Inhaltsbereich

Bridging procedures, homological and heterological organ and tissue replacement as well as alloplastic organ replacement are at the centre of this field of research. Therefore, it stretches beyond the surgical disciplines towards intensive care disciplines and fundamental medical research.

MedUni Vienna boasts the highest transplant rates worldwide (based on population density) and is one of Europe's top transplant centres for bone marrow and stem cell transplants as well as lung transplants. In terms of alloplastic organ replacement the tradition of the Viennese artificial heart (Esmeralda) has been continued through pioneering work in relation to sub-ventricle replacement and new rotation pumps. This field of research disposes of both a solid biotechnological and biophysical background as well as substantial research assignments from industry. On the basis of the research on "lung transplants", the Federal Ministry of Science and Research (BMWF) has awarded a fast-track professorship for "Special Thoracic Surgery".

The field of research is categorised into five specific areas:

• Clarification of non-immunological models harmful to organs and their treatment
• Biometry of the transplant with the goal of describing and analysing transplant results.

HEART

• Heart insufficiency, bridging, heart failure, with the research objective being the pathophysiology, sonographic diagnostic and pharmacologic intervention of cardiac insufficiency
• Heart transplants
• Artificial heart with the research objective being reliable long term support systems and bio-compatibility
• Heart anomalies

LUNGS

• Pathophysiology of respiratory insufficiency
• Lung transplants
• Pulmonary thromboarterectomy and lung volume reduction with the objective of establishing both of these as an alternative to lung transplants
• Extracorporeal lung replacement for advancement of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

LIVER

• Acute liver failure and extracorporeal liver replacement with the objective of establishing artificial liver replacement alongside dialysis machines
• Liver transplants

KIDNEYS

• Kidney replacement therapy and dialysis in order to optimise the dialysis procedure
• Transplants of kidneys with the objective of optimising immuno-suppressive therapies
• Paediatric nephrology with the objective on research into immunological and non-immunological harmful mechanisms with chronic kidney insufficiency

OTHER ORGANS

• Establishment of a transplant programme for pancreas cells
• Research of causes of motility disorders in the gastrointestinal tract with the objective on the pharmacologic influence and construction of a physiologically-based organ replacement
• Organ replacement for perinatal malformations (perinatal surgery)

• Replacement of joints or of parts of joints and extremities with the research objective on the formulation of a concept for the transplant of joints and extremities with vascular connection.

• Sub-projects are already in clinical use. Research objective is the practical application of tissue transplants of bone, cartilage, meniscus, nerves, muscles and skin.

• Cultivation of autologous bone cells for tissue replacement in prosthetic surgeryCartilage cell transplant
• Development of a composite cartilage from fibre and hyaline cartilage (meniscus replacement)
• Schwann cell cultivation with the objective on autologous nerve replacement
• Creation of functional contractile muscle tissue from haematopoietic stem cells
• Epithelial cells for replacement of skin and mucous membrane

• Establishment of immunological transplant tolerance by means of mixed chimerism
• Intervention in stem cell differentiation and their regulation mechanisms
• Characterisation of haematopoietic progenitor cells
• HLA system in transplant research

Continue to: Critical care at the Medical University of Vienna (Clinical Program)