Previous and current research 

Stem and progenitor cells are controlled through environmental switches. Biomimetic materials and surface technologies can be instrumental to identify and modulate the involved signals. We utilize bioartificial polymer substrates to explore mechanisms of cellular fate decisions and enable new therapeutic approaches.

For that aim, we develop and apply surface and matrix engineering strategies comprising:

• the generation of surfaces with gradients and multiarrays of bioactive molecules (growth and differentiation factors; ECM), micro/nanostructures, elasticity;

• the reconstitution of extracellular matrices: collagen I- and collagen IV/laminin- (basemement membrane) type co-assemblies incorporating various glycosaminoglycans;

• the preparation of stimuli-responsive thin films based on polymers with temperature-induced phase transitions and the biomolecular functionalization of these layers;

• the synthesis of biohybrid polymer networks: heparin- star-polyethylene glycol networks with functional peptide units and tailored binding/release profiles for effector molecules;

Translational aspects of this work concern the application of stem and progenitor cells in future treatments of myocardial ischemia, neurodegenerative diseases and haematological disorders.

Future prospects and goals

• Injectable hydrogel matrices for in vivo tissue engineering, e.g. cell replacement therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.

• Engineered extracellular matrix assemblies for stem cell cultures, e.g. to control the expansion of hematopoietic progenitors ex vivo.

Major components of stem cell microenvironments providing exogenous signals to stem/progenitor cells (left top panel, schematic view of stem cell niche; left bottom panel, hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) growing in microcavities; right top panel, HSC in close contact with a collagen-I-heparin cofibril; right bottom panel, HSC growing on primary mesenchymal stem cells as feeder cell layer.

Group Members

List of group members

Selected publications

Kurth, I., Franke, K.; Pompe, T.; Bornhäuser, M.; Werner, C. (2009): Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in adhesive microcavities. Integrative Biology 1, 427-434.

Özyürek, Z.; Franke, K.; Nitschke, M.; Schulze, R.; Simon, F.; Eichhorn, K.-J.; Pompe, T.; Werner, C.; Voit, B. (2009): Sulfated glyco-block copolymers with specific receptor and growth factor binding to support cell adhesion and proliferation. Biomaterials 30, 1026-1035.

Herklotz, M.; Werner, C.; Pompe, T. (2009): The impact of primary and secondary ligand coupling on extracellular matrix characteristics and formation of endothelial capillaries. Biomaterials 30, 35-44.

Seib FP, Müller K, Franke M, Grimmer M, Bornhauser M, Werner C. (2009): Engineered extracellular matrices modulate the expression profile and feeder properties of bone marrow-derived human multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells. Tissue Eng Part A. 15 (10), 3161-3171.

Seib FP, Franke M, Jing D, Werner C, Bornhäuser M. (2009): Endogenous bone morphogenetic proteins in human bone marrow-derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells. Eur J Cell Biol. 88 (5), 257-71.

Maitz MF, Teichmann J, Sperling C, Werner C. (2009): Surface endotoxin contamination and hemocompatibility evaluation of materials. J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater. 90B (1), 18-25.

Herklotz M, Werner C, Pompe T.(2009): The impact of primary and secondary ligand coupling on extracellular matrix characteristics and formation of endothelial capillaries. Biomaterials 30 (1), 35-44.

Franke, K.; Pompe, T.; Kurth, I.; Werner, C. (2009): Biomimetic microcavities based on poly(dimethylsiloxane) elastomers. Soft Matter 5, 3505-3510.

Freudenberg, U.; Hermann, A.; Welzel, P.B.; Stirl, K.; Schwarz, S.; Grimmer, M.; Zieris, A.; Panyanuwat, W.; Zschoche, S.; Meinhold, D.; Storch, A.; Werner, C. (2009): A starPEG-heparin hydrogel platform to aid cell replacement therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. Biomaterials 30, 5049-5060.

Lanfer, B.; Seib, F.P.; Freudenberg, U.; Stamov, D.; Bley, T.; Bornhäuser, M.; Werner, C. (2009): Mesenchymal stem and progenitor cells cultured on aligned collagen matrices. Biomaterials 30, 5950-5958.

