All places are taken! Registrations will be placed on the waiting list.
Do you want to know how modern medicine works?
The NIFE will open its doors again on April 23, 2026 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for interested students from grade 6 onwards.
What can you expect?
- Working with modern microscopes
- Sample preparation and analysis
- Working with cells in the lab
- Tissue sections
- Find out how modern implants are developed.
Register now and secure your place!
Bacta Implants has received manufacturing authorization for its round niche implants (RNI) from the competent authority.
This is an important step for the local drug therapy of hearing disorders and for the realization of your vision to make innovative inner ear therapies a reality.
Congratulations!
Further information about Bacta Implants can be found here https://bacta-implants.com/
Xenotransplantation gives patients with chronic organ failure new hope for an organ transplant. Join us in this field of transplantation research and gain insights into research results and the first clinical experiences in humans.
An expert presentation was held on November 18. Click here for the presentation.
Dr. Philipp Felgendreff,
Clinic for General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, MHH
Dr. Robert Ramm,
Lower Saxony Center for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development
The first Young Researchers’ Day at NIFE on 27.11.2025 was a great success, with many PhD candidates and early-career postdocs from MHH, LUH, TiHo and LZH actively participating. Through interactive games, the group exchanged insights into diverse lab techniques used across NIFE and their home institutions, strengthening cross-institute networking. A final feedback round provided valuable perspectives on the future of NIFE and the expectations of our young scientists.
MHH researchers want to help people with traumatic amputations by preserving their limbs until they can be reattached.
The number of traumatic amputations is increasing worldwide - for example due to accidents on the road, at work or during leisure time, but also as a result of terrorist attacks or war. Only a few specialist clinics are able to perform autologous replantation on these often life-threatening injuries, i.e. to reconnect severed limbs to the body in such a way that they regain all or at least some of their function. The operation must also be carried out quickly, as the amputations are usually stored in an ice pack and can only survive for a few hours without a blood supply. Professor Dr. Bettina Wiegmann, emergency physician and specialist in cardiac surgery at the University of Würzburg, is investigating how this so-called ischemia time can be reduced and how the severed limbs can be better stored and cared for until the operation. Clinic for Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery Hannover Medical School (MHH) and Professor Dr. Kirsten Haastert-Talini, head of the "Peripheral Nerve Regeneration" working group at the MHH Institute of Neuroanatomy and Cell Biology.
The scientists want to develop a limb care system that fits into every emergency ambulance as a transportable storage box and gives seriously injured people the chance of a life without amputation and prostheses. On the other hand, it should be possible to use it in a similar way to organ transplants to preserve donor extremities and then transplant them successfully. The scientists have now developed an initial plan for the construction of such an ex vivo extremity perfusion (EVEP), including perfusion instructions, and published it in the journal "Military Medical Research".
"In Germany alone, there are around 56,000 amputations every year," says Professor Wiegmann, head of the "Ex-vivo Organ Perfusion" working group at the Lower Saxony Center for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development (NIFE), where the project funded by the Federal Ministry of Defence is based. In most cases, traumatically amputated limbs are replaced by prostheses. On the one hand, this is due to the lack of expertise in many clinics for the complicated surgical procedure of replantation, in which bone fractures have to be repaired, blood vessels reattached and nerves reconnected. Secondly, time plays a decisive role, as seriously injured patients must be stabilized as a matter of priority if they are to survive at all. The limb is kept on ice for this time. "It can sometimes even take days before the patient is stable enough for another operation," says the surgeon. However, the extremities do not survive this, as they suffer ischemia damage after a certain period of time without blood flow, in which the cells die due to the lack of oxygen.
In order to save both the lives of the severely injured and the limbs, the scientists are relying on a procedure that works in a similar way to a transportable organ care system. This connects donor organs to an artificial blood circulation system via a pump and thus maintains organ function outside the body until transplantation. Professor Wiegmann has already successfully used such a care system clinically on the heart and lungs many times. "We have tested different perfusion solutions on large animal extremities and collected initial evidence that our system works reliably and can preserve the tissue for over six hours using various values such as blood gas analysis, serum markers, thermal imaging and joint mobility," explains Professor Wiegmann. In order to create conditions that are as realistic as possible, the scientists have previously scheduled two hours of warm ischemia time, during which the limb is not supplied with blood or other supplies. "This simulates the time between the traumatic amputation and arrival at the replantation center."
