5.8 million Euro for Hannover's implant researchers

The Federal State of Lower Saxony is supporting a project on personalised medicine in the Lower Saxony Centre for Biomedical Technology, Implant Research and Development.

The Lower Saxony Centre for Biomedical Technology, Implant Research and Development (NIFE) has been awarded 5.8 million Euros over three years for the research consortium “Biofabrication for NIFE”. This research project is under the overall management of Hannover University Medical School (MHH), with the participation of Leibniz University Hannover and Hannover University for Music, Theatre and Media (HMTMH), and has the objective of developing future concepts for personalised implants. The medical experience of the MHH is complemented by the expertise of the Leibniz University Hannover in material and engineering sciences and the HMTMH's knowledge of communication sciences. This application was made by Professor Dieter Bitter-Suermann MD, President of the MHH, who commented: “This research initiative is unique in Europe. It strengthens Lower Saxony as a site for scientific work and is only possible because of the excellent collaboration between the Universities in Hannover.” At least 30 positions will be created for highly qualified staff, with the same number for young scientists.

 

From the clinic to the laboratory - and back

The Director of the Research Consortium is Prof. Meike Stiesch DDM, who is also Director of the MHH Department of Prosthetic Dentistry and Biomedical Materials Research. She comments: “Our research consortium has the special advantage that innovations are followed from basic research, right up to their clinical application. This means that the patient directly benefits from the research.”

 

The Consortium is focussing on personalised medicine. “The newly developed personalised implants may be solid or tissue implants and are adapted to the individual patient and the state of his tissues. For example, specific surface structuring can enhance the healing of the implant and prevent colonisation with bacteria. In this way, we can actively counteract the loss of the implant.”For Germany alone, it has been estimated that the treatment costs arising from implant infections come to several hundred million Euros annually. But there's more to this. The scientists in this project wish to improve the safety of the implants. To achieve this, they must develop consistent quality standards and improve test procedures.

 

A wide variety of scientific expertise

According to Professor Stiesch: “The problems we address arise during everyday clinical work. Our research is on issues of great medical relevance. Our research centre is unique in Germany and has the advantage that we offer an interdisciplinary combination of expertise from different areas - material sciences, engineering, chemistry and physics, as well as orthopaedic specialists, surgeons, immunologists and dentists - to help us to come to solutions. This advantage can be fully exploited in the research consortium. The most important question is always: “What is good for the patient?” According to Prof. Thomas Scheper PhD, Director of the Department of Technical Chemistry in Leibniz University Hannover: “We first develop biocompatible materials for implants, which are then coated with the patient's own cells. This is how we obtain personalised implants.” The research consortium will also cooperate with partners from industry. 

 

Support for young scientists

A graduate program for young scientists is being developed within the consortium “Biofabrication for NIFE”. According to Professor Stiesch: “We offer the graduate students structured and transdisciplinary training. This is how we train interdisciplinary specialists in biomedical technology.” In addition, the bachelor and master courses include modules on principles and advanced methods in Biofabrication.

 

How is innovative medical technology perceived?

The cooperation between communication scientists and physicians, natural scientists and engineers, is totally novel. According to Prof. Christoph Klimmt, Director of the Department of Journalism and Communication Science in Hannover University for Music, Theatre and Media: “We are really looking forward to this ambitious research project. We have two tasks. On the one hand, we want to enhance the agreement between the different interdisciplinary research groups. On the other hand, we wish to study how patients, journalists and the general public perceive Biofabrication technologies. Innovative medical technology can only be a genuine success if it is actively communicated to its target group.”

 

New research building in the Stadtfelddamm

The Lower Saxony Institute for Biomedical Technology, Implant Research and Development (NIFE), was founded in November 2008 as a joint scientific facility of the MHH, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover Veterinary School and Hannover Laser Centre, in order to concentrate expertise in implant research at a single site. Work started in December on a new building in the Stadtfelddamm. This is to cost 60 million Euro, with a total area of 13,200 square metres. The MHH contributes its expertise in research in biomedical technology, regenerative medicine and immunology / infectious diseases. Leibniz University Hannover contributes its expertise in engineering and material sciences. Hannover Veterinary School Foundation provides its skills in biological test models and Hannover Laser Centre its experience with lasers. The research workers are currently distributed over 18 departments in 8 sites in the Hannover region. Starting in 2015, 300 scientists - including 80 engineers and physicists - are to move into the new building just next to the MHH campus.

Additional information can be obtained from Prof. Meike Stiesch

DDM:stiesch.meike@mh-hannover.de Tel.: (0511) 532-4774.

 

Contacts for the participating universities:

Medizinische Hochschule Hannover

[Hannover Medical School]

Stefan Zorn

MHH Speaker and Head of Press and PR Work

Tel.: 0511 532-6773

zorn.stefan(at)mh-hannover.de

Leibniz University Hannover

Mechthild Freiin von Münchhausen

Speaker and Head of Communication and Marketing

Tel.: 0511 762-5355

vonMuenchhausen(at)zuv.uni-hannover.de

Hannover University for Music, Theatre and Media

[Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien, Hannover]

Melanie Bertram

Head of Marketing and Communication

Tel.: 0511 3100-281

melanie.bertram(at)mh-hannover.de

Responsible in the sense of the Press Law: Press and PR, MHH