Regenerative Medicine is a fast developing field of research and therapeutic applications, which is also reflected by recent public funding programmes. The 43rd Tutzing Symposion, organised by DECHEMA e.V., will focus on this fascinating interdisciplinary topic and is dedicated to „Regenerative Medicine – Membranes & Scaffolds“.

State of the Art – Challenges - Visions

The 43rd Tutzing Symposion will cover a broad range of aspects relevant to Regenerative Medicine - from cellular basics of tissue regeneration to future prospects. It addresses regeneration biology as well as the plasticity of stem cells and cell programming by the micromilieu and provides an overview of the state of the art. The engineering aspects of Regenerative Medicine, such as membrane technology, scaffolds, and biointerface engineering, will be the key topics of the Symposion. Smart biomaterials, tailor-made surfaces, in vitro lymph nodes, bioreactors as liver assist devices, polymers for extracellular matrices, biomimetic materials, and rapid prototyping for 3D structures are just some of the keywords which will be covered at the meeting. However, the way from a basic understanding of regeneration to medical application encompasses further challenges: financing and regulatory aspects are considered to be an unexpected hurdle and will also be discussed in Tutzing. „Visions“ is the theme of the closing session – inviting you to take home a visionary outlook and ideas on how to overcome some of the challenges and hurdles in this exciting area of R&D.

The Tutzing Philosophy

Building bridges: the aim of the Tutzing Symposion series is to foster interdisciplinary scientific exchange, strategic discussions, cooperation across boundaries among disciplines and between academia and industry. Communication is stimulated by the unique atmosphere of the Evangelische Akademie Schloss Tutzing, located on the banks of beautiful Lake Starnberg, and the limited number of participants. The programme schedule reflects this philosophy – besides the excellent lectures it provides ample time for informal and relaxed discussions.

We look forward to meeting you in Tutzing!

Acknowledgements

DECHEMA would like to thank the scientific committee, Dr. Uwe Marx, ProBioGen AG, Berlin, Prof. Dr. Andreas Lendlein, GKSS GmbH, Teltow, Prof. Dr. Günter von Sengbusch, RWTH Aachen, and Prof. Dr. Jörg Vienken, Fresenius Medical Care, Bad Homburg, for the excellent cooperation in compiling the programme and all speakers for their contributions.