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Image: Two people in a laboratory setting running tests and scanning qr-codes; Copyright: IGTP

IGTP

Cardiac bioimplants for heart attack treatment

13.05.2024

A recent study highlights the safety and effectiveness of PeriCord bioimplants, derived from umbilical cord stem cells, for regenerating heart tissue post-myocardial infarction.
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Image: Dorsal root ganglia expressing CGRP after muscle injury; Copyright: Mikaël M. Martino

Mikaël M. Martino

Unveiling the role of sensory neurons in tissue repair

10.05.2024

Research from Monash and Osaka Universities highlights the key role sensory neurons play in tissue repair and regeneration, marking a significant advancement for regenerative medicine.
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Image: A researcher in a lab is carefully operating a 3D bioprinting machine that is used for creating bioengineered tissues; Copyright: Michelle Bixby/Penn State

Michelle Bixby/Penn State

3D-printed skin technique potentially enhances reconstructive surgery

15.04.2024

A breakthrough in reconstructive surgery may be on the horizon, as researchers develop a 3D-printed skin that integrates hair follicle precursors, leveraging adipose tissue for more natural results.
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Image: Microscopic view of human skin tissue with the top layer of epidermal cells and underlying dermal layers stained in different colors for examination; Copyright: TERM/UKW

TERM/UKW

The potential of nasal cartilage in knee joint treatment

05.04.2024

At the University Hospital Wuerzburg, a promising new treatment for knee joint defects involves the use of nasal cartilage, and it's edging closer to approval with significant EU funding. The new method is using autologous cartilage from the nasal septum, an approach that may seem as enchanting as the term "ENCANTO" implies.
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Image: Close up: orthopaedic implant made from titanium-tantalum; Copyright: NTU Singapore

NTU Singapore

Singapore: advancing 3D printing in healthcare with joint R&D lab

11.12.2023

Singapore General Hospital (SGH) patients are expected to benefit from healthcare innovations, such as customised medical devices and implants, under a collaboration with Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) to set up a Joint Research & Development Laboratory in additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing.
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Image: At the pilot plant, a 3D printer builds the scaffold from the composite material; Copyright: BellaSeno

BellaSeno

Bioactive composite supports healing of broken bones

09.11.2023

A broken bone failing to heal represents an enormous burden for patients. Fraunhofer researchers have worked alongside partners to develop a composite material to be used in the treatment of such non-union cases. The resulting implant is designed to significantly improve treatment success rates and speed up the healing process.
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Image: Diagram of synapse formation: Glowing protein shows the development of synaptic vesicles; Copyright: Barth van Rossum, FMP

Barth van Rossum, FMP

Microscopy and fluorescence show how synapses are formed

23.10.2023

How are synapses formed, those points of contact that allow the transmission of information from one neuron to the other? Working with an international team, researchers from the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) have now uncovered a crucial mechanism and elucidated the identity of the axonal transport vesicles that generates synapses.
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Image: Close-up of a boy with a healed minor cut after surgical tape stitches; Copyright: ellinnur

ellinnur

Biomaterials: toolbox for the development of bioadhesives

28.07.2023

The team of Prof. Dr. Thomas Scheibel, Chair of Biomaterials at the University of Bayreuth, has compiled a current overview of the state of research on protein-based bioadhesives.
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Image: A man with dark hair and a white shirt inspects a 3D printer; Copyright: Patrick Mansell/Penn State

Patrick Mansell/Penn State

High-speed bioprinting of bones, tracheas, organs

28.07.2023

Developing technology to quickly and efficiently bioprint human tissues at scale is the goal of a new project led by Penn State researchers. When fully developed, the technology will be the first to enable the fabrication of scalable, native tissues such as bones, tracheas and organs.
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Image: dr Jasmina Gačanin poses for the camera in a hallway; Copyright: Max-Planck-Institut für Polymerforschung

