Twelve million euros for new Collaborative Research Center/Transregio led by MHH in cooperation with Leibniz Universität Hannover and other partners A major success for medical research in Hannover: The German Research Foundation (DFG) is funding the new Transregional Collaborative Research Center TRR 298 on implants with around twelve million euros over the next four years. Under the leadership of Hannover Medical School (MHH), MHH physicians will work together with engineering and natural scientists from Leibniz Universität Hannover (LUH) to develop the implants of tomorrow. "On the one hand, this shows how powerful medical research is at the MHH," emphasizes MHH President Professor Dr. Michael Manns, "on the other hand, we have once again demonstrated how successfully the cooperations between the universities and research institutes of our metropolitan region are developing. Our already close cooperation with Leibniz Universität Hannover (LUH) is thus placed on an even firmer footing. I would like to thank all those involved for their commitment." Intelligent implants of tomorrow In the research network "Safety-integrated and infection-reactive implants" (SIIRI), which is headed by Professor Dr. Meike Stiesch, director of the MHH Clinic for Dental Prosthetics and Biomedical Materials Science, a completely new approach to implant research is being taken. "For the first time, we want to research safety-relevant concepts from the engineering sciences, such as those used in aviation to increase safety, for medicine," explains Professor Stiesch. Researchers from a wide range of disciplines want to work together to develop intelligent implant systems for dentistry and orthopedics, as well as hearing implants, which for the first time will use state-of-the-art technology to allow continuous monitoring of implant function and thus early detection of complications such as infections. This will enable early therapeutic intervention to combat these infections, some of which can be life-threatening. However, the scientists want to go even further in this collaboration: "We are developing intelligent implant systems that can independently initiate early repair and thus healing via cell-based, chemical and physical so-called closed-loop systems," adds the professor. Close cooperation of the different disciplines The interdisciplinary and innovative concept has been made possible by the close cooperation of dentists, physicians, engineers, natural and social scientists. 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. In the Transregional Collaborative Research Center, more than 150 scientists from the MHH, Leibniz Universität Hannover, the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research in Braunschweig, the Technical University of Braunschweig and the University of Music, Drama and Media (HMTMH) will conduct joint research on the development of new implants to increase patient safety. "This extremely challenging task can only be tackled jointly between the institutions involved. The engineering and medical expertise of the project partners complement each other perfectly for this purpose," emphasizes co-spokesman Professor Dr. Hans Jürgen Maier, head of the Institute of Materials Science at Leibniz University. Leibniz University scientists from the fields of mechanical engineering, chemistry and physics are involved, contributing expertise from materials science and sensor technology, among others. Furthermore, another innovative approach in this research network is that not only the interfaces between technology and biology are explored, but also the patient perspective is included in all research and development steps from the very beginning. Research into the doctor-patient interaction will contribute significantly to a further increase in future implant and thus patient safety. SERVICE: More information please contact Professor Dr. Meike Stiesch, stiesch.meike@mh-hannover.de, telephone (0511) 532-4773.