2012|13 Annual Report Fraunhofer IGB

61 Prof. Dr. Heike Walles Better cure rates offered by regenerative medicine, quicker and more accurate diagnostics using molecular-biological approaches, and coordinated interaction between medical implants and their physiological environment are scientiﬁc trends which improve healthcare provision and at the same time can reduce costs. In the medicine business area at the Fraunhofer IGB we frequently work together with medical specialists on interdisciplinary projects, addressing top- ics in the areas of tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, immunology, infection biology, di- agnostics, and the “biologization” of established medical products. The quality of the food we eat is also critical to human health – which is why improving its production is also a subject of investigation at the Fraunhofer IGB. The focus of regenerative therapies is on the development of autologous transplants, known as ATMPs (advanced therapy medicinal products). The Fraunhofer IGB maps the complete value-added chain up to GMP-compliant manufacturing of ATMPs. In the last year we started to launch two phase I clinical studies for European registration, together with our network of physicians. The Fraunhofer IGB will make the experience and competence gained through these studies available to small and medium-size enterprises, assuming the role of the media- tor from the fundamentals up to the preclinical stage. To promote the role of tissue engineer- ing products in healthcare, we are developing a GMP-conform plant for the standardized, fully automated in-vitro manufacture of skin models through a joint Fraunhofer research project ﬁ- nanced by the Fraunhofer-Zukunftsstiftung (Fraunhofer Future Foundation). Both bacterial and fungal infectious diseases are again on the increase in industrial nations, making new scientiﬁc strategies to combat infection or avoid sepsis a priority. Thanks to the various array technologies and transcriptome analysis methods, as well as human tissue mod- els it has developed on the basis of its own patents, the Fraunhofer IGB is in a position to elu- cidate host-pathogen interaction and make targets available for new anti-infectives. Using this know-how, we aim to develop new diagnostics as well as active agents and treatment strategies. A further focal point, enabled by the interdisciplinary mode of operation of the Fraunhofer IGB, is the optimization of surface properties of established medical devices such as tracheal stents and contact lenses. This is carried out primarily by means of plasma processes to gener- ate bioactive or antibacterial surfaces; we then proceed to test the effectiveness and biocom- patibility of these surfaces on in-vitro tissue models. We also make a contribution to preventive healthcare through the development of processing techniques and methods for hygienization and pasteurization that are gentle on the product and thus preserve the product’s original properties. MEDICINE

2012|13 Annual Report Fraunhofer IGB

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