Press Release 07.11.2006

International Congress on Regenerative Biology (BioStar 2006) and
International Congress on Nanobiotechnology (ICBN 2006)

Focus on regenerative medicine leads to successful cooperation

(Stuttgart) – The joint program of the BioStar 2006 und ICBN 2006 congresses held from 9 to 11 October, 2006 in the Liederhalle, Stuttgart, combined the latest research results and treatments as well as industrial production methods with a focus on exciting visions in the regenerative biology and nanobiotechnology fields. Some 250 scientists from 21 nations met to exchange ideas on cutting-edge research and developments in biotechnology in lectures and workshops. Top-level discussions highlighted how cooperation between both research disciplines will continue to be important in the future.

Interdisciplinary cooperation and “centres of excellence” were the central themes of the three-day dual congress, which focused on collaborative research and building knowledge clusters in technology parks. There was agreement on the common goals of enabling basic biotechnology research to be used at the highest level and making innovative high-tech products economically successful.

Prof. Robert Huber, winner of the Nobel Prize

Professor Robert Huber, winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, set the tone for the scientific discussion with the ICBN opening lecture. His basic question on the topic of “Biochemical Nanomachines” examined how basic molecular structures can accommodate technical functions on a three-dimensional basis. What may at first seem complex was rendered by Huber very succinctly when he stated that all life is chemistry. This statement also emphasized the fundamental importance of understanding vital processes at even the tiniest level. In Huber’s view, the current trend in science is primarily towards imitating biological processes outside cells. Cell research, he explained, is a key task in regenerative biology, which is why it was also at the heart of lectures and workshops at BioStar 2006. “The history of biochemical nanomachines is the history of proteins,” said Huber. Its importance in vital processes places the focus of basic cell biology research onto the possibilities for analysing the protein repertoires of cells, i.e. proteomes. The difficulties facing this research discipline, added Huber, are mainly to do with the complexity and dynamics of the individual proteins. In his summing up, he said it would therefore be a long time before proteome research could be a match for genome research. However, protein crystallography as a method for investigating the three-dimensional structure of proteins is definitely a step in the right direction.

A key theme for the scientists was predicting the behaviour of complex biomaterials – from “nano” to “macro” – in the human body. Exact forecasts are indispensable to precisely control treatment processes by using suitable carriers and to prevent undesired reactions in the body. Professor Samuel I. Stupp, from Illinois in the USA, explained how bioactive nanostructures in their role as protein imitators can activate regenerative cell processes and thus provided a key example of adopting an interdisciplinary scientific approach. This research, he stated, does not just bring together scientific fields such as life sciences, medicine, physics and engineering. It also has a tangible impact on society, said Stupp. Examples such as treating diabetes and cerebral diseases e.g. Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, regeneration of heart tissue and cartilage substance in adults showed just a few of the promising opportunities.

The key focus for the theme of “Regeneration of Nerve Tissue” was provided by Schwann cells, which act as an insulating protective coat that covers the threadlike protrusions of peripheral nerve cells (axons). Here, too, it is a question of harnessing knowledge from biology to regenerate nerve cells. The lecture by PD Dr. Heike Hall-Bozic, materials researcher at the ETH Zürich, showed the challenge facing researchers from material science, neurobiology and medicine in restoring functions in cases of spinal injury. There are currently three conventional treatment methods – sewing together nerve endings, transplanting autologous nerves and using neuroprotectors and nerve guide rails, though the results are still limited. The process of researching and developing modified implants through the use of natural and synthetic materials holds greater promise.

A whole host of research methods and unresolved issues in the field of “Stem Cell Research” were also discussed. The ideal source is far from being decided, especially for adult stem cells. The question remains whether bone marrow, fatty tissue, or skin, cartilage, epithelial or nerve cells are better suited. Another unresolved issue is how the ability of cells to divide and the lifespan of new cells and new tissue can be influenced. However, there was agreement on the issue of using embryonic stem cells. Their use in Germany is not currently under consideration as, apart from the legal position, a high risk of cancer cannot be ruled out at present.

In the sector focusing on “Tissue Engineering”, PDDr. Anita Ignatius from the Institute of Orthopaedic Research and Biomechanics at the University of Ulm used the example of connective and supporting tissue to present achievements in skeletal repair. Dr. Cosimo De Bari, a rheumatologist at the renowned Guy’s Hospital in London, showcased his research on cellular and molecular physiology in healthy and diseased joints.

Lectures by Prof. Sheila MacNeil from the Kroto Research Institute at the University of Sheffield, UK and Dr. Magda Ulrich from the Association of Dutch Burn Centres illustrated how tissue engineering today is focused on practical needs. For years, both have been working successfully with biomaterials for regenerating skin. The clear finding that ultimately underlies all case studies, both in the test tube and in the patient, is that cells need cells, as they stimulate each other to grow and divide. This therefore requires cell growth to be stimulated in strictly controlled and structured pathways. Angiogenesis, the formation of blood tissue, has been a particular challenge for MacNeil. To this end, support membranes were manufactured and vascular surfaces reconstructed at the Kroto Research Institute. Concern was expressed about the lack of quality control in tissue engineering and the absence of any supervisory body to deal with standardisation of products. The prevailing view is that the use of commercially available materials should be regulated in the interest of maintaining consistently good treatment results.

The “Nano for the Environment” symposium was held as part of ICBN 2006, with Baden-Württemberg environment minister Tanja Gönner as its patron. The event stressed the fact that microtechnology and nanotechnology do not just play a key role in environmental technology. Dr. Barbara Karn from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington D.C. in the USA highlighted the options opened up by nanotechnology research in particular. High-quality sensors for identifying hazardous substances in water, sewage and waste are only billionths of a meter in size. Chemist Dr. Günter Proll from Tübingen demonstrated bio-nano sensors – “chemical noses” that are used to monitor the cleanliness of water.

The satellite symposium “Scientific and Economic Results of Regenerative Medicine in Baden-Württemberg” was a congress within a congress. Headed by Dr. Harald Stallforth from the biomaterials working group at the Gesundheitsforum Baden-Württemberg health forum, the symposium focused on interdisciplinary basic research and its industrial application in Baden-Württemberg. Referring to the importance of the regional multidisciplinary technology network, Dr. Klaus Eichenberg from BioRegio STERN Management GmbH noted that: “Our focus on regenerative medicine has now led to a large number of successful cooperation arrangements, true to the spirit of our motto ‘Thinking business forward’.”

Dr. Klaus Eichenberg, Managing Director of BioRegio STERN Management GmbH

The BioStar awards ceremony at the close of the dual BioStar 2006 and ICBN 2006 congress served as both an incentive and a reward. First prize went to biologist Lars Dreesmann, a Ph.D. student at the NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen. He received the award for his work into the effects of fibroblasts on Schwann cells and axonal growth in microstructured, biodegradable nerve guides.

Reflecting on the uniqueness of this year’s dual congress, Dr. Klaus Eichenberg from BioRegio STERN Management GmbH summed up proceedings, saying: “With 250 participants from over 21 countries, we have made a quantum leap this year, moving away from regionalism towards internationalism. Once again, this shows the importance of biotechnology and offers enormous potential for expanding the bio-network as well as for industry, business and the job market. I am therefore confident that the success story of BioStar in Stuttgart will continue in 2008.”