Research Focus

Regenerative Medicine & Biomechanics

Area of Research

Production of cellular transplants based on autologous cells and porous 3D scaffolds, for the repair of cartilage and bone tissue as well as complex osteochondral injuries.

Approved Research Projects

2021 – 2025 Regenerative Surgery (Innovation Fokus, University Hospital Basel), Ongoing

2019 – 2024 From Epigenetics of Cranial Neural Crest Plasticity to Intervertebral Disc Regeneration. (ERC Synergy grant by the EU), Ongoing.

2019 - 2023 Advanced technologies for drug discovery and precision medicine: in vitro modelling human physiology and disease. (Marie Curie grant by the EU),Ongoing.

2019 – 2023 Direct 3D Bioprinting strategies to study articular cartilage development and regenerative therapy for osteoarthritis. (Indo-Swiss program by SNF) Ongoing.

2018 – 2022 Bio-ECM (Bone graft material based on Extracellular matrix from a cell line enriched in growth factors. (AO Research Foundation, Developmental Incubator program), Ongoing.

2018 – 2023 Engineering of cell-free Extracellular Matrices enriched with osteoinductive and immunomodulatory factors to enhance bone healing. (Swiss National Science Foundation grant), Ongoing.

2015 – 2019 Bioengineered grafts for cartilage healing in patients (BIO-CHIP). (Horizon 2020 by the EU), Complete.

Collaborations

National Collaborations

Prof Andrea Barbero (DBM), Cartilage Engineering Group.
Prof Arnaud Scheberich (DBM), Bone Regeneration Ggroup.
Prof Dirk Schaefer (USB),Chefarzt Plastische, Rekonstruktive, Ästhetische Chirurgie und Handchirurgie.
PD Marcus Mumme (UKBB), Kaderarzt, Orthopädie und Traumatologie.
Prof Martin Haug (USB), Leitender Arzt, Plastische, Rekonstruktive, Ästhetische und Handchirurgie.
Prof Stefan Schaeren (USB), Chefarzt Spinale Chirurgie.
Prof. Dr. med Marcel Jakob, ( Cross Klinik Basel, Basel),Team Orthopedics.
Prof Florian Thieringer (DBE), 3D print lab.
Prof Filippo Rijili (FMI, Basel),Transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of craniofacial group.
Prof Martin Ehrbar (University-Hospital Zürich) Laboratory for Fetal Healing and Tissue Engineering .
Prof Martin Stoddart (AO Research Institute Davos) Regenerative Orthopaedics group.

International Collaborations

Prof Sourabh Ghosh (IIT Delhi, IN) Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering.
Prof Graziella Pellegrini (University of Modena, IT), Cellular therapy group
Prof Paul Bourgine, (Lund, Sweeden), Cell, Tissue and Organ engineering group.
Prof. Steffen Koschmieder (Aachen, Gernany), Translational Hematology and Oncology
PD Dr. Oliver Pullig, (University hospital Würzburg, Germany), Laboratory for Tissue Engineering and regenerative medecine.
Dr. med Stephan Reppenhagen, (Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany),Leitender Arzt Arthroskopie und Sportorthopädie

Ongoing Research Projects

Engineered cellular grafts for regenerative surgery
Facial and tracheal cartilage reconstruction. Engineered nasal cartilage grafts, previously successfully used for reconstruction of the alar lobule of the nose, are being investigated for the reconstruction of the nasal cartilage septum after perforation (M. Haug, B.G. Kaiser). Studies are ongoing to explore the use of epithelialized cartilage grafts for the management of empty nose syndromes (S. Negoias) and/or tracheal defects (D. Lardinois)
Articular cartilage and intervertebral disc repair. Following the demonstration of feasibility and safety of nasal chondrocyte-based engineered cartilage for the treatment of knee cartilage injuries, a phase II study (total of 108 patients in 5 international centers) is ongoing to investigate efficacy (M. Mumme). Work is in progress to obtain regulatory approval (temporary authorization) and funding for the treatment of an extended set of orthopaedic indications using engineered nasal cartilage (M. Mumme). Pre-clinical studies are also exploring the use of nasal chondrocytes to engraft in intervertebral discs and block their degeneration (A. Mehrkens).
Bone repair. Treatment of humerus fractures in elderly individuals previously indicated the safety and biological functionality of stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells intraoperatively derived from autologous adipose tissue. Grafts based on SVF cells are currently being investigated for axially-vascularized bone graft prefabrication in the reconstruction of the maxilla (C. Jaquiery, T. Ismail, A. Haumer, F. Thieringer), for congenital digit defects (A. Kämpfen) and for infected long bone defects (R. Osinga, M. Clauss, M. Morgenstern).

[FG] Martin Ivan

Head of Research Unit

Prof. Dr. Ivan Martin

Projects & Collaborations