To ensure that the limb functions as well as possible after reattachment, the research team is also keeping an eye on the nerves for the first time worldwide. "Severed nerves in the limb stump can lengthen and become entangled, causing phantom pain," explains Professor Haastert-Talini. To prevent this from happening and to ensure that the nerves grow out and together again in a targeted manner, their destroyed parts in the limb must first be completely broken down and the surrounding area prepared for the absorption of newly growing nerve fibers. This requires, among other things, various messenger substances that initiate a type of inflammatory reaction. "This is why, unlike in the Organ Care System, we do not use anti-inflammatory drugs in our limb perfusion solution," says the anatomist.
"The basic instructions for our EVEP are in place," says Professor Haastert-Talini. "We have the tissue supply under control and have significantly reduced the formation of harmful fluid accumulations." Next, the scientists want to investigate how they can improve the composition of the perfusion solution so that the nerves are optimally prepared at the same time. They also want to extend the perfusion times so that longer transport times are possible. "The fine-tuning of our system should then make it possible for one surgical team to take care of the patient while a second team can prepare the limb for replantation at the same time." The scientists are convinced that the medical need for their development will continue to increase. "According to scientific studies, the number of traumatic amputations is expected to increase by more than 70 percent by 2050," says Professor Wiegmann.
Service:
The original paper "Ex-vivo limb perfusion in military and civilian medicine: inspired by ex-vivo organ perfusion, pioneered for traumatic limb amputation and peripheral nerve regeneration" can be found at here.
Text: Kirsten Pötzke
Source: MHH
The interdisciplinary research network SIIRI combines expertise from medicine, engineering and materials research to make implants safer.
The interdisciplinary Collaborative Research Center/Transregio 298 SIIRI ("Safety-integrated and infection-reactive implants") receives a grant from the German Research Foundation (DFG) to more than ten million euros over the next three and a half years to continue developing the implants of tomorrow. SIIRI was first funded four years ago. Since then, more than 150 scientists from the Hannover Medical School (MHH), the Leibniz University Hanover (LUH), the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig, the Braunschweig University of Technology and the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media The two researchers are working together to develop innovative strategies to improve implant safety. "This success shows what can be achieved by joining forces," says MHH President Prof. Dr. Denise Hilfiker-Kleiner. "We want to establish MHH as a driving force for forward-looking health research. This is only possible in a network of first-class partners - such as the SIIRI network. I would like to congratulate everyone involved."
"Our research into intelligent implants is only possible thanks to the close inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration between scientists from medicine, dentistry, engineering, natural and social sciences," emphasizes SIIRI spokesperson Prof. Dr. Meike Stiesch, Director of the Clinic for Dental Prosthetics and Biomedical Materials Science and Dean of Research at the MHH. Together, the consortium has researched new strategies for implant safety and achieved top results with international appeal. "Our researchers in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemistry and physics are contributing their expertise to the development of implant materials and suitable sensor technology, among other things," adds co-spokesperson Prof. Hans Jürgen Maier, Managing Director of the Institute of Materials Science at LUH.
The SIIRI consortium is working on new safety strategies for medical implants by, among other things, researching service life and monitoring concepts from the engineering sciences, such as those developed in aviation to increase safety, for application in medicine for the first time. In the engineering sciences, safety-relevant concepts are based on reliable monitoring. Regular checks are used to detect potential component damage at an early stage, measure its severity and react accordingly. The SIIRI researchers make use of this knowledge. Using cell-based, chemical and physical detection systems, the aim is to be able to detect biological or technical implant failure at an early stage and react accordingly. The overarching goal is always to achieve a sustainable improvement in implant and patient safety.
The SIIRI scientists are working together to develop intelligent implant systems for dentistry and orthopaedics as well as hearing implants that use state-of-the-art technology to enable continuous monitoring of implant function for the first time and thus early detection of complications such as infections. "We are developing intelligent implant systems that can independently initiate early repair and thus healing using cell-based, chemical and physical closed-loop systems. Digital concepts such as digital implant lifecycle management and digital twins enable the lifelong tracking of implants and thus make a significant contribution to implant and patient safety," explains Professor Stiesch.
The nucleus for this interdisciplinary research is the NIFE (Lower Saxony Center for Implant Research and Development), which has been established in the Medical Park Hannover as an internationally visible research institute, achieving top results in experimental research and bringing them into clinical application for various organ systems. At NIFE, biological, biohybrid and biofunctionalized implants are developed to replace or restore organ functions that have failed.
Text: Inka Burow
Source: MHH
As part of the "November of Science", another successful open day was held at NIFE on November 13. Numerous interested visitors took the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes of current research projects.
