Clinical questions, advanced strategies, and young researchers take center stage at the 13th TERMIS Winter School in Radstadt
This year once again, the 13th TERMIS Winter School brought together international experts and young researchers in the picturesque town of Radstadt in the Salzburg region. For several days, exchange, discussion and new impulses in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine were on the agenda. Community activities did not get overlooked either.
From clinical questions to innovative strategies
Tissue engineering always starts at the bedside. So, traditionally, our opening session looked at how real clinical needs shape the research questions we ask. The following session, “Advanced Strategies,” focused on how such challenges can be addressed through modern scientific approaches. Moderator Andreas Teuschl-Woller invited participants to take part in a pitch competition: young researchers presented their ideas on how new strategies could be integrated into their own projects. Students and professors alike enjoyed the creative exchange and the friendly competition.
Regeneration, ageing and cellular dynamics
Another focus of the programme was the interplay between cellular senescence and regenerative processes. Mikolaj Ogrodnik (LBI Trauma) and Julien Cherfils-Vicini (Université Côte d’Azur) showed the audience how senescent cells contribute both to the development of age-related diseases and to regenerative processes. Targeting these processes could potentially even contribute to the prevention of diseases.
Afterwards, Lindsay Dawson (Texas A&M University) introduced the participants to the fascinating world of natural regeneration. Her presentation on joint regeneration in mammals after amputation demonstrated how understanding natural regenerative mechanisms in animals can inspire therapies for humans.
Poster session: A stage for young researchers
As every year, the Winter School offered PhD students the opportunity to present their research and receive feedback from experienced scientists. During the guided poster tour, young researchers presented their projects in the field of tissue engineering.
Naturally, an award could not be missing. This year’s Best Poster Prize resulted in a rare tie, meaning that two outstanding contributions were recognised: Eva Pecháčková for her work on the role of cellular pre-conditioning in the therapeutic potential of MSC-derived extracellular vesicles in osteoarthritis, and Paula Büttner for her research on hyaluronic acid–based bioinks and cartilage tissue maturation.
A special atmosphere was created by Heinz Redl and Philipp Heher, who entertained participants with their own “poster pitches” on Austrian wines, sparking lively discussions among attendees.
Nanotechnology meets regenerative medicine
Tiny structures, big questions: Another part of the programme focused on the activities of the NanoPrecMed consortium and the role of nanotechnology in understanding biological processes and ageing.
Vaclav Brázda (TU Brno) presented G-quadruplex DNA motifs – unusual DNA structures that may act as molecular bookmarks in the genome and could even provide clues to the remarkable longevity of the Greenland shark. Jaroslaw Jacak (University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria) demonstrated how atomic force microscopy can be used to visualise nanostructures and study the behaviour of extracellular vesicles during their interaction with cells. Johannes Grillari (LBI Trauma) finally connected these findings to ageing research and explained the potential of extracellular vesicles for detecting and addressing age-related diseases.
The path from research to application was also discussed. In the session “From Innovation to Implementation,” the biotech start-up TAmiRNA, patent attorney Gerda Redl, and the new LBI NVPM discussed how scientific discoveries can move from the laboratory towards concrete medical applications.
Science, sport and exchange
Beyond the scientific programme, the sense of community is an important part of the Winter School tradition. This year’s social event took place in true Austrian style: an Ice Stock Sport tournament, where four teams competed against each other on the ice.
The sport did not stay on the ice for long. On the final day, Peter S. Zammit (King’s College London) cleverly used Ice Stock Sport as a vivid example to explain how different skeletal muscle groups work together during movement. Philipp Heher (Newcastle University) complemented this with a lecture on muscle diseases from a metabolic perspective.
LBI Trauma is delighted about the many positive responses and is already looking forward to the next Winter School in 2027.
