Research associations
Spokesperson: Prof. Michael Manns, MHH (until 12/2018) / Prof. Arnold Ganser, MHH (since 2019)
There are still not enough donor organs available for transplantation. In addition, too many organs are lost after transplantation due to rejection and loss of function. The Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 738 is dedicated to researching the mechanisms that lead to transplant loss. The aim is to improve the long-term survival of donor organs and to conserve and optimally use the scarce resource of donor organs.
Furthermore, therapeutic alternatives to transplantation for organ failure are being researched, e.g. through cell and gene therapy procedures. Hepatocyte transplantation, in which exogenous liver cells are administered, appears very promising. They are intended to take over the detoxification function of the diseased liver during the recovery phase. This could avoid the need for an organ transplant.
Another focus of the SFB is stem cell transplantation in order to improve therapy options for leukemia patients.
Further information:
Spokespersons: Prof. Eckhard Wolf & Prof. Dr. Bruno Reichart (Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich)
The number of donor organs is not nearly sufficient to meet the high demand; the search for alternatives is urgent. This includes xenotransplantation, the transplantation of animal organs and cells into humans. So far, xenotransplantation has not been clinically tested in humans.
In the Transregio 127 Collaborative Research Center, which has been funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) since 2016, Hannover Medical School is working in an interdisciplinary team with LMU Munich and other cooperation partners to research the option of transferring pig organs, in particular hearts, to humans. Research projects are concerned with the regulation of the human immune response to xenografts, as well as with the genetic modeling of donor pigs to prevent organ rejection in humans. The xenotransplantation of pancreatic islets and donor kidneys from pigs is also being investigated.
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Spokesperson: Prof. Johann Bauersachs, MHH
The clinical research group 311 deals with repair mechanisms in severe heart and lung diseases and researches new treatment strategies. Organ support systems, e.g. mechanical pumps or artificial hearts, temporarily relieve the damaged organ and thus enable the damaged tissue to regenerate. They are also available as long-term replacements. The aim of the research network is to decipher the regeneration mechanisms and to develop new treatment strategies and therapies based on this in order to sustainably improve the quality of life of affected patients.
KFO 311 comprises eleven closely interlinked scientific projects from seven MHH Clinical Departments and Institutes. All patients treated at the MHH for heart and lung failure with a circulatory or pulmonary support system are included in a large registry study. Based on clinical data, biomaterials and the clinical course, the selection of patients and the time of implantation are to be optimized and the technical systems improved.
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Spokesperson: Prof. Axel Haverich, MHH (12/2018) / Prof. Thomas Thum, MHH/ITEM (1/2019)
The premature ageing of tissues and organs caused by various underlying diseases can have serious health consequences for patients. At the REBIRTH Research Center for Translational Regenerative Medicine at Hannover Medical School (MHH), innovative therapeutic strategies for tissue repair and regeneration in advanced organ dysfunction of the heart, lungs, liver and blood are being developed for these patients - from basic research to clinical application.
In addition to the MHH, six research partners are involved in the center. The interdisciplinary and cross-university set-up offers the prerequisites for transferring findings from basic research in the field of regenerative medicine into medical practice - for the highest possible clinical applicability of novel therapy concepts.
The research focus of REBIRTH (From Regenerative Biology to Reconstructive Therapy) is on the treatment of degenerative diseases by using the body's own regeneration mechanisms, with mechanical support systems or optimized organ replacement. Therapy options include cell and gene therapy, tissue engineering (tissue culture), cell reprogramming (iPSCs) and stem cell research.
The research network was funded as a Cluster of Excellence as part of the Excellence Initiative from 2006 to 2019. The Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony is currently funding the REBIRTH research center, which was established in 2019.
The REBIRTH active project emerged from the research network in 2011.
Further information:
The Lower Saxony Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development (NIFE) is a biomedical engineering research center of the three Hanoverian universities Hannover Medical School (MHH), the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation (TiHo), the Leibniz University Hannover (LUH) and the Laser Zentrum Hannover (LZH). The NIFE is one of the leading international centers for biomedical implant research and development. The collaboration between the MHH and the physicochemical, materials science and engineering disciplines at the LUH as well as research groups at the TiHo promotes the development of innovative implants. The focus is on implants for the cardiovascular, audio-neurological, musculoskeletal and dental fields. Since 2015, NIFE has had access to a new MHH building in the nearby Medical Park.
