Publications by authors named "Dirk Henrich"

Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs), a heterogeneous group of cell-derived, membrane-enclosed vesicles bearing cell-specific epitopes, have been demonstrated to play a crucial role in neuronal-glial communication and the orchestration of neuroinflammatory processes. However, the existing evidence regarding their function as biomarkers and their role in the pathobiology of traumatic spinal cord injuries (tSCI), particularly in humans, is scarce.

Objective: The primary goal of this study was to investigate whether a distinct pattern of EV surface epitopes detected in the plasma of individuals suffering from spinal cord injury is indicative of tSCI.

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Background: The one-step membrane technique, using a human acellular dermal matrix (hADM), is an experimental method for treating large bone defects. This eliminates the need for the Masquelet membrane induction step, shortening the procedure while maintaining effectiveness. However, previous studies showed that colonizing hADM with bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMC) worsens healing, likely due to the presence of CD8+ lymphocytes, which negatively affect bone regeneration.

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Since their initial recognition, miRNAs have been the subject of rising scientific interest. Especially in recent years, miRNAs have been recognized to play an important role in the mediation of various diseases, and further, their potential as biomarkers was recognized. Rising attention has also been given to miRNA-21, which has proven to play an ambivalent role as a biomarker.

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A macrophage shift from the M1 to the M2 phenotype is relevant for promoting tissue repair and regeneration. In a previous in vivo study, we found that direct current (DC) electrical stimulation (EStim) increased the proportion of M2 macrophages in healing tissues and directed the balance of the injury response away from healing/scarring towards regeneration. These observations led us to hypothesize that DC EStim regulates macrophage polarization towards an M2 phenotype.

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Article Synopsis
  • Regenerative medicine is in need of effective materials for tissue engineering, with human acellular dermal matrix (hADM)-derived collagen matrices emerging as a promising option due to their structural integrity and biocompatibility.
  • The study explores expanded clinical uses for collagen sheets beyond their traditional applications, evaluating the potential of Epiflex, an allogeneic membrane, and highlighting its effectiveness in bone reconstruction and other orthopedic procedures.
  • The findings suggest that collagen sheets can effectively manage a variety of tissue defects, enhance patient outcomes, and reduce the need for additional surgeries, thus indicating a broader application for hADM in clinical settings.
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Article Synopsis
  • Recent studies suggest injury-specific extracellular vesicle (EV) "barcodes" may help diagnose organ injuries in polytrauma patients.
  • The NTF research group aimed to establish a biobank for EVs, finding that different isolation methods affect EV quality and quantity.
  • Among the tested methods, size exclusion chromatography (SEC) was the best for biobanking, with findings indicating that long-term frozen plasma samples are viable for EV retrieval, while storage conditions can impact EV properties.
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Introduction: Autologous platelet concentrate (APC) are pro-angiogenic and can promote wound healing and tissue repair, also in combination with other biomaterials. However, challenging defect situations remain demanding. 3D bioprinting of an APC based bioink encapsulated in a hydrogel could overcome this limitation with enhanced physio-mechanical interface, growth factor retention/secretion and defect-personalized shape to ultimately enhance regeneration.

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Critical-size bone defects up to 25 cm can be treated successfully using the induced membrane technique established by Masquelet. To shorten this procedure, human acellular dermis (HAD) has had success in replacing this membrane in rat models. The aim of this study was to compare bone healing for smaller and larger defects using an induced membrane and HAD in a rat model.

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Objective: The goal of this study was to identify changes in extracellular vesicles (EV) surface proteins specific to traumatic brain injury (TBI), which could be used as a diagnostic and prognostic tool in polytrauma patients.

Summary Background Data: Known serum TBI-specific biomarkers (S100B, NSE, and GFAP), which can predict the severity and outcome of isolated TBI, lose their predictive value in the presence of additional extracranial injuries. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are released from cells in response to various stimuli and carry specific cargo/surface molecules that could be used for tracking injury-responding cells.

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Sepsis as a severe systemic inflammation leads oftentimes to organ dysfunction and subsequently to death. In polytrauma patients, septic complications represent with 45% the predominant cause of late death and are responsible for extremely high costs in the healthcare system. Therefore, clinicians have to detect as early as possible the begin of sepsis to improve the patient's outcome.

