The core objective of the MaTisMed team is to support industry to develop new and to optimize implants and their surfaces for medical applications. Our goal resulting out of this objective is to define implant materials and their surfaces in such a way that:

• cell migration,
• proliferation and
• differentiation
• cell-cell interaction

is optimally controlled and steered according to the final function an implant has to fulfil in the human body. We are convinced that this only can be done based on exact knowledge regarding cell-surface interactions and their in vivo performance.

For this purpose, we try to model in vitro the in vivo situation as closely as possible using preferentially primary human cells in monolayer 2-D (in future also 3-D) and multi-cell type models monitoring the performance if possible on-line. Furthermore, we collaborate with partners evaluating selected surfaces in animal models to compare in vitro data with in vivo outcome. To obtain knowledge regarding cell-surface interactions these in vitro models are being used to correlate:

• the chemical composition of the surface,
• physical properties
• the structure (incl. nanostructure/Np),
• the release of bioactive substances and
• applied forces (incl. magnetic) at the cell-material interface with:
  • cellular performance including cell migration and
  • the competition/interaction between cells

Currently we especially focus on development of materials for nanomedicine and on the development on new ways to produce bone related implants with bioactive surfaces.

• Dr. Arie Bruinink (curriculum vitae)

Empa, CTI, Volkswagen Foundation, EU 7^th FP POCO, EU7^th FP MAGISTER, PhD School Empa-Poland, Spanish government (MICINN)

• Empa internal: Advanced fibres (St. Gallen); Biomaterials (St. Gallen); Nanoscale Materials Science (Dübendorf)
• National: Bischof Textiles (St. Gallen); Ionbond (Olten); Synthes (Waldeburg); Uni Bern (Bern), KSSG
• International: Uni Warsaw (PhD School EMPA-Poland), EU project partners, IFAM