Hoerstrup Simon
Group Leader
Prof. Dr. Dr. Simon Philipp Hoerstrup
Name of the Institution
Regenerative Medicine Program and Cardiovascular Surgery Research
Division of Surgical Research, University and University Hospital Zurich
Street
Rämistrasse 100
City
8091 Zürich
Phone
+41-44-255 38 01
+41-44-255 36 44 (secretariat)
+ 41-44-255 43 69 Fax
simon_philipp.hoerstrup@usz.ch
Group Members
Laura Baumgartner, PhD
Thomas Baumgartner, Study Coordinator
Chad Brokopp, PhD-Student
Max Emmert, Dr. med.
Ajit Sankar Mallik, MD PhD
Hong Nga Nguyen Vu, Dr. phil.
Francesca Papadopulos, PhD-Student
Jérôme Robert, PhD-Student
Roman Schönauer, Dr. sc.nat.
Ursula Steckholzer, Lab Technician
Benedikt Weber , Dr. med.
Petra Wolint, Lab Technician
Steffen Zeisberger, Dr. rer. nat.
Research Areas
The Regenerative Medicine Program focuses on the development and in vitro generation of novel, cell based therapies. The group’s research expertise lies in the fields of tissue engineering, cell based therapies and disease modelling.
- Tissue engineering : These include tissue engineered blood vessels, heart valves as well as microscale strategies for myocardial regeneration. Presently utilized heart valve and blood vessel prostheses carry disadvantages for the patients mainly because non-living, artificial devices are inserted into the human organism. Tissue engineering enables the in vitro production of autologous, living and functional replacements with the capacity of growth for congenital application as an alternative to state of the art artificial replacements.
- Cell Transplantation : An additional focus is the development of cell based implants based on the design of in vitro generated microtissues to improve myocardial functionality of the diseased heart.
- Disease Modelling : Furthermore, we accomplish disease modelling studying e.g. inflammatory processes that occur in the early development of arteriosclerosis.
Selected research projects:
- LifeValve:
LifeValve is a collaborative project funded by the European Commission under the Seventh European Framework Programme and brings together a unique consortium of academic and industrial partners from Switzerland (Leading House), Germany, The Netherlands, Austria and Hungary. The principal objective of the LifeValve project is to develop a new therapeutic strategy to treat heart valve disease patients more efficiently.
- Advanced Cell Therapies for Cardiac Repair:
Advanced Cell Therapies for Cardiac Repair is a collaborative project funded by the Special Program University Medicine (SPUM) launched by Swiss National Science Foundation. The project aims to develop an advanced cell therapy concept for the injured heart. Leaded by Zurich group, the consortium comprises the partner groups from Lausanne and Geneva. The expertise of the consortium ranges from human embryonic (hESC) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) to resident cardiac (CSC) and adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). The main objective of the project is to compare in a systematic manner the cell types at hands, and to evaluate whether it is possible to overcome cell-specific limitations. The best cell type, delivery format and delivery time will be evaluated in a defined timeline from in vitro to in vivo tests with regard to a realistic clinical implementation. Next to the development of novel cell therapy concept, the consortium provides the thoughtful training program for the clinical candidates. Their career development plans will enable them to qualify among the first generation of scientifically trained clinical specialists for the routine use of cell-based therapies for the treatment of cardiac diseases.
Selected references
1.Schoenauer R, Emmert MY, Felley A, Ehler E, Brokopp C, Weber B, Nemir M, Faggian GG, Pedrazzini T, Falk V, Hoerstrup SP, Agarkova I. EH-myomesin splice isoform is a novel marker for dilated cardiomyopathy. Basic Res Cardiol. 2010 Nov 11.
2.Gabi M, Bullen ME, Agarkova I, Schmidt D, Schoenauer R, Brokopp C, Emmert MY, Larmagnac A, Sannomiya T, Weber B, Wilhelm MJ, Voros J, Hoerstrup SP. Effects of small pulsed nanocurrents on cell viability in vitro and in vivo: implications for biomedical electrodes. Biomaterials. 2010 Nov;31(33):8666-73.
3.Schmidt D, Dijkman PE, Driessen-Mol A, Stenger R, Mariani C, Puolakka A, Rissanen M, Deichmann T, Odermatt B, Weber B, Emmert MY, Zund G, Baaijens FPT, Hoerstrup SP. Minimally-Invasive Implantation of Living Tissue Engineered Heart Valves A Comprehensive Approach From Autologous Vascular Cells to Stem Cells. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2010 Aug 3;56(6):510-20.
4.Kelm JM, Lorber V, Snedeker JG, Schmidt D, Broggini-Tenzer A, Weisstanner M, Odermatt B, Mol A, Zund G, Hoerstrup SP. A novel concept for scaffold-free vessel tissue engineering: self-assembly of microtissue building blocks. J Biotechnol. 2010 Jul 1;148(1):46-55.
5.Schmidt D, Achermann J, Odermatt B, Genoni M, Zund G, Hoerstrup SP. Cryopreserved amniotic fluid-derived cells: a lifelong autologous fetal stem cell source for heart valve tissue engineering. J Heart Valve Dis. 2008 Jul;17(4):446-55.
6.Schmidt D, Achermann J, Odermatt B, Breymann C, Mol A, Genoni M, Zund G, Hoerstrup SP. Prenatally fabricated autologous human living heart valves based on amniotic fluid derived progenitor cells as single cell source. Circulation. 2007 Sep 11;116(11 Suppl):I64-70.
7.Schmidt D, Stock UA, Hoerstrup SP. Tissue engineering of heart valves using decellularized xenogeneic or polymeric starter matrices. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2007 Aug 29;362(1484):1505-12.
8.Kelm JM, Moritz W, Schmidt D, Hoerstrup SP, Fussenegger M. In vitro vascularization of human connective microtissues. Methods Mol Med. 2007;140:153-66.
9.Schmidt D, Mol A, Odermatt B, Neuenschwander S, Breymann C, Gossi M, Genoni M, Zund G, Hoerstrup SP. Engineering of biologically active living heart valve leaflets using human umbilical cord-derived progenitor cells. Tissue Eng. 2006 Nov;12(11):3223-32.
10.Mol A, Rutten MC, Driessen NJ, Bouten CV, Zund G, Baaijens FP, Hoerstrup SP. Autologous human tissue-engineered heart valves: prospects for systemic application. Circulation. 2006 Jul 4;114(1 Suppl):I152-8.
11.Hoerstrup SP, Cummings Mrcs I, Lachat M, Schoen FJ, Jenni R, Leschka S, Neuenschwander S, Schmidt D, Mol A, Gunter C, Gossi M, Genoni M, Zund G. Functional growth in tissue-engineered living, vascular grafts: follow-up at 100 weeks in a large animal model. Circulation. 2006 Jul 4;114(1 Suppl):I159-66.
Funding
EU Framework Programme 7
Swiss National Science Foundation
Novartis Stiftung für Biologisch-Medizinische Forschung
ETHZ Sandpit Grant
URL
Link to "Forschungsdatenbank" of the University
not mentioned