Research Networks

This Collaborative Research Centre aims to unravel the basic mechanisms that differentiate between success and failure in regeneration of musculoskeletal tissue using bone healing as a role model. Bone represents one of the very few tissues in the body that has an intrinsic capability of scar free healing. bone acts at the interface between mechanical stability and the immuneand metabolic balance from the molecular to the tissue level.

From the snapshot to the dynamic image of the spine

Lower back pain is one of the most common diseases of the musculoskeletal system. It is therefore of great medical, social and not least economic importance. The research unit aims to gain fundamental new insights into how back pain develops in order to improve diagnosis and therapy.

Bone Healing as a Model System

The Research Unit aims to understand the basic mechanisms of endogenous regeneration. It focuses in particular on the early immune response and the re-constitution of the mechanical competence with regard to aging. Bone serves a model system because it is one of the few tissues in our body that heals without any scar formation and is therefore capable to completely restore its form and function.

Mechanically Induced Osteoarthrosis

Overload-PrevOp aims to understand the early stages of mechanically induced osteoarthrosis and modulated in ordert to develop preventative strategies. By combining epidemiological and interventioanl studies, molecular and imaging markers are validated in order to earlyier identify patients at risk. With the help of preclinical sudies and computational validation methods, it will be investigated if the joint loading can be mudulated early on to slow down or even stop the progression of osteoarthrosis.  

Muskuloskeletal Cell Therapy

HIPGEN aims at bringing the first regenerative therapy for improving recovery following a surgically treated injury to market approval. The major focus of the HIPGEN are patients undergoing to total or hemiarthoplasty after hip fracture. A multi-center phase III clinical study with 240 patients will be perfomed to determine the efficacy, safety and tolerability of allogeneic PLX-PAD cells to improve recovery following arthroplasty for hip fracture.

Translation

The BCRT is an interdisciplinary research center dedicated to improving our understanding of endogenous healing processes in order to develop new diagnostics and treatments. Its research focus is on the study of disorders affecting the immune, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems. Researchers are supported with regard to business development, regulatory affairs and health economics very early on in the project to ensure that results are quickly translated into clinical practice.

Education

The Berlin School for Regenerative Therapies (BSRT) promotes the interdisciplinary research and education of doctoral candidates in biology, immunology,  engineering and material sciences. The program provides comprehensive knowledge of cell and molecular biology, bioengineering, biotechnology and biomaterials and it also offer key qualifications in areas such as scientific  presentation and writing skills, and provides training in clinical studies, economic aspects, and career planning.

Inspiration

The ECRT aims to bring together Berlin's researcher who work in the field of Regenerative Therapies. In the competition for the best ideas, Einstein Kickboxes are awarded in order to provide particularly early career scientists with the opportunity to develop their own research concepts. Researcher are given BioThinking support throughout the project development, an innovative approach to problem-solving in interdisciplinary teams that uses Design Thinking in biomedical research.