Dr. Veronika Hruschka holds a Ph.D. in Biotechnology and has 9 years of experience in national and EU project management, with a focus on bone tissue regeneration. She is an active senior member of the Bone Bioengineering and Regeneration group at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Traumatology and has co-authored 6 papers on bone tissue regeneration.‍

LBI Trauma brings valuable expertise in traumatology and tissue regeneration to the INKplant project. What are LBI Trauma's main tasks and what will your team be focusing on? ‍

There is nothing more personalized than a patient’s cells. In our research, we make sure that the developed scaffolds are suitable to provide cells with the optimal environment to attach, grow, and thrive. We give input on the development of inks and scaffolds early on to make sure that biological considerations are always part of the design process. We then receive material to test in our laboratory, seeding them with primary human cell strains. Years of successful research on bone and musculoskeletal tissue regeneration, with more than 100 publications in renowned journals and 8 patents in the field, have given us the expertise on how to best handle and study these cells and their interactions with biomaterials.  

Later on in the project, we will also perform pre-clinical studies to assure that the scaffolds also perform well in a systemic environment, facilitating the transition into clinical practice.

‍When it comes to 3D printing, what are you most excited about in terms of its impact on regenerative medicine?

3D printing opens a whole new horizon of possibilities. Implants can now be personalized to fit into the defect site. No more cutting of implant materials on site, and with these novel technologies, defects can be measured and scaffolds can be custom-made in a precise, reproducible, and efficient manner. But this is only the beginning. 3D printing can be combined with other novel technologies. Just to give one example, it can be combined with bioactive factors that stimulate bone growth so that these factors are delivered to and attract cells to promote the formation of new high-quality bone tissue right in the defect site.

In your opinion, what have been LBI Trauma’s best achievements to date?

LBI Trauma is at the forefront of research on the treatment of traumatic injuries. From intensive care to tissue regeneration, we strive to enable the full and sustained recovery of trauma patients. We have developed and patented novel tools for local hemostasis, homologous biomaterials, and cell isolation techniques. Our advances in intensive care research are saving lives. These lives, I would say, are our best achievement.

Moreover, I am proud of LBI Trauma’s place as facilitator and as translational partner with connections to industry, academia, and clinics. Only together, can we achieve meaningful changes.

‍What key advances has LBI Trauma made so far in the INKplant project?

We have already performed in vitro tests of ink components and printed inks. This screening helps decide which ink formulas are most biocompatible. If cells attach tightly to the implant, this enhances its integration into the defect site. Moreover, bone is a living structure, home to a variety of cells that build and rebuild our bone matrix every minute. Only materials that are capable of giving these cells a suitable environment can be taken into consideration for scaffold development.

What aims are LBI Trauma aspiring to achieve with INKplant?

We aim to be an integral part of the development of personalized 3D scaffolds with superior characteristics in terms of biocompatibility and graft integration. Via our expertise in preclinical testing, we aim to promote its transition into clinics.