During various laboratory tours and at several information and exhibition stands, guests were able to learn about NIFE's diverse scientific activities. Our researchers provided vivid insights into their work and answered numerous questions.
Visitors were also given an insight into a biochemistry lecture, allowing them to get to know typical university teaching content. Finally, there was an exciting lecture on individual therapy concepts in endoprosthetics, which aroused great interest and impressively demonstrated how scientific findings are incorporated into patient-oriented applications.
The open day thus offered a varied overview of the NIFE's main research areas and facilitated an intensive exchange between science and the public.
We are already looking forward to November of Science 2027, when we will of course open our doors again.
We had the special pleasure of welcoming Prof. Noam Adir, Vice President for Research at the Technion, and Ms. Marianne Krüger-Jungnickel, Managing Director of the German Technion Society, to the NIFE.
During his visit, we were able to provide an insight into our research environments and present our various laboratories. This gave us the opportunity to present our scientific focus, current topics and the variety of methods and technologies we use.
We are grateful for the great interest and the stimulating exchange during the visit. Such occasions are always a valuable opportunity to present the range of our research activities and to enter into an open scientific dialog.
On September 9, our NIFE structure workshop took place with the kind support of hannoverimpuls and H4A in the Royal Stables of Leibniz Universität Hannover.
The event was all about brainstorming, exchange and cooperation.
The participants discussed the implants of the future with great enthusiasm. They not only shed light on new perspectives, but also identified specific focal points for future research approaches. In the end, the intensive exchange led to several initiatives and project outlines that will be further concretized and advanced in the coming months.
The workshop was part 2 of a series of events aimed at brainstorming and networking. After the successful start and the successful continuation, the series will continue in November with part 3 - "Young Researchers" continued. The focus here is on young scientists in order to provide fresh impetus for the future of implant research.
Minister Mohrs visited NIFE as part of his summer trip. He gained exciting insights into current projects relating to medical implants and innovative technologies for the healthcare of the future. He was deeply impressed by the range of research being conducted at NIFE and the interdisciplinary collaboration between medical, natural and engineering scientists.
The entire NIFE team congratulates the Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all on the approval of the third funding period!
This award underlines the outstanding scientific achievement and the ongoing commitment of all the researchers involved.
On May 22, we welcomed Dr. Thomas Becks, the new Managing Director of the German Society for Biomedical Engineering (DGBMT) within the VDE, to NIFE. During an initial personal exchange with PD Dr. Verena Scheper, working group leader at NIFE and deputy chair of the DGBMT board, the focus was on the strategic development of the professional association.
The aim of the meeting was to discuss new impulses for the future of biomedical technology - interdisciplinary, practical and with a view to the challenges of tomorrow. The new management and the DGBMT board elected at the beginning of the year are focusing on close, interdisciplinary cooperation between all disciplines involved. This is the only way to sustainably strengthen the innovative power of German medical technology - and thus ensure high-quality, sustainable patient care.
The NIFE offers ideal conditions for this: Here, implant-related research from various clinical areas of the MHH is networked with the materials science and engineering expertise of Leibniz Universität Hannover and the application-oriented expertise and research competence of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation. A place where interdisciplinary collaboration is put into practice - in line with the DGBMT vision.
The DGBMT in the VDE is the scientific and technical association for medical technology in Germany. It brings together experts from all areas of technology applications in medicine and covers the entire spectrum of biomedical technology. Further information can be found at
https://www.vde.com/de/dgbmt
On April 24, 2025, an internal event was held at NIFE to mark Laboratory Animal Day. In 6 exciting presentations, some research groups presented their animal models and explained to interested colleagues for which of their research questions there are currently no alternatives to animal experiments. A major concern of the speakers was to show what contribution they make within their projects in terms of the 3R principle (replace, reduce and refine). The aim of the event was not only to promote a transparent internal approach to the topic of animal experimentation, but also to support internal communication about animal experimentation and to make it easier for employees to communicate privately about this important topic.we would like to thank Tierversuche verstehen (www.tierversuche-verstehen.de), Pro-Test Germany (www.pro-test-deutschland.de) and the GV-SOLAS (www.gv-solas.de) for providing the public with information on the subject of animal testing, we share responsibility for animal welfare and progress. Together, we want to ensure that Germany remains a research location and prevent scientists from leaving the country. The relocation of animal experiments abroad would not only result in a loss of research and innovation in Germany, but would also mean that we would have no influence on the implementation of the animal welfare standards that are important to us.
