Research

The UREPLACE project of the Laboratory of Cell Biophysics deals with the reconstruction of the ureter (ureter) in the context of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. These form the connection between the kidney and the urinary bladder and are used to transport urine to the bladder. This active transport process is based on a peristaltic effect, which is also known from the oesophagus (gullet). This project is being carried out jointly by various project partners from medicine, research and industry in order to pool as much expertise as possible. Numerous clinical pictures, some of which already occur in the human developmental phase, can restrict the functionality of the ureter.

This is an intermediate step in the development of the bioreactor for cultivating a tubular structure that is able to adequately replace the ureter.

Ultimately, all new experiences and findings will flow into the further development of the biomaterials and the bioreactor, which will take regenerative and personalised medicine a few more major steps forward.

Funded by: Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology as part of the PROgramme "Promotion of the increase of INNOvation competence of medium-sized companies"

In extreme cases, this can lead to the loss of the ureters as well as the kidneys. To date, there are only inadequate methods to help those affected. At present, textile tubular structures, pieces of the small intestine and, in some women, pieces of the fallopian tubes are used to bridge the defective areas. However, these alternatives lead to further problems; the most common are restrictions, inflammation and increased stone formation on the transplants.
One challenge is now the cultivation of a tubular structure that is able to adequately replace the ureter. This requires - and is being realised for the first time worldwide by the LZBP in this approach - peristalsis of the replacement ureter for the active transport of urine.

A three-dimensional collagen matrix is used as the base material for growing the ureter. The patient's own cells are dynamically cultivated on this in a bioreactor. Essentially, this cell cultivation method is used for targeted cell training, which forms physiological muscle cell layers that lead to a directed contraction of the tubular structure.
As peristalsis is probably the most important aspect in this context, it is also necessary to understand and reproduce the various mechanical parameters and sizes. To this end, a biomechanics research group at FH Aachen is working on various simulations and material tests.

The Eceladus Explorer project is a further development of the "IceMole" melting probe, which Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dachwald developed as project leader for the exploration of polar regions, glaciers and extraterrestrial regions. A clean ice core is drawn into the probe in order to analyse it with measuring instruments. Propulsion is achieved using an ice screw and by melting the ice.

The Enceladus Explorer project is being carried out in collaboration with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dachwald from the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at FH Aachen and Dr I. Digel from the Faculty of Medical Engineering and Technomathematics, Laboratory for Cell and Microbiology at FH Aachen. Dr I. Digel is working on the decontamination of the probe within this project.

Prof. Dr G. Artmann and his team are working on the development of an acoustic navigation system that will make it possible to explore the environment, detect obstacles and identify flowing water and cracks in the ice. Piezo-based acoustic elements will be used to emit signals in the kHz to MHz range from the head of the IceMole (IM). This allows both the required
range and the corresponding resolution to be set. Changes in the sound-conducting medium lead to reflections, the strength of which depends characteristically on the material. With the help of several
sensors/emitters, a spatially resolved, targeted close-up exploration of the material in front of the IceMole is to be carried out in order to recognise stones or air or water-bearing gaps/air gaps, for example. The
penetration capacity of ultrasound in ice is very high, enabling early detection of obstacles and thus the timely possibility of initiating an evasive manoeuvre. In addition, the data provides precise information on how close and at what angle one has approached a water gap or an air gap.

The development of a suitable navigation system for the IceMole system opens up a wide range of possible terrestrial applications by allowing scientific sensors to be positioned specifically in the ice. This
also enables the investigation of deep ice layers in the context of glaciological, biological and climate research. Navigation also provides data on any kind of contamination in the ice, stones, rock distribution,
fissures, bubbles, cavities, interfaces, watercourses, air gaps and possibly much more. It may also be possible to recover objects trapped in the ice (e.g. broken drill heads from previous missions, probes, 'otzis', mammoths, etc.).