Max-Planck-Institut für Polymerforschung

Jasmina Gačanin investigates living biomaterials

20.07.2023

Dr. Jasmina Gačanin, postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in the department of Prof. Dr. Tanja Weil, has been appointed as a “Peretti-Schmucker Fellow”.
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Image: An open wound on a knee is dabbed with a cotton pad; Copyright: yanadjana

yanadjana

Mobile cold plasma device: healing of chronic and acute wounds

13.07.2023

Skin diseases, chronic wounds or postoperative wounds often greatly restrict the quality of life for those affected. Improvement or healing of these conditions is usually time-consuming and costly. Terraplasma medical GmbH, a company of the Viromed Medical Group, uses cold plasma to pursue an effective approach to wound treatment.
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Image: Graphic of a human with brain and spine, neural connections into one hand, a neuron that is stimulated by a field; Copyright: HZDR/Sahneweiß

HZDR/Sahneweiß

Magnetic stimulation: potential therapeutic approach for neurodegenerative diseases

19.06.2023

Motor neurons in healthy individuals send signals to the skeletal muscles. ALS, however, is currently an incurable, neurodegenerative disease in which motor neurons are severely damaged and can therefore no longer transmit these signals. An interdisciplinary team at HZDR has proven in cell experiments that magnetic fields can restore impaired motor neurons.
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Image: Renacer bioresorbable membrane against a black background; Copyright: K. Selsam, Fraunhofer ISC

K. Selsam, Fraunhofer ISC

Wound healing: Fraunhofer Institutes develop bioresorbable membrane RENACER

13.06.2023

Treating large-area and internal wounds and promoting their often protracted healing remains a challenging task for medicine. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research (ISC) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM) have developed the bioresorbable membrane RENACER®.
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Image: Woman with glasses and gray-brown hair, Carole Planchette, stands by a pillar; Copyright: Fotogenia - Renate Trummer

Fotogenia - Renate Trummer

Tissue Engineering: TU Graz revolutionises production of biocompatible microfibres

02.06.2023

Using a newly developed method for the efficient and cost-effective production of biocompatible microfibres, the production of autologous skin and organs can be significantly accelerated. Responsible for the development are Carole Planchette and her team from TU Graz.
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Image: The cover art illustrates ultrasound-mediated drug delivery into a biofilm-infected wound; Copyright: Ella Marushchenko

Ella Marushchenko

Breaking through bacterial barriers in chronic treatment-resistant wounds

24.05.2023

Researchers in the UNC School of Medicine's Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the UNC-NC State Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering have developed a new strategy to improve drug-delivery into chronic wounds infections.
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Image: The research team: three men and one woman pose next to a screen and a microscope; Copyright: NTU Singapore

NTU Singapore

Why wavy wounds heal faster than straight wounds

19.05.2023

Wavy wounds heal faster than straight wounds because shapes influence cell movements, a team of researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has found.
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Image: Close-up of a WFIRM gyroid-shaped construct on a blue-gloved hand; Copyright: WFIRM

WFIRM

Bioprinting research makes history when it soars to the ISS

17.05.2023

The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) will make history this month when the first bioprinted solid tissue constructs soar to the International Space Station (ISS) on board the next all private astronaut mission by commercial space leader Axiom Space.
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Image: Prof. Dr. Thomas Scheibel and Vanessa Trossmann in a laboratory for the microscopic examination of cell structures; Copyright: UBT / Chr. Wißler.

UBT / Chr. Wißler.

Regenerative medicine: cell-specific properties of novel spider silk materials

12.05.2023

Materials made of spider silk can be specifically modified or processed in such a way that living cells of a certain type adhere to them, grow and proliferate. This has been discovered by researchers at the University of Bayreuth under the direction of Prof. Dr. Thomas Scheibel.
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Image: A man in a white shirt wearing glasses - Prof. Andreas Keller, sits in his office at the computer; Copyright: Saarland University/Oliver Dietze

Universität des Saarlandes/Oliver Dietze

Exploring the molecular mechanisms of ageing

09.05.2023

A team led by bioinformatics experts Andreas Keller and Fabian Kern from Saarland University together with researchers at Stanford University have gained new insights into manifestations of ageing at the molecular level.
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Image: Three women and a man - Prof. Maria Teresa Pisabarro, Dr. Gloria Ruiz Gómez, Dr. Juliane Salbach-Hirsch and Prof. Lorenz Hofbauer; Copyright: TUD/Magdalena Gonciarz

