Scientific advances in stem cell research in recent years have opened up a new field: regenerative medicine. It is known that certain tissue cells contain non-differentiated cells with a high proliferative capacity. These cells are adult progenitor cells, also called stem cells. Depending on the tissue surrounding them and the stimuli, these cells are able to differentiate and integrate into the existing tissue. Stem cells are responsible for physiological regeneration and repair processes.

For this reason, we are investigating the regenerative potential of the human body in vitro, with the aim of identifying mechanisms for the specific recruitment and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells, also using implanted materials.

For this purpose, we use stem cells derived from human adipose tissue. Adipose tissue has enormous therapeutic potential because it contains a large number of mesenchymal stem cells. These stem cells can differentiate into various cell types (bone, fat, cartilage, muscle, etc.).

The following topics are currently being investigated:

• Characterisation of stem cells from adipose tissue
• Influence of stem cells on neovascularisation
• Influence of oxygen deprivation on stem cell differentiation
• Influence of proinflammatory factors/chronic inflammation on stem cell differentiation
• Investigation of the differentiation potential of stem cells from adipose tissue

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• Dr. A. Jonitz-Heincke, Prof. Dr. R. Bader, Prof. Dr. T. Tischer, Orthopädische Klinik und Poliklinik, Universitätsmedizin Rostock
• Dr. R. Engelmann, Prof. Dr. B. Müller-Hilke, Institut für Immunologie, Universitätsmedizin Rostock
• Dr. R. Ramer, Prof. Dr. B. Hinz, Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Universitätsmedizin Rostock
• P. Müller, Prof. Dr. Robert David, Referenz- und Translationszentrum für kardiale Stammzelltherapie, Universitätsmedizin Rostock
• Prof. Dr. S. Van Vlierberghe, Prof. Dr. P. Dubruel, Polymer Chemistry and Biomaterials Group, Ghent University, Belgium
• Dr. J. Weber, Ästhetik-Klinik, Rostock
• C. Drobek, R. Mau, G. Schnell, Prof. Dr. H. Seitz, Lehrstuhl für Fluidtechnik und Mikrofluidtechnik, Universität Rostock
• PD Dr. T. Fiedler, Prof. Dr. B. Kreikemeyer, Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Virologie und Hygiene, Universitätsmedizin Rostock