It is hoped that their success in converting the body's own stem cells into adipocytes (fat cells) and colonising them on 3D implants will help in the treatment of damaged soft tissue in future.

Filling large injuries such as burns, pressure ulcers and large scars is a particular challenge in reconstructive surgery. Most surgeons currently choose flap surgery for tissue reconstruction. This technique puts great strain on the surrounding healthy tissue and therefore on the entire patient.

The alginate implants represent a very promising alternative. Their development was based both on earlier research work carried out at the Hohenstein Institute on combining biopolymers and stem cells in soft tissue replacement, and on the expertise of the Bergmannsheil working group on wound healing and tissue replacement.

Hohenstein