Today, 30 children took part in Future Day 2025 at the Lower Saxony Center for Biomedical Engineering and Implant Research and gained insightful insights into the world of implant research.
The young participants had the opportunity to learn about exciting topics in biomedicine and find out more about technologies that will shape the medicine of tomorrow.
One highlight was the presentation of preservation methods using the example of red blood cells, where the children learned how important it is to preserve biological materials in the long term so that they can be used for medical purposes. Innovative processes such as 3D printing, which is already being used in medicine today to produce customized implants and medical aids, were also presented.
Another exciting topic was the role of spiders and amphibians in medicine. The children learned how these animals, with their special characteristics, can contribute to the development of new, sustainable solutions in biomedicine.
The Future Day not only offered participants fascinating insights into research, but also the opportunity to talk to the scientists and ask their own questions. An exciting day that hopefully sparked an interest in biomedical research!
The 4th symposium in the established Digital Implant Innovation Forum series took place on November 28. The focus was on model systems, imaging, data science and medical device testing. High-caliber speakers from industry and science offered exciting insights. The innovative "Human-on-a-Chip" technology platform, which enables unique preclinical insights at a systems biology level, was presented to the audience. In addition, numerous other highly interesting topics such as energy generation for medical implants, imaging and regeneration of organoids through to the 7 steps of MDR compliance were discussed, which enriched the representatives from science and industry alike.
We are looking forward to the next event in this series, which is planned for summer 2025.
Pictures: Kai Jüncke
Researchers in cardiothoracic, transplantation and vascular surgery from NIFE presented their latest scientific findings at the first Hannover Organ Transplant Summit, which took place on November 21 and 22, 2024 at the Medical Park Hannover.
With presentations and posters from several NIFE working groups, our researchers contributed to the discussion of current challenges and innovative solutions in organ transplantation.
The Hannover Organ Transplant Summit brought together international experts who are working together to address the shortage of donor organs and promote interdisciplinary exchange between clinicians and scientists.
The main topics were:
- Organ shortage and marginal donor organs
- Transplantation oncology
- Immunological approaches to saving organs
- Graft remodeling - what's next?
- Xenotransplantation - Are we ready for implementation?
Further information can be found at:
https://www.hannover-transplant-summit.org/
https://www.mhh.de/aktuelles-aus-dem-transplantationszentrum/hannover-transplant-summit-2024
Picture: Anna Junge
iGEM Competition 2024: Students at Leibniz University Hannover receive gold medal for development that could help prevent antibiotic resistance
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), antibiotic resistance could cause ten million deaths a year by 2050. A key driver of this resistance is the contamination of water with antibiotics and heavy metals; both promote the emergence of multi-resistant bacteria. A team of students at Leibniz University Hannover (LUH) has now developed a fluorescent biosensor at NIFE that efficiently detects antibiotic and heavy metal contamination in water. The biosensor could help to detect even minor contamination at an early stage. The LUH team's achievement was awarded a gold medal at the international iGEM 2024 competition.
LUH students from the Biology, Physics, Molecular Microbiology and Plant Biotechnology degree programs worked together for a year on the "Hydro Guardians" project, which aims to tackle the urgent problem of antimicrobial resistance.
The cellular biosensor developed combines elements from prokaryotic (without cell nucleus) and eukaryotic cells (with cell nucleus) and uses specific biological mechanisms for detection: integration of the so-called PASTA domain (a penicillin-binding protein) enables the detection of a specific group of antibiotics, while the transcription factor MTF-1 (Metal-responsive Transcription Factor-1) recognizes heavy metals such as cadmium, zinc and copper. When antibiotics bind, the PASTA domain activates a signaling cascade that leads to a fluorescent signal, which in turn indicates the presence of these pollutants. For heavy metals, the reaction is triggered by the activation of metal homeostasis genes, which also generates fluorescence and enables reliable measurement.
By integrating various spectroscopic measurements and a comprehensive model that simulates the interactions between antibiotics, heavy metals and multi-resistant bacteria in water bodies, the team is contributing to the understanding of water pollution. The mathematical model makes it possible to adjust parameters such as the concentration of pollutants and environmental factors, allowing long-term effects of water pollution to be analyzed.
However, the project did not only take place within the laboratory: The team from Hanover interviewed experts from the fields of wastewater treatment, environmental microbiology and healthcare. This collaboration supported the development of a practical and application-oriented design. The students also wrote a book for children to raise awareness of the problem of antibiotic resistance at an early age. The team members have now been awarded the iGEM Gold Medal for their work.