TUD/Magdalena Gonciarz

A sweet solution to a cracking problem: new bio-inspired molecules to promote bone regeneration

08.05.2023

An interdisciplinary team of scientists in Dresden developed novel bio-inspired sugar-based molecules that show potential to improve bone regeneration.
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Image: 3D render of the tibias treated with the current clinical treatment option chemotherapeutics or treated with chemotherapeutics plus gene therapy; Copyright: UCD Research and Innovation

UCD Research and Innovation

Novel combination of therapies may provide new treatment option for bone cancer

03.05.2023

New research has identified a potential therapeutic target and developed a unique delivery system to treat osteosarcoma, a bone cancer that primarily affects children and adolescents.
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Image: Prof Giuseppe Intini in a blue sweat jacket, smiles at the camera; Copyright: Giuseppe Intini

Giuseppe Intini

New approach helps skull bones mend themselves

24.04.2023

In a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, University of Pittsburgh researchers developed a novel approach that promoted bone regeneration in mice without implantation of bone tissue or biomaterials.
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Image: Illustration of wounds on cultured skin cells heal while stimulated with electric current; Copyright: Science Brush | Hassan A. Tahini

Science Brush | Hassan A. Tahini

How electricity can heal wounds three times as fast

21.04.2023

Using electric stimulation, researchers in a project at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, and the University of Freiburg, Germany, have developed a method that speeds up the healing process, making wounds heal three times faster.
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Image: medical syringe lies on several doses of vaccine; Copyright: erika8213

erika8213

AI meets zebrafish: is this the future of drug discovery?

04.04.2023

New drug candidates must undergo lengthy testing using animal models before being given to participants in human trials. This means many active ingredients must already be sorted out in test series because they either do not have the desired or even have an adverse effect. These test series require many test animals. The use of zebrafish larvae could lead to a reduced demand in this setting.
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Image: A smart bandage rests on a gloved finger.; Copyright: Caltech

Caltech

‘Smart’ bandages monitor wounds and provide targeted treatment

03.04.2023

Most of the time, when someone gets a cut, scrape, burn, or other wound, the body takes care of itself and heals on its own. But this is not always the case. Diabetes can interfere with the healing process and create wounds that will not go away and that could become infected and fester.
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Image: Elderly female patient, nurse with a stethoscope listening to the heartbeat during a health consultation.; Copyright: YuriArcursPeopleimages

YuriArcursPeopleimages

Shining light on aging hearts

30.03.2023

Light therapy has demonstrated its usefulness in treating a variety of diseases. But can it delay the occurrence of age-related disease? The answer may be yes, according to a study in mice published in February in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.
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Image: A small dark box, a mobile impedance spectrometer; Copyright: Fraunhofer ISC

Fraunhofer ISC

Innovative in vitro eye irritation test to replace standard animal testing

10.03.2023

Researchers at the Translational Center for Regenerative Therapies TLC-RT of the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC want to work with partners to replace animal testing.
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Image: Photograph of the semitransparent hydrogel used in this study; Copyright: Satoshi Tanikawa, et al. 2023

Satoshi Tanikawa, et al. 2023

Healing the brain: hydrogels enable neuronal tissue growth

03.03.2023

Synthetic hydrogels were shown to provide an effective scaffold for neuronal tissue growth in areas of brain damage, providing a possible approach for brain tissue reconstruction.
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Image: Close up x-ray film of a broken finger; Copyright: Rawpixel

Rawpixel

Packaged DNA: new method to promote bone growth

17.02.2023

DNA can help to stimulate bone healing in a localised and targeted manner, for example after a complicated fracture or after severe tissue loss following surgery.
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Image: A man in a white coat and with safety goggles, Hongji Yan, holds a test tube in his hand and is looking at the camera; Copyright: Vaibhav Srivastava

