Dr. Michael Sittinger is a cell biologist and Head of the Laboratory for Tissue Engineering. He has 30 years of experience in the field of tissue engineering, with more than 250 scientific and patent publications in the field. He has strong experience in technology transfer, spin-off companies, and successful product development from own invention to market launch. He is co-founder of several companies developing and commercializing tissue engineering products and services. He was Director of Research and Development at BioTissue Technologies from the year 2000 until 2003.

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Could you describe the main tasks that The Charité  is working on in INKplant?

We want to understand and evaluate how INKplants innovative printed biomaterials interact with human cells and how these materials support regeneration and healing of tissue defects.

‍How do you see the role of 3D printing in the medical industry and what excites you about the future of regenerative medicine?

3D printing is already revolutionizing research in regenerative medicines as it allows us to profit from a wide collection of fascination regenerative material structures for preclinical evaluation for unsolved clinical problems.

‍What would you say have been the Charité Tissue Engineering Team most notable achievements?

Our team was first in developing a 3D tissue-engineered transplant that has entered the market for routine application in patients.

‍Can you tell us about any significant advances that have already been made in the INKplant project?

INKplant has already established a unique integration of innovations and experts in biomaterials, 3D printing, biomedical research and clinical implant development. This has led to concepts of novel regenerative implants where all issues of product development are considered from the beginning. This includes e.g. material biocompatibility, safety of implant and surgical handling, process of personalized manufacturing, regulatory framework as well as user acceptance by doctors and patients.