Beneficiary: Technical University of Berlin
Funding feasibility phase: 01.08.17 bis 31.07.19; 295.652 Euro

Project description

Enhanced methods for bone regeneration are urgently needed to improve the possibilities of medical treatment. Although bone has a natural function to regenerate, this self-healing system fails depending on its severity. Especially in the oral and maxillofacial region, there are a multitude of medical indications that require a reconstruction of bone mass, e.g. after a jaw fracture or accidental trauma, after a tumor resection, due to side effects caused by medication, age-related bone loss or due to infectious bone damage.

On average, an adult European loses about six teeth in the course of his life until the age of 65. Against this background, researchers led by Roland Lauster at the TU Berlin, hope to develop a complex in vitro jaw model that can also be used as a transplant in the long term. The areas of tissue engineering and bioprinting promise some exciting solutions for this field of development. The two-year period of the feasibility phase is funded by the BMBF. During this time - spread over several milestones -, it is planned to gradually develop the end product by using these technologies. For this purpose, the in vitro model of a jawbone with surrounding vascularization and connective tissue will be built.