Biomedical Science

The physical chemist Prof. Christian Mayer and the physiological chemist Prof. Herbert de Groot are collaborating on the development of nanocapsules as oxygen carriers for artificial blood substitutes. The idea is to develop nanocapsules made of perfluorocarbons and employ them as artificial oxygen carriers. The researchers hope in future to significantly reduce the problems that currently limit the clinical application of perfluorocarbons (short retention time in the vasculature, disruption of the immune system).
The laboratories of Prof. Jörg Schröder (Mechanics) and Prof. Axel Klawonn (Mathematics) are collaborating on a project to widen arteriosclerotic arteries with the help of a balloon (balloon dilation) during stent placement. To improve the theoretical understanding of this procedure, the researchers generate models and numerical simulations of the stress distribution in the arterial walls during expansion caused by high internal pressure. They are collaborating closely with physicians in Prof. Raimund Erbel's laboratory at the West German Heart Centre, University Hospital Essen.
Prof. Elke Cario's laboratory (Clinic for Gastroenterology and Hepatology) recently identified a new pathophysiological mechanism of intestinal mucus production in the ability of commensal bacteria in the intestine to activate mucosal wound healing.
Orthopaedists, engineers and computer scientists are working together on the development of a prognostic system to optimise operation and rehabilitation procedures for the human locomotor system. Professors Josef Pauli, Andrés Kecskeméthy, Franz Löer, Mark Ladd, Wolfram Luther and Diethard Bergers are participating in the PROREOP project.
Cooperation between computer science (Prof. Josef Pauli) and transplantation medicine (PD Dr. Uta Dahmen) is making it possible to measure and quantify blood flow, which plays a highly significant role in the assessment of potential transplantations.
Chemists Prof. Matthias Epple and Dr. Viktoria Sokolova and microbiologists Prof. Jan Buer and Prof. Astrid Westendorf are collaborating on the German-Chinese Transregio TRR 60. Their aim is to use multi-layered calcium phosphate nanoparticles to target immune system cells so that they can be used to fight chronic infections such as hepatitis B. Biomolecules and inorganic materials are combined to form these structured nanoparticles