A special guest at Dominik Hanetseder’s Rigorosum

Dominik Hanetseder, a member of the bone regeneration group headed by Regina Brunauer, focussed on the regeneration of bone tissue in older patients in his dissertation – an important topic due to the reduced regenerative capacity of the ageing body. He investigated the use of cell-free extracellular matrix (ECM) and conditioned medium (CM), i.e. medium enriched with signalling substances from other cells. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC-MPs) and human mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs) were used as signalling agents. The results show that both ECM and CM are promising approaches for cell-free bone tissue regeneration.

Dominik originally began his work under Darja Marolt, who travelled to Austria especially for his viva. A very special guest at Dominik’s viva should also be emphasised: his son, who caused a great deal of excitement as the ‘smallest fan’. To celebrate the day, Dominik received a ‘Magic the Gathering’ card designed by his colleagues – a reference to their shared hobby.

Magdalena: Innovative approaches to fighting infection

Magdalena Metzger is part of the photobiomodulation group headed by Peter Dungel. Her dissertation focussed on the challenges of skin decontamination and the development of innovative treatment methods, particularly in view of the increasing number of antimicrobial resistances. She showed that many skin protection products trap bacteria under a protective film, but that these can still be transferred to other surfaces. Nevertheless, the use of disinfectants has successfully reduced the bacterial load. Another focus of her work was the use of blue light and PVP curcumin as promising alternative therapeutic approaches.

In addition to her research work, Magdalena is a great pillar of our scientific community. Whether as a lecturer at the Vienna Adult Education Centre, as a knowledge mediator at trade fairs such as the Long Night of Research or as a participant in the Vienna Business Run – Magdalena is always an ambassador for science! She received a book with personal contributions from her colleagues as a thank you for her commitment and tireless efforts at the institute.

Marlene Wahlmüller: New findings for personalised cell therapy

Marlene Wahlmüller defended her PhD at Johannes Kepler University Linz! In her collaborative project between Morphomed and the Cell-based Therapies group at LBI Trauma’s Linz department, Marlene explores the therapeutic potential of adipose-derived mesenchymal/stromal cells for personalised medicine. Her work highlights adipose tissue as a promising source of regenerative cells, but also discusses variability in therapeutic outcomes associated with donor age and health status. She gained in depth insights into how lipedema, a chronic adipose tissue disorder, and cellular senescence influence the functionality of stem cells and tested ways of cell activation to regain or enhance their therapeutic potential. Marlene’s research opens doors to more effective autologous cell therapies.

Marlene has been the steady rock of our Linz lab since joining LBI Trauma. Always there for her coworkers – and her cells! – she has set a wonderful example of commitment and teamwork. Her reliability and calm presence have made a lasting impact on everyone around her.

Isabel Casado Losada: Advances in cartilage regeneration

Congratulations to Dr. Isabel Casado Losada on successfully completing her PhD in Musculoskeletal Regeneration at the Medical University of Vienna!

Her research focused on optimizing cartilage regeneration strategies, exploring the effects of BSA on the chondrogenic differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells, and investigating the chondrogenic potential of decellularized cartilage scaffolds. Isabel demonstrated how scaffold stiffness and glycosaminoglycan content impact cell infiltration and worked on innovative scaffold designs that enhance cell repopulation and support osteochondral regeneration.

As part of the Cartilage Regeneration Group, Isabel performed her research at Medical University of Vienna, under the lead of Sylvia Nürnberger. Despite her different location, her outgoing nature and her dedication to collaboration and networking made her a widely-loved well-known member of LBI Trauma.