The iGEM competition is a global event in the field of synthetic biology that enables students to develop innovative solutions to social challenges. The acronym iGEM stands for International Genetically Engineered Machine. Every year, more than 450 teams from all over the world come together in Paris to present novel projects that offer far-reaching solutions to challenges in the fields of health, the environment and technology.
This extensive research and development work by the LUH team was recognized by the jury with a gold medal for excellence in synthetic biology. In addition, the team was nominated for the "Best New Basic Part Award" for the development of a novel antibiotic-sensitive promoter. The performance of team member Davin Höllmann, who achieved second place at the iGEM Hackathon for the development of a Human Practices Maturity Model Toolkit, also deserves special mention. The project was realized with the support of the "Principal Investigators" Prof. Dr. Alexander Heisterkamp and PD Dr. Stefan Kalies, as well as the "Instructors" Lara Gentemann, Niklas Rüprich, Anna E. Seidler and Sören Donath. The scientists of the Biophotonics Group at the Institute of Quantum Optics supported the students in all project phases and made it possible for them to use the laboratories of the Biophotonics Group at NIFE.
The following LUH students were involved in the "Hydro Guardian" project: Leon Kasperek, Lisa Marie de Sousa Miranda, Davin Höllmann, Jan Schimansky, Vanessa Bruhn, Jan Niklas Gelhoet, Jule Kiel, Lara Patyk, Emilie Baron, Aylin Talu, Céline Beckhausen, Kristina Bittroff, Nico Kowitz, Veronika Marx, Elena Zukina, Karlina Mundin, Jules Pourtawaf and Milena Müller.
Click here for the project page.
Text: Milena Müller
International cooperation in cutting-edge medicine: Renowned surgeon Prof. Dr. Borys Todurov reports on how transplant programs in Ukraine are continued under the most difficult conditions. He and his team are undergoing further training at the MHH.
Organ transplants have been saving people's lives and improving their quality of life for many years. They have also been part of medical care in Ukraine for more than 20 years. In 2019, the renowned surgeon Prof. Dr. Borys Todurov, Director of the Kiev Heart Institutewill perform the first heart transplant on a child in Ukraine. This development has been severely jeopardized since the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022.
Until November 17, 2024, Professor Todurov and four Ukrainian specialists will be guests at the Transplant Center of the Hannover Medical School (MHH)to train in surgical techniques and the use of modern equipment. At the MHH, one of the largest transplant centers in Europe, there is extensive expertise in organ preservation and the transplantation of heart, lungs, liver, kidney and pancreas. Some of the organ perfusions are also carried out at NIFE.
"The MHH initiative shows what is possible when excellent medical research and humanitarian commitment come together," says Dr. Andreas Philippi, Lower Saxony's Minister for Social Affairs, Labour, Health and Equality. "At a time when international solidarity is more important than ever, Hannover is sending a strong signal - for knowledge transfer, for cooperation and for cohesion in Europe."
The transplant programs in Ukraine are continuing under the most difficult conditions. Heart transplants are particularly affected because the time window between organ removal and transplantation can only be four to five hours. "Due to the war, we can no longer transport the organs by helicopter. The transportation time for the organs by land is too long," reports Professor Todurov. "We have therefore removed some seats from the back of a bus to transport our seriously ill patients, our team and our equipment to the donor hospital. We bring the patients back to Kyiv for intensive care. We do our work, even when it's dangerous."
"For each operation, a driver, the surgeon and two assistant doctors, two anesthetists, a perfusionist and a nurse travel through the war-ravaged country," Professor Todurov continues. "As the clinics and hospitals throughout the country do not have the special equipment for a heart transplant, the team brings equipment and materials with them. The bus has space for four boxes per service as well as a bypass machine, a heart-lung machine, heating and cooling devices, perfusion systems, monitors and surgical equipment."
"Heart transplantation in times of war is an enormous achievement," praises the Director of the MHH Clinic for Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Prof. Dr. Arjang Ruhparwar. "Professor Todurov and his team already visited our clinic in 2020 and gained insights, particularly in the surgical field of heart and lung transplantation, intensive care and aftercare. In the meantime, close contact has been established with the MHH on both the clinical and research side, especially with the Institute of Transplant Immunology."
