Germany remains at the forefront of stem cell research, with a strong foundation in academics and private/commercial business. The country maintains sensitivity for protecting human dignity, and research is carefully regulated with appropriate legislation and funding. Stem cell researchers benefit from networking relationships within the country, with the Stem Cell Network of North Rhine Westphalia and through regional relationships through the ScanBalt organization to enhance biotechnology within the Nordic and Baltic Sea region, as well as European and international affiliations.
The embryo protection law prevents the derivation of new stem cell lines because the technique destroys the embryo. A recent ruling by members of Germany’s lower house of parliament passed an amendment to this law allowing scientists to import embryonic stem cells created before May 1, 2007, in order to allow German scientists to keep pace with the rest of the scientific world. Research on human embryonic stem cells may proceed under the Stem Cell Act of 2002, using only imported stem cell lines created before January 1, 2002. Funding for stem cell research is provided by the German Research Foundation and through other public entities and private foundations and companies.
The Stem Cell Network of North Rhine Westphalia was founded with a dual focus on bio-medical research and socio-ethico-legal considerations. The network puts together cross-discipline experts in science, medicine, religion, philosophy, sociology, and law for research in embryonic-sourced stem cells. Funding by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia amounted to $80,000 in 2007 and $75,000 in 2006 for joint projects with interdisciplinary participation.
The projects funded included studies of endo-thelial precursor calls for tissue engineering treatment, pluripotent and multipotent human stem cell microRNA expansion, controlling germ cell differentiation, controlling osteoprogenitor cells, human embryonic stem cell cardio myocyte selection and immunologic properties for use in animal mouse model, culturing human somatic periodon-tal stem cells as therapy for periodontitis, magnetic resonance imaging hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells for cell migration, and differentiation in vitro with smart contrast agents.
INSTITUTIONS
The Fraunhofer Technology Center was established in 1999 and is a central point of contact for research and development for national and global researchers. The Fraunhofer Institute is a member of the Fraunhofer Alliance of Life Sciences, and in 2004, it established the cell differential and cell technology group at University of Lubeck to focus on medical use of adult stem cells including isolation, differentiation, and growth of stem cells for regenerative medicine. The institute maintains a permit to import human embryonic stem cells.
Funding for the institute comes from public and commercial research and development contracts. In 2007 the institute employed 213 scientific and technical professions, including 32 research fellows, along with support staff. The money is used to translate fundamental science innovation to practical information application. The institute provides services in consulting, feasibility studies, prototype development, testing, and manufacturing engineering and support within the Saar, Brandenburg, and Schleswig-Holstein regions.
The Dresden University of Technology is a teaching and research university with English-language programs enrolling graduate students from 30 countries. The school combines the concepts of fundamental science with translations of the technology into regenerative medicine and bioen-gineering. The university established the Research Center for Regenerative Therapies in 2006 through funding by the German Research Foundation; it was expanded with the establishment of From Cells to Tissues to Therapies, Cluster of Excellence, supported by the federal government. The center’s research is performed through a network of over 70 laboratories in Dresden, including industry partners working toward a mission of developing regenerative therapies for human disease based on basic research in understanding developmental and growth processes. The center currently uses hematological stem cells in transplants. Research is focused on understanding stem cell physiology in animal models for diabetes and neurodegenerative, bone/cartilage, and cardiovascular diseases.
The biotechnological center supports research and education in molecular bioengineering. The center’s basic and preclinical research labs opened in 2000 to host research groups dedicated to genetics, proteomics, biophysics, cellular machines, tissue engineering, and bioinformatics. The center’s laboratories are situated for maximum networking opportunities, with biotech businesses housed in the same building as well a proximity to the Max Planck School for Molecular Cell Biology and Bioengineer-ing and the Center for Regenerative Therapies.
The International Max-Planck Institute established the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in 2001 as a research school for molecular cell biology and bioengineering, molecular cell biology, bioengineering, developmental biology, genetics, biophysics, neurobiology, and bioinformatics. The school provides a cross-discipline approach, with fundamental research and translation into regenerative medicine and applied bioengineering and with the Dresden University of Technology. Students accepted in the school are also affiliated with the Dresden International Graduate School of Biomedicine and Engineering in one of three international doctoral programs: cell and developmental biology, regenerative medicine and nanobiotechnology, and biophysics and bioengineering.
A recent ruling by members of Germany’s lower house of parliament allows German scientists to import embryonic stem cells created before May 1, 2007.
The Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials is also affiliated with the Dresden University of Technology. The center was established in 2002 with the mission of creating biological material for use by university and commercial researchers.
Heinrich Heine University, located in Dussel-dorf, was founded in 1907 to train physicians and is now home to the departments of medicine, science, economics, law, and philosophy. Biomedical research at the center is funded by the German Research Foundation, and current projects in the live sciences include cardiovascular medicine, clinical hematology, neuroscience, aging, biochemistry, and developmental biology. The university also acts as a biotech company incubator with successes including Qiagen and Rhein-Biotech.
The Third Spring School on Regenerative Medicine combines a conference for international scientists to share opinions and experience using stem cells with one week’s practical methodology for working with stem cells. The cross-discipline approach is intended to provide a complete picture of the stem cell differentiation process and translation therapeutic application in creating artificial organ tissue and cells for transplant to treat human disease.
COLLABORATION
Germany maintains international collaborations and networks in the area of stem cell research including the International Stem Cell Forum and the EuroStemCell Project. In addition, Germany is a member of ScanBalt, an organization based in Copenhagen, Denmark, to mediate and coordinate education, research, and development in biotech and life sciences within the Scandinavian and Baltic Sea region. The members are able to overcome country size restraints to become globally competitive in stem cell research as a region. ScanBalt maintains a virtual campus via the Internet to provide members with up-to-date listings of courses, lectures, job openings, ongoing research projects, and requests for proposals from funding agencies.