The demand for implants to replace lost organ functions is high and constantly growing, not least due to an ageing society. Functionality and biocompatibility of the implants are of paramount importance to patients, as foreign body implants can lead to intolerance reactions, material fatigue, infections and other complications. At NIFE, scientists are working on innovative solutions across disciplines. The aim is to develop implants with optimal biological function and lifelong durability.
Main research areas:
- Tissue engineering
- Biohybrid implants
- Biofunctionality and functionalization
- Implant-associated infections
You can find more information here.
Spokesperson: Prof. Tobias Welte, MHH
Chronic lung diseases are among the most common chronic diseases and are associated with a high reduction in quality of life. Until now, their treatment options have been limited.
Since 2011, Hannover Medical School (MHH) has been one of five sites of the German Center for Lung Research (DLZ), which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). In the joint network BREATH(Biomedical Researchin Endstage AndObsTructiveLung Disease Hannover) with the Fraunhofer Institute of Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Leibniz Universität Hannover and the CAPNETZ STIFTUNG, the focus is on the translation of findings from basic research into the Clinical Department.
The MHH has one of the largest lung transplant centers in the world. The treatment of end-stage lung diseases is one of the clinical research focuses of the DZL site at the MHH. To this end, innovative therapy options are being researched and developed, e.g. the "artificial lung" ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) and the perfusion of donor lungs prior to transplantation.
The Hannover Unified Biobank (HUB), a standardized biobank, collects biological samples from the DZL that are used for research projects at the DZL sites.
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Speaker: Prof. Anette Melk, MHH
Training young scientists is a primary goal of the MHH. Funding is available for young physicians interested in science within the framework of "Clinician Scientists" programs, which aim to combine scientific activity and clinical training. Talented young scientists are offered scholarships that give them the freedom to conduct experimental research.
The "CORE 100 Pilot" program, which is funded by the state of Lower Saxony and the Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation, offers several scholarships for physicians who have completed specialist training in the fields of transplantation, artificial organ support and regenerative medicine. Young, scientifically interested specialists receive funding over a period of three years and are released from their daily clinical routine by 50 percent in order to advance their research projects in the above-mentioned subject areas.
Further "Clinician Scientist" programs:
Spokesperson: Prof. Lars Pape (formerly MHH/now Essen) / Prof. Mario Schiffer (formerly MHH/now Erlangen)
Kidney transplantation is a successful treatment procedure. Longer life expectancy and higher quality of life are advantages compared to dialysis. However, the long-term results of transplantation are not satisfactory. In the first three years, around eight percent of transplants lose their function; after five years, transplant failure increases steadily. By optimizing aftercare following kidney transplantation, the NTx360° project aims to improve graft and patient survival and prevent complications and organ rejection in order to further improve the quality of life of transplanted patients and save costs in the long term.
Especially for young transplant patients who move from care in the pediatric clinic to the adult clinic, there are gaps in aftercare, partly due to the distance to the outpatient clinic or practice, which jeopardizes the regular intake of immunosuppressants.
This is where the NTx360° project comes in, strengthening the motivation and personal responsibility of patients and involving registered nephrologists more closely in the aftercare of patients.
An electronic case file makes relevant findings accessible to patients and the physicians treating them. Telemedical aftercare appointments enable continuous aftercare. Additional sports medicine services offer tailored training programs that are monitored by telemedicine. Patients are also offered psychosocial support, which deals with adherence to treatment, among other things.
The NTx360° innovation project was completed in 2020; the evaluation is due to be completed in 2021. A continuation of the aftercare project and an expansion to the other organ areas (liver, heart, lungs) in the Transplant Centre is planned.
Regular exercise stops cell ageing, protects against chronic diseases and maintains transplant function. Scientists at Hannover Medical School have proven the importance of exercise for prevention in several studies. In the studies, both adults and children benefit from the positive effect that physical activity has on regeneration and performance. In animal experiments, exercise prevented arteriosclerosis in transplanted mice. In heart transplant patients, too, the occurrence of vascular damage was reduced or halted after transplantation. The study results were published in renowned journals such as "Lancet Public Health".
The first studies were initiated in 2011 as part of the REBIRTH Cluster of Excellence. In 2017, REBIRTH active became an integral part of the telemedical aftercare project "NTx 360 Grad" funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Since 2017, there has also been a cooperation with the company health insurance fund AudiBKK, which supports both in-house studies at the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg and the current REBIRTH active school studies.
rebirth-active GmbH emerged from the initiative in 2016.
Further information:
REBIRTH active school - Innovation Land Lab