Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI
Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI

Biological Material Analytics

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The Biological Material Analytics Unit supports the development of implants through research projects that are focused on defined immunologically effective, bioceramic materials and develops standardized, immunobiological test procedures for innovative (bioceramic) implant materials, especially in the field of dentistry but also endoprosthetics.

The aim here is to develop modular and / or hierarchically structured material surfaces which facilitate a patient-customized and / or disease-specific therapeutic application. Appropriate diagnostic rapid tests and material characterization procedures are ultimately to be established and validated.

Service portfolio:

  • Contract research and collaboration projects, feasibility studies
  • Characterization of protein adsorption on material surfaces and boundary layers
  • Development of suitable methods for immunobiological material testing
  • Manipulation and control of the adsorption of specific proteins
  • Topical functionalization (drug depots) of bioceramic surfaces
  • Immunobiological in-vivo investigations (murine mouse model) to assess the integrity of (bioceramic) implant materials
  • Performance of immunobiological, diagnostic tests (service)

Attract project PrimBioCer – bioceramics in the biological system: Primary adhesion of proteins and signal transduction on ceramic implant materials

The proposed project concerns the creation of a competent working group to focus on the development of innovative, smart, bioceramic implants for clinical use in the fields of orthopedics and dentistry. The long-term goal is to introduce immunologically effective biomolecules, pharmaceuticals or semiochemicals to new implants as additives so as to control or regulate the immune system's foreign body granuloma. The materials expertise and the manufacturing technologies for bioceramic materials and surfaces available at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS) offer a good framework in which to positively control the biological organism's "immune response", this being the response at the interface between implant and tissue, upon introducing foreign matter to the body. This may avoid an initial inflammatory response in the biological organism and support the integrity of the implant in the patient's own peri-implant tissue. This, in turn, is a decisive step in guaranteeing long-lasting stability and reducing the number of revision operations on account of implant loosening and instability in the long run.

  • Zaatreh S, Wegner K, Strauß M, Pasold J, Mittelmeier W, Podbielski A, Kreikemeyer B, Bader R. Co-culture of S. epidermidis and human osteoblasts on implant surfaces: An advanced in vitro model for implant-associated infections. PLoS One. 2016 Mar 16;11(3):e0151534. DOI dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0151534. eCollection 2016.
  • Pasold J, Zander K, Heskamp B, Grüttner C, Lüthen F, Tischer T, Jonitz-Heincke A, Bader R. Positive impact of IGF-1-coupled nanoparticles on the differentiation potential of human chondrocytes cultured on collagen scaffolds. Int J Nanomedicine. 2015 Feb 4;10:1131-43. DOI dx.doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S72872. eCollection 2015.
  • Kasten A, Grüttner C, Kühn JP, Bader R, Pasold J, Frerich B. Comparative in vitro study on magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for MRI tracking of adipose tissue-derived progenitor cells. PLoS One. 2014 Sep 22;9(9):e108055. DOI dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0108055. eCollection 2014.
  • Markhoff J, Mick E, Mitrovic A, Pasold J, Wegner K, Bader R. Surface modifications of dental ceramic implants with different glass solder matrices: in vitro analyses with human primary osteoblasts and epithelial cells. Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:742180. DOI dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/742180. Epub 2014 Sep 14.
  • Pasold J, Engelmann R, Keller J, Joost S, Marshall RP, Frerich B, Müller-Hilke B. High bone mass in the STR/ort mouse results from increased bone formation and impaired bone resorption and is associated with extramedullary hematopoiesis. J Bone Miner Metab. 2013 Jan;31(1):71-81. DOI dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00774-012-0394-9. Epub 2012 Nov 29.
  • Pasold J, Osterberg A, Peters K, Taipaleenmäki H, Säämänen AM, Vollmar B, Müller-Hilke B. Reduced expression of Sfrp1 during chondrogenesis and in articular chondrocytes correlates with osteoarthritis in STR/ort mice. Exp Cell Res. 2013 Mar 10;319(5):649-59. DOI dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.yexcr.2012.12.012. Epub 2012 Dec 21.
  • Jonitz A, Lochner K, Peters K, Salamon A, Pasold J, Mueller-Hilke B, Hansmann D, Bader R. Differentiation capacity of human chondrocytes embedded in alginate matrix. Connect Tissue Res. 2011;52(6):503-11. DOI dx.doi.org/10.3109/03008207.2011.593673. Epub 2011 Jul 25.