellular matrix formation from adipose mesenchymal stem cells in a macroporous ceramic scaffold. BioResearch open access, 1(3), 145-156.
Strauß S, Dudziak S, Hagemann R, Barcikowski S, Fliess M, Israelowitz M, Kracht D, Kuhbier JW, Radtke C, Reimers K, Vogt PM (2012). Induction of osteogenic differentiation of adipose derived stem cells by microstructured nitinol actuator-mediated mechanical stress. PLoS ONE 7(12): e51264. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0051264
Herold C, Rennekampf HO, Ohm L, Strauß S, Linkner J, Reimers K, Allmeling C, Vaske B, Vogt PM (2012) Apoptosis in extracorporeally preserved inguinal fat flaps of the rat. Apotptosis 17(4):400-409, DOI: 10.1007/s10495-011-0682-1.
Israelowitz M, Weyand B, Rizvi S, Vogt PM, von Schroeder HP (2012). Development of a laminar flow bioreactor by computational fluid dynamics. Journal of Healthcare Engineering, 3.
Weyand B, Schmälzlin E, Stolz M, Israelowitz M, Gille C, von Schroeder HP, Reimers K, Vogt PM (2012). Application of a laser-based sensor for real-time oxygen monitoring in threedimensional tissue cultures. Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, 6.
Koch L, Deiwick A, Schlie S, Michael S, Gruene M, Coger V, Zychlinski D, Schambach A, Reimers K, Vogt PM, Chichkov B (2012). Skin tissue generation by laser cell printing. Biotechnology and bioengineering, 109(7), 1855-1863.
Koch L, Kuhn S, Sorg H, Gruene M, Schlie S, Gaebel R, Polchow B, Reimers K, Stoelting S, Ma N, Vogt PM, Steinhoff G, Chichkov B (2010). Laser printing of skin cells and human stem cells. Tissue Engineering Part C: Methods, 16(5), 847-854.
Contact person
Laboratory management
Dr. rer. nar. Sarah Strauß
Phone: 0511 532 - 8863
strauss.sarah(at)mh-hannover.de
Project management laminar flow bioreactor
Dr. med. Birgit Weyand
Phone: 0511 352 - 0