Reichmann Ernst
Group Leader
PD Dr. Ernst Reichmann
Name of the Institution
Tissue Biology Research Unit
University Children's Hospital, Zurich
Street
Steinwiesstr. 75 / Lab: August Forel Str 7
City
8032 Zürich / Lab: 8008 Zurich
Phone
+41(0)44 634 89 11 Lab
Group Members
Pontiggia, Luca, Postdoctoral Fellow
Braziulis, Erik, Postdoctoral Fellow
Marino, Daniela, Postdoctoral Fellow
Biedermann, Thomas, Postdoctoral Fellow
Hartmann, Fabienne, PhD Student
Luginbuehl, Joachim, PhD Student
Klar, Agnes, PhD Student
Scola, Simonetta, PhD Student
Böttcher-Haberzeth, Sophie, MD
Ischebeck, Tanja, Assistant
MainField(s) of Research, AbstractField(s) of Research, Abstract
Our research focuses on translational research in the fields of tissue engineering and stem cell biology. A major interest is to generate insights into factors and signals that regulate tissue renewal and histogenesis. Our aim is the in vitro construction of functional tissue substitutes for lost or non-functional tissues, in particular skin and urinary bladder. Projects are: a) the development of autologous dermo-epidermal skin composites in vitro that contain a functional epidermal stem cell compartment, that have established a functional dermo-epidermal junction and that allow rapid vascularization after transplantation. b) the identification, isolation, and maintenance of the epidermal stem cell compartment. c) improving the performance of cultured skin composites using a transient gene therapy approach.
Main Fields of Research, Keywords
Tissue engineering, tissue substitutes, transplantation, biodegradable matrix, adult stem cells, FACS, gene transfer, epithelio-mesenchymal signaling
Special Techniques and Equipment
Development of dermo-epidermal tissue composites, transient gene therapy
Education and Training
We have training opportunities for Master and PhD students and Postdocs.
Selected Publications
Pontiggia L, Biedermann T, Meuli M, Widmer D, Böttcher-Haberzeth S, Schiestl C, Schneider J, Braziulis E, Montaño I, Meuli-Simmen C, Reichmann E. (2009). Markers to evaluate the quality and self-renewing potential of engineered human skin substitutes in vitro and after transplantation. J Invest Dermatol. 2009 Feb;129(2):480-90.
Schneider J, Biedermann T, Widmer D, Montano I, Meuli M, Reichmann E, Schiestl C. (2009). Matriderm versus Integra: a comparative experimental study. Burns. 2009 Feb;35(1):51-7.
Böttcher-Haberzeth S, Biedermann T, Reichmann E. Review: Wege zu einer neuen Haut: Von den zellbiologischen Grundlagen über Tissue Engineering zu einem neuen Hautsubstitut. Paediatrica. 2009; 20 (4): 57-61.
Böttcher-Haberzeth S, Biedermann T, Reichmann E. Review: Tissue engineering of skin. Burns (2009), (doi:10.1016/j.burns.2009.08.016) Ahead of print, online available.
Montano I, Schiestl C, Schneider J, Pontiggia L, Luginbühl J, Biedermann T, Böttcher-Haberzeth S, Braziulis E, Meuli M, Reichmann E. Formation of human capillaries in vitro: The engineering of pre-vascularized matrices. Tissue Engineering Part A. 2010 Jan; 16 (1): 269-282.
Biedermann T, Pontiggia L, Böttcher-Haberzeth S, Tharakan S, Braziulis E, Schiestl C, Meuli M, Reichmann E. Human eccrine sweat gland cells can reconstitute a stratified epidermis. J Invest Dermatol. 2010. In press (Electronically ahead of print available).
Tharakan S, Pontiggia L, Biedermann T, Böttcher-Haberzeth S, Schiestl C, Reichmann E, Meuli M. Transglutaminases, involucrin, and loricrin as markers of epidermal differentiation in skin substitutes derived from human sweat gland cells. Pediatr Surg Int. 2010 Jan; 26 (1): 71-77.
Braziulis E, Biedermann T, Hartmann-Fritsch F, Schiestl C, Pontiggia L, Böttcher-Haberzeth S, Reichmann E, Meuli M. Skingineering I: engineering porcine dermo-epidermal skin analogues for autologous transplantation in a large animal model. Pediatr Surg Int. 2011 Mar;27(3):241-7.
Schiestl C, Biedermann T, Braziulis E, Hartmann-Fritsch F, Böttcher-Haberzeth S, Arras M, Cesarovic N, Nicolls F, Linti C, Reichmann E, Meuli M. Skingineering II: transplantation of large-scale laboratory-grown skin analogues in a new pig model. Pediatr Surg Int. 2011 Mar;27(3):249-54.
Weber AD, Pontiggia L, Biedermann T, Schiestl C, Meuli M, Reichmann E. Determining the origin of cells in tissue engineered skin substitutes: a pilot study employing in situ hybridization. Pediatr Surg Int. 2011 Mar;27(3):255-61.
Funding
EuroSTEC: funded by the European Commission under the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). Integrated Project (IP) on Soft tissue engineering for congenital birth defects in children: from biomatrix - cell interaction - model system to clinical trials
MultiTERM: Marie Curie Initial Training Network (ITN) on Training Multidisciplinary scientists for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine.