The objective of our research group is to acquire the basic knowledge necessary to develop new therapies against diseases affecting the liver. For that, we use stem cells to model embryonic development in vitro and to produce liver cells with an interest for cell therapy.

Bone is an interesting tissue from the researchers view as it is able to regenerate after injury. However, even today and with an adequate treatment 5-20% of all fractured patients experience a delayed or non-union.

Tissues in the musculoskeletal system are exquisitely designed with superb mechanical properties. The tissues are also able to adapt to withstand changing mechanical conditions. The Computational Mechanobiology Group is focused on understanding these two exciting features. Using computer modeling techniques, we seek to understand the mechanical…

Chronic low back pain is a significant public health problem in industrialized society. The intact spine carries the upper body and external loads, allows motion in a physiological range and protects the spinal cord. These different demands necessitate a high degree of complexity with various sources for disorders and pain. The BIH - Julius Wolff…

Defects in musculoskeletal tissues, e.g. in consequence of a trauma, do not always heal spontaneously but require surgical intervention. Biomaterials implanted into the defect region have to potential to support the healing process. We investigate the interaction between cells, their surrounding extracellular matrix and biomaterials for the…

Both mechanical and biological processes work together to determine the outcome of musculoskeletal regeneration. Whilst many of the biological factors have been identified and some even brought into clinical practice (BMP's, PDGF, IGF, etc.), the impact of the mechanical environment and the role of the immune system are only recently taken into…