Vaibhav Srivastava

Mucus-based gel improves bone graft results, promotes healing

14.02.2023

Molecules from mucus can be used to produce synthetic bone graft material and help with the healing of larger bone loss, a new study found.
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Image: A white electrospun Renacer membrane (5 x 5 cm) on a black background; Copyright: Fraunhofer ISC

Fraunhofer ISC

Bioresorbable membrane for healing internal and external wounds

10.02.2023

Fraunhofer researchers have succeeded in using the bioresorbable silica gel Renacer to produce an electrospun membrane that is neither cytotoxic to cells nor genotoxic.
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Image: Close-up of the healing process of a corneal ulcer, postoperative results in vivo; Copyright: POSTECH

POSTECH

Treating cornea ulcers with diagnostic light instead of corneal transplantation

08.02.2023

Recently, a Korean joint research team from POSTECH-KKU has developed a new tissue adhesive that restores the damaged cornea by simply filling it and exposing it to light.
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Image: An elderly man sits at an eye diagnostic device and is examined by a doctor; Copyright: Beachbumledford

Beachbumledford

Controlled manufacture, storage and freezing of artificial retinal cells

25.01.2023

Fraunhofer researchers have now developed a new method for the production and clinical application of stem-cell-based retinal implants, which could contribute towards the successful treatment of AMD.
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Image: A man with brown hair in a white coat, Ángel Serrano Aroca, smiles at the camera; Copyright: Asociación RUVID

Asociación RUVID

Biomaterial capable of regenerating bones and preventing infections

15.12.2022

Researchers from the Bioengineering and Biomaterials Laboratory of Universidad Católica de Valencia (UCV) have developed a new porous material capable of regenerating bones and preventing infections at the same time.
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Image: Model of a human back with a wound above the coccyx, over which a cylinder-shaped printing head hovers; Copyright: beta-web/Roth

beta-web/Roth

Wound treatment: printing instead of grafting

01.12.2022

Currently, wound care is limited to either waiting for wounds to heal while keeping them clean and free of infection or using grafts from the patient’s own body to cover larger defects. With the ongoing development tissue engineering and bioprinting, there could be a third option in future: Will we be able to print new tissue directly in the OR to cover surgical wounds?
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Image: Nurse is caring for a surgical wound at the leg of a patient; Copyright: DegrooteStock

DegrooteStock

Wound care: healing with technology

01.12.2022

Wound care by nurses is directly about cleaning, sterile covering, and documentation. Medical and surgical interventions may also be necessary. In this context, wound care also offers potential for the use of technical aids that can help prevent complications.
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Image: Nurse is cleaning a surgical wound with two sutures between the fingers of a patient; Copyright: ARTFULLY79

ARTFULLY79

Technology in wound care: tools for better healing

01.12.2022

Wounds – both acute and chronic ones – can have many different causes. They all have in common that they require meticulous care because complications in wound healing can severely reduce both the patients’ health and quality of life. But there is more to modern wound care than just cleaning and bandaging them. Nursing staff and physicians can also access technical aids for this work.
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Image: A woman with long blonde hair and black glasses smiles at the camera - Anna Rising, research group leader; Copyright: Lena Holm

Lena Holm

Scientists develop gel made from spider silk proteins for biomedical applications

19.08.2022

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences have discovered that spider silk proteins can be fused to biologically active proteins and be converted into a gel at body temperature.
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Image: Preview picture of video

Fibers for fibers – Textile implants repair the body

08.06.2022

We are nowadays already able to weave implants out of artificial fibers that can replace tissue or heal injuries. Different materials like polymers or nitinol are used to create flexible shapes. But the materials and their uses can still be improved.
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Image: A signal receiver and a transmitter of a Cochlear implant on the palm of a person; Copyright: PantherMedia/npudov

PantherMedia/npudov

Implants: When technology makes sense – quite literally

01.12.2021

Disease, injury, or a condition you were born with – reasons why some people must live without one or several of their five senses. Fortunately, there are many modern sensory aids that help replace one sense with another, which is especially the case when it comes to vision and hearing. Given technology's advancements, can artificial or biological implants someday soon be a viable alternative?
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Image: A physician puts a bandage around the foot of a patient; Copyright: PantherMedia/Wavebreakmedia (YAYMicro)