Pompe, T.; Glorius, S.; Bischoff, T.; Uhlmann, I.; Kaufmann, M.; Brenner, S.; Werner, C. (2009): Dissecting the Impact of Matrix Anchorage and Elasticity in Cell Adhesion. Biophysical Journal 97 (8), 2154-2163.

Seib, F.P.; Prewitz, M.; Werner, C.; Bornhäuser, M. (2009): Matrix elasticity regulates cytokine expression of human bone marrow-derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 389 (4), 663-667.

Sperling, C.; Fischer, M.; Maitz, M.; Werner, C. (2009): Blood coagulation on biomaterials requires combination of distinct activation processes. Biomaterials 30 (27), 4447-4456.

Stamov, D.; Salchert, K.; Springer, A.; Werner, C.; Pompe, T. (2009): Structural polymorphism of collagen type I - heparin cofibrils. Soft Matter 5, 3461-3468.

Zimmermann, R.; Küttner, D.; Renner, L.; Kaufmann, M.; Zitzmann, J.; Müller, M.; Werner, C. (2009): Charging and Structure of Zwitterionic Supported Lipid Bilayer Membranes studied by Streaming Current Measurements, Fluorescence Microscopy and ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy. Biointerphases 4 (1), 1-6.

Fischer, M.; Sperling, C.; Werner, C. (2009): Synergistic effect of hydrophobic and anionic surface groups triggers blood coagulation in vitro. Journal of Materials Science-Materials in Medicine (accepted).

Lanfer, B.; Storch, A.; Hermann, A.; Kirsch, M.; Freudenberg, U.; Reuter, U.; Werner, C. (2009): Directed Growth of Adult Human White Matter Stem Cell-derived Neurons on Aligned Fibrillar Collagen. Tissue Engineering (accepted).

Seib, F.P.; Lanfer, B.; Bornhäuser, M.; Werner, C. (2009): Enhanced biological activity of extracellular matrix-associated BMP-2. Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (accepted).

Zieris, A.; Prokoph, S.; Welzel, P.B.; Grimmer, M.; Levental, K.R.; Panyanuwat, W.; Freudenberg, U.; Werner, C. (2009): Analytical approaches to uptake and release of hydrogel-associated FGF-2. Journal of Materials Science-Materials in Medicine (accepted).

Götze, T., Valtink, M., Nitschke, M., Gramm, S., Hanke, T., Engelmann, K., Werner, C. (2008): Cultivation of an immortalized human corneal endothelial cell population and two distinct clonal subpopulations on thermo-responsive carriers. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 246, 1575-83.

Alberti,K., Davey,R.E., Kento,O., George,S., Salchert,K., Seib,F.P., Pompe,  T., Bornhäuser,M., Nagy,A., Werner,C., Zandstra,P. (2008): Functional immobilisation of signalling proteins enables control of stem cell fate. Nature Methods 5,645-650.

Lanfer, B.; Freudenberg, U.; Zimmermann, R.; Stamov, D.; Körber, V.; Werner, C. Aligned fibrillar collagen matrices obtained by shear flow deposition. Biomaterials 29 (2008) 3888-3895.

Stamov, D., Grimmer, M., Salchert, K., Pompe, T., Werner, C. (2008): Heparin intercalation into recostituted collagen I fibrils: Impact on growth kinetics and morphology. Biomaterials 29, 1-14.

Renner, L., Osaki, T., Chiantia, S., Schwille, P., Pompe, T., Werner, C. (2008): Supported lipid bilayers on spacious and pH-responsive polymer cushions with varied hydrophilicity. Journal of Physical Chemistry B 112, 6373-6378.

Franke,K., Pompe,T., Bornhäuser,M., Werner,C. (2007): Engineered matrix coatings to modulate the adhesion of CD133+ human hematopoietic progenitor cells. Biomaterials 28, 836-843.

Werner, C., Pompe, T., Salchert, K. (2006): Modulating extracellular matrix at interfaces of polymeric materials Advances in Polymer Science 203 63-93 (Special Volume “Polymers for Regenerative Medicine”, ed. C. Werner).

Oswald,J., Boxberger,S., Jorgensen,B., Feldmann,S., Ehninger,G., Bornhauser,M., Werner,C. (2004): Mesenchymal stem cells can be differentiated into endothelial cells in vitro. Stem Cells 22, 377-384.