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Polytrauma is one of the leading mortality factors in younger patients, and in particular, the presence of cardiac damage correlates with a poor prognosis. Currently, troponin T is the gold standard, although troponin is limited as a biomarker. Therefore, there is a need for new biomarkers of cardiac damage early after trauma.

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Proximal humerus fractures are common in an aging population. The standard operative treatment is open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) using an angular stable plate. However, this procedure has complications such as a relatively high rate of secondary dislocation, humeral head necrosis or nonunion caused by delayed bony consolidation.

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(1) Background: Bone healing is a complex process that can not be replicated in its entirety in vitro. Research on bone healing still requires the animal model. The critical size femur defect (CSFD) in rats is a well-established model for fractures in humans that exceed the self-healing potential.

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Electrical stimulation (EStim), whether used alone or in combination with bone tissue engineering (BTE) approaches, has been shown to promote bone healing. In our previous in vitro studies, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were exposed to EStim and a sustained, long-lasting increase in osteogenic activity was observed. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that pretreating MSC with EStim, in 2D or 3D cultures, before using them to treat large bone defects would improve BTE treatments.

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Background: Hemorrhagic shock (HS) is responsible for approximately 2 million deaths per year worldwide and is caused in 80% by polytrauma. These patients need a precise and quick diagnostic, which should be based on a combination of laboratory markers and radiological data. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) were described as potential new markers and mediators in trauma.

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Background: Pneumonia is a frequent complication after polytrauma. This study aims to evaluate the ability of different serum markers to identify patients at risk of developing pneumonia after polytrauma. Methods: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data in polytraumatized patients with concomitant thoracic trauma (Injury Severity Score ≥16, Abbreviated Injury Scale Thorax ≥ 3) was performed.

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Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a 3D-printed hands-on radius fracture model for teaching courses. The model was designed to enhance understanding and knowledge of radius fractures among medical students during their clinical training.

Methods: The 3D models of radius fractures were generated using CT scans and computer-aided design software.

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Trauma remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Polytraumatized patients need a precise, early diagnosis to avoid complications such as multiorgan failure or sepsis. Inflammatory cytokines, commonly used for diagnosis, have a short half-life, which limits their efficacy as a diagnostic or prognostic marker.

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Large bone defects such as those that occur after trauma or resections due to cancer still are a challenge for surgeons. Main challenge in this area is to find a suitable alternative to the gold-standard therapy, which is highly risky, and a promising option is to use biomaterials manufactured by 3D printing. In former studies, we demonstrated that the combination of polylactic acid (PLA) and bioglass (BG) resulted in a stable 3D-printable material, and porous and finely structured scaffolds were printed.

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For acute and chronic soft tissue infections, radical surgical debridement is required and is considered the gold standard, along with its immediate systemic antibiotic therapy. Treatment with local antibiotics and/or antibiotic-containing materials is commonly used as an additional tool in clinical practice. Spraying with fibrin and antibiotics is a newer technique that has been studied for some antibiotics.

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The classic two-stage masquelet technique is an effective procedure for the treatment of large bone defects. Our group recently showed that one surgery could be saved by using a decellularized dermis membrane (DCD, Epiflex, DIZG). In addition, studies with bone substitute materials for defect filling show that it also appears possible to dispense with the removal of syngeneic cancellous bone (SCB), which is fraught with complications.

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Chronic non healing wounds in diabetic patients still impose a major problem in modern medicine. Especially additional peripheral vascular disease complicates treatment success in these patients. Thus, we analyzed the effects of 11,12 epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET) in a combined model of hyperglycemia and ischemia in mice.

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Background: Trauma is still a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in the younger population. Trauma patients need a precise, early diagnostic to avoid complications like multiorgan failure and sepsis. Exosomes were described as markers and mediators in trauma.

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Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction, caused by dysregulation of the host response to infection. To understand the underlying mechanisms of sepsis, the vast spectrum of extracellular vesicles (EVs) is gaining importance in this research field. A connection between EVs and sepsis was shown in 1998 in an endotoxemia pig model.

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Three-dimensional printing, especially fused filament fabrication (FFF), offers great possibilities in (bio-)medical applications, but a major downside is the difficulty in sterilizing the produced parts. This study evaluates the questions of whether autoclaving is a possible solution for FFF-printed parts and if the printer itself could be seen as an inherent sterilization method. In a first step, an investigation was performed on the deformation of cylindrically shaped test parts after running them through the autoclaving process.

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