In the summer, the transport van was in danger of breaking down. Prof. Dr. Christine Falk, Director of the Institute of Transplantation Immunology, organized a fundraising campaign for a new trolley and personally drove the bus to the Heart Institute in Kyiv with a humanitarian aid transport. "Our personal contact has resulted in a joint research project to extend the transportation times of donor hearts and thus avoid transporting patients. Todurov's team is currently testing special cool boxes for blood products for the transportation of donor hearts, which enable constant and controlled cooling. My team is researching the immunological effects of this method on the damage caused to heart tissue during transportation."
"Organ preservation and perfusion is a highly topical issue in transplant medicine," explains Prof. Dr. Moritz Schmelzle, Director of the Clinic for General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery and Head of the Transplant Center. "The joint research project is part of the R-CUBE excellence initiative, which focuses on the regeneration, repair and replacement of organs. Organ preservation is also the central topic of our Hannover Transplant Summit, which will take place in the Medical Park on November 21 and 22, 2024."
The visit of Professor Todurov's team is supported by the MHH Transplant Center and the Volkswagen Foundation.
The aid deliveries were supported by colleagues from clinics in Hanover, including Dr. Martin Schott, Dr. Dirk Hahne, Dr. André Gottschalk, DIAKOVERE Friederikenstift, as well as Mariya Maksymtsiv and Pastor Roman Maksymtsiv from the parish of St. Volodymyr in Hanover.
The "Hannover Organ Transplant Summit 2024 - Current Trends in Translational Research" will take place on November 21 and 22, 2024. At the symposium, experts from MHH and from Germany and abroad will present current research findings on topics including transplant oncology, graft remodeling and xenotransplantation. The conference venue is the Rotunda in the Medical Park Hannover.
More information: https://www.hannover-transplant-summit.org
Text: Inka Burow
The Institute for Biomedical Translation (IBT) aims to translate cutting-edge biomedical research into clinical practice. To this end, the IBT has awarded start-up funding of more than 1.6 million euros in the second funding round. Nine research projects took part in the final round of the competition for the funding, and the jury has now selected two winners. One of them is the Bacta Implants project led by Dr. Verena Scheper, a scientist at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology (ENT) at Hannover Medical School (MHH). Together with her team, she is developing implants for the treatment of hearing disorders. The project is now being supported by the IBT with around 770,000 euros over two years. "This funding enables us to conduct a clinical study to prove that our idea works," says PD Dr. Scheper. MHH President Professor Dr. Michael Manns is also delighted with the success: "The translation of cutting-edge clinical research into application is the driving force for better patient care. The IBT accelerates this transfer as an incubator through start-up funding."
Bacta Implants enables the targeted delivery of active substances to areas of the body that are difficult to access. The first goal of the platform technology is to combat hearing loss. Using 3D printing with a bio-plotter, an elastic implant is created from silicone that contains an active ingredient to combat hearing loss and is precisely adapted to the individual patient's anatomy. The implant can be inserted directly into the so-called round window niche, which connects the middle ear with the inner ear, via a small incision in the eardrum under local anesthetic. Until now, sudden hearing loss has been treated with tablets or injections. The problem with this is that only a small proportion of the active ingredients used reach the inner ear. Therefore, either the healing effect is too low or the dose must be so high that undesirable side effects occur. "Both can be avoided with our implant because the active ingredient does not have to take a detour and can be targeted to the right place," emphasizes PD Dr. Scheper.
The round window implant (RNI) has already been effectively tested on patients with sudden hearing loss in individual treatment trials. However, before PD Dr. Scheper and her two colleagues from the ENT clinic can set up their own company and put their innovative development into practice, the team must prove in a clinical trial that the RNI actually delivers the drug to the inner ear. "This first study is a prerequisite for us to be able to conduct a registration study," says the scientist. Now she and her colleagues are delighted that the prize money from the IBT start-up competition will provide them with the financial means to prove this.
Three projects each from the MHH, the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) took part in the second round of the Institute for Biomedical Translation (IBT) Lower Saxony competition. In addition to the Bacta Implants project, the HZI project PROTON convinced the jury. It is developing a technology to prevent dangerous bacterial infections and will receive funding of around 890,000 euros.
Service:
The press release of the IBT you will find here.
More information can be obtained from PD Dr. Verena Scheper, scheper.verena@mh-hannover.de.
Text: Kirsten Pötzke
20 children spent an exciting Future Day at the Lower Saxony Center for Biomedical Engineering and Implant Research on 25.04.2024, where they gained fascinating insights into the world of implant research. Among other things, the students learned how cells can help deaf patients, how light gets into cells and how blood can be better preserved. Just like last year, we were able to provide a program for Ukrainian students. It was an inspiring experience for everyone involved!