PantherMedia/Wavebreakmedia (YAYMicro)

Chronic wounds: new, inexpensive wound dressing

29.07.2021

An MSU-led team is developing an inexpensive biopolymer dressing to heal injuries like diabetic foot ulcers that affect millions of patients all over the world.
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Image: A group of researchers is discussing a chemical structural formula in front of a whiteboard; Copyright: PantherMedia/depositedhar

Intelligent implants: when the material is the key to the solution

01.02.2021

Today we use implants to stabilize or compensate for injuries inside the body and to aid in the healing process. Implants cannot act autonomously and treat the patient if they deem it necessary. However, it is just a matter of time before this happens because research on intelligent implant materials that respond to stimuli is on the cusp of a breakthrough.
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Image: Preview picture of video

Medical products made of collagen - Biocompatible, elastic, stable

19.03.2020

Regenerative medicine often relies on implants and materials that support healing in our body. Collagen has a special significance here. It is compatible to the body and offers an excellent environment for the growing of new cells. In our video, we took a look on where collagen and collagen products for medicine come from.
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Image: Computer-generated image of an arborizing blood vessel; Copyright: panthermedia.net/Ugreen

Angiogenesis: light shows blood vessels the way

03.02.2020

Regenerative medicine aims to replace damage in the body with functional tissue and restore normal function. The first defense for large defects are implants made of hydrogels, designed to promote cell growth. They need their own blood supply, which is a problem when it comes to larger implants because you cannot regulate where and how the blood vessels grow - until now.
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Image: Two knees of a woman next to each other, the left knee has a surgical suture; Copyright: panthermedia.net/wujekspeed

Regenerative medicine: creating a new body?

03.02.2020

Regenerative medicine aims to repair the human body after injuries, accidents or major cancer surgery. Unfortunately, we are still not at a stage where this process can achieve optimal results for every conceivable situation. Having said that, various new methods are on the cusp of breakthrough.
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Image: A half-transparent red piece of tissue in a glass filled with a yellow fluid; Copyright: United Therapeutics

rhCollagen: genetically engineered building block for regenerative medicine

03.02.2020

Collagen is the stuff that holds our bodies together and that houses our cells. In regenerative medicine, it is also the stuff that can be applied to wounds to support healing. However, collagen from animal or human sources has some drawbacks for today’s medicine. This is where rhCollagen from the Israeli company CollPlant comes into play.
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Image: The shoulder of a man with a surgical suture; Copyright: panthermedia.net/JPCPROD

Regenerative medicine: helps the body healing

03.02.2020

Severe wounds heal slowly and leave scars. This is why we have been using regenerative therapies for some time now to accelerate and improve healing. They also help to avoid permanent damage. Still, complex applications like replacing organs or limbs will rather remain vision than become reality for a long time.
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Image: Man with mouthguard and laboratory glasses holding Petri dish up; Copyright: panthermedia.net/kasto

panthermedia.net/kasto

Cardiac Tissue Engineering: a heart out of the Petri dish

23.09.2019

For patients waiting for donor organs, every day can mean the difference between life and death. Making things even more complicated is the fact that not every organ is a compatible match with the patient. It would mean enormous progress if we could grow organs from the patient's own cells in the lab. That's why patients with heart disease place big hope in tissue engineering.
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Image: Marathon runner; Copyright: panthermedia.net/adamgregor

Sports medicine – keep moving to stay healthy

01.07.2019

Physical activity plays a big role in today's society. Whether you are an amateur or professional athlete – incorporating exercise into your life positively impacts your mental and physical health. Ideally, sport should be fun, pressure-free and not overburden you. But can you measure individual performance and align it with sports?
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Image: Preview picture of video

Multi-organ chips: Drug research without animal testing at vasQlab

15.05.2019

New active substances that are suitable for drugs are initially tested in animal experiments. However, the results cannot always be transferred to the human organism. At the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Prof. Ute Schepers from vasQlab explains how active substances can be tested in human tissue without endangering human health.
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