Fixing the "percutaneous device dilemma" using biologically functionalzed titatium implants

Basic data for this project

Description

A central function of our skin is to maintain an effective barrier between the inside of the body and pathogens in the environment, such as viruses and bacteria. Particularly fascinating is the skin's ability to autonomously restore this barrier after an injury. In this process, skin cells that have lost their direct neighbors move towards the wound site until they find new neighbors. They connect with these new neighbors, thus restoring the barrier. However, there are situations in which a disruption of this skin barrier is medically necessary. This is the case, for example, with transcutaneous gastric tubes, insulin pumps, central venous catheters, or bone-anchored leg prostheses. Here, a passage through the skin is necessary, but it also means that the skin barrier is incomplete, and thus there is a constant risk of infection. This presents a true dilemma, known as the Percutaneous Device Dilemma. The goal of this project is to develop an innovative approach to address this dilemma. By applying a special surface coating, the surrounding skin cells are to be tricked into thinking that the implant is a neighboring cell. The aim is to stimulate the skin cells to grow on the implant, thereby restoring an intact skin barrier. In the dermatology laboratory, we coat titanium surfaces with adhesion molecules and then test them in cell cultures and skin models for tensile strength and stability. Here, our biophysical and skin immunological competencies come together.