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Wissenschaft
Good news for biomedical research in Saarland: The Leibniz ScienceCampus (LSC) "Living Therapeutic Materials" is entering its second funding phase after four years of successful research.
The Leibniz Institute for New Materials (INM), Saarland University (UdS), and the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) are starting the next phase of the Leibniz ScienceCampus on October 1. The Leibniz Association and the Saarland government are contributing a total of €1.6 million to fund the joint research of new materials for personalized delivery of biotherapeutics on the SaarlandCampus. In addition to the support from the Leibniz Association and the Saarland, the INM is providing €600,000 from its own funds for the project. Saarland University and HIPS are also each contributing €400,000, bringing the total funding for the research network to €3 million.
At the LSC, research focuses on materials that can produce and continuously deliver drugs within the body. This research will continue in the second phase, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for transferring the research results into medical applications. Jürgen Barke, Saarland's Minister for Economy, Innovation, Digital Affairs, and Energy, views the continued funding of the LSC as a valuable investment in Saarland’s research landscape: "Saarland is internationally recognized as an attractive environment for cooperative research at the intersection of materials science, biotechnology, pharmacy, and medicine. The LSC 'Living Therapeutic Materials,' which combines the material expertise of the INM with the pharmaceutical expertise of HIPS and Saarland University, is a beacon in this relatively new but steadily growing field of research. In line with Saarland's innovation strategy, the first funding phase of the LSC was a significant step in further developing our expertise in NanoBioMed. I am pleased that the Leibniz ScienceCampus has once again succeeded in the Leibniz Association's competitive process, allowing this excellent research to continue. I congratulate the partner institutions, whose research will contribute to transferring new insights into knowledge-based clinical applications."
University President Ludger Santen emphasizes the importance of the Leibniz ScienceCampus for Saarland University's NanoBioMed research focus: "New insights and techniques today are mostly developed at the intersections of different disciplines. The 'Living Therapeutic Materials' are an excellent example of this, showcasing the research strength of the university and non-university institutions in Saarland. These institutions are closely networked and collaborate interdisciplinarily in the fields of biomedical research and materials science."
What are Living Therapeutic Materials?
When we fall ill, we usually rely on medication taken in the form of pills, drops, or creams applied to the skin – that is, we introduce them externally into our body. But what if the healing substances could be tailored to our needs, produced directly in the body, and released precisely where they are needed? This is the question that researchers at the LSC have been exploring. They have developed medical devices in which specially programmed living materials, such as bacteria or fungi, are embedded in hydrogels to produce and release therapeutic agents as needed. Since Living Therapeutic Materials (LTM) produce and release their agents exactly where they are supposed to work, there is virtually no loss of the active ingredient. This "zero-waste" feature makes them both economically and ecologically attractive. A particularly impressive example is the self-moisturizing contact lens developed at the LSC. This lens contains LTM that produces hyaluronic acid – a proven treatment for dry eyes, usually administered in the form of eye drops. However, less than 5% of the medication actually reaches the eye when administered as drops, with the remaining 95% being lost.
Currently, LSC scientists are still largely working within laboratory settings. The primary goal of the next funding phase is to prepare for the transfer of their technology into real-world applications, with support from the INM's own InnovationCenter. The team will evaluate specific medical scenarios where LTMs could present a viable alternative to conventional drug delivery methods. One critical area under scrutiny is the interface between the LTM devices and the body. It is essential to ensure that only the therapeutic agents enter the body and not the organisms that produce them. Regulatory hurdles remain before LTMs can be approved for clinical use. To address these, the partners are already in talks with regulatory authorities and industry.
In addition to 19 senior scientists from the partner institutions, three research groups and 21 doctoral candidates are contributing to the LSC's goals. International conferences held on the Saarland University campus ensure ongoing exchange with experts worldwide and bolster the global reputation of the research location. The LSC's invitation to the fourth conference on Living Materials was accepted by 200 experts from 13 countries in September.
Prof. Dr. Aránzazu del Campo
Wissenschaftliche Geschäftsführerin und
Vorsitzende der Geschäftsführung
Tel.: ++49 (0)681 9300 510
E-Mail: aranzazu.delcampo@leibniz-inm.de
Drug producing bacteria confined in hydrogel
INM
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