Materials Engineering in Soft Tissue Regeneration: Opening of another Josef Ressel Center at FH Upper Austria

Tissue engineering plays a central role in regenerative medicine. This targeted, artificial production of biological tissue makes it possible to replace damaged or diseased tissue in patients. As a result, the possibilities for treating organ failure, tissue damage, and degenerative diseases expand significantly — as do the prospects for personalized therapies. However, there is currently a lack of testing and development systems capable of transferring complex in‑vitro models to living organisms.
For this reason, the Federal Ministry for Economy, Energy and Tourism is funding the new five‑year Josef Ressel Center (JRC) for “Materials Engineering in Soft Tissue Regeneration.” The center investigates three‑dimensional, light‑modulated tissue printing for use in muscle tissue regeneration. It is located at the Department of Medical Engineering at FH Upper Austria in Linz.

The main goal of the center is to develop 3D cell scaffolds using so‑called bioinks. This involves modifying species‑specific extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins from muscle tissue and making them suitable for 3D printing. For the subsequent light‑modulated ECM printing process, multiphoton lithography and direct light processing are used. In this step, the components of the bioinks are cured with light, creating a high‑resolution tissue scaffold. To minimize protein damage caused by light absorption and heat exposure, the properties of the ECM proteins are chemically optimized.

BMWET provides targeted support for practice‑oriented research
The Josef Ressel Centers are co‑funded by the Federal Ministry for Economy, Energy and Tourism (BMWET) in cooperation with dedicated industry partners. Federal Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer emphasizes:
“Whether organ failure, tissue damage, or muscle degeneration — the vision of producing functional tissue structures using 3D printing and populating them with the patient’s own cells may sound like science fiction. Yet this future holds enormous medical potential. To make it a reality, we need excellent research. The Josef Ressel Center makes a significant contribution in this regard. I wish the entire team great success in their groundbreaking work.”

FH Upper Austria provides top‑tier infrastructure for Josef Ressel Centers
“The application‑oriented research conducted at FH Upper Austria is of central importance for maintaining Upper Austria’s innovation edge. Thanks to the support of the regional government, FH Upper Austria is able to offer state‑of‑the‑art infrastructure for high‑level research — including within the framework of Josef Ressel Centers, such as the new center for ‘Materials Engineering in Soft Tissue Regeneration’ in Linz. These investments by the Province of Upper Austria are paying off, as they have enabled FH Upper Austria to secure five of the 17 Josef Ressel Centers currently operating in Austria — more than any other federal state. These centers play a crucial role in establishing FH Upper Austria as the strongest university of applied sciences in research nationwide,” emphasizes Markus Achleitner, State Minister for Economic Affairs and Research.

Replication of Skeletal Muscle Tissue
“The scaffolds printed in this way for biological cells replicate the structure of both smooth and skeletal muscle tissue,” explains FH‑Prof. PD Dr. Jaroslav Jacak of FH Upper Austria, head of the new Josef Ressel Center. “They allow precise control over geometry and structure, enable use as personalized tissue replacements, and improve existing experimental and translational models,” Jacak continues.

The physicist will lead a team consisting of two post‑docs, four doctoral researchers, and one technician. Scientific partners include the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute (LBI) for Traumatology, the Innsbruck‑based company Innovacell, and Particle Metrix, headquartered near Munich.

What happens next with the 3D cell scaffolds?
To reconstruct synthetic muscle tissue, the 3D cell scaffolds must subsequently be populated with muscle cells. For this purpose, an in‑vitro cell system is being developed that enables the transformation of skeletal muscle cells into functional muscle fibers or smooth muscle cells.

Standardized protocols for mechanical and electrical stimulation are being established with the goal of promoting the maturation of the 3D muscle models and facilitating the analysis of biochemical and mechanical signals to improve muscle function. At the same time, tools are being created to assess the functionality and quality of these models, with a focus on gene analytics and secreted factors such as extracellular vesicles (EVs).

“Over the course of the project, the 3D cell scaffolds will be adapted for use in muscle defects, the cell systems will be modified, and the composition of the protein‑based bioink materials will be further optimized,” explains project partner Dr. Paul Slezak, head of a research group at the LBI for Traumatology. According to Slezak, muscle defect models will be used to evaluate the regenerative properties of the cell‑seeded scaffolds. The functionality of the 3D cell scaffolds will be further optimized through mechanical and biochemical stimulation, ultimately preparing them for implantation.

Expectations of the Industry Partners
What expectations do the two corporate partners bring to their collaboration under the umbrella of the Josef Ressel Center?
“Together with the identification of new stimulation techniques, this research will help enhance the clinical effectiveness of Innovacell’s cell therapy products,” says Dr. Rainer Marksteiner, board member of Innovacell, a company founded around 20 years ago. Of particular interest to him is the fundamental knowledge needed for the development of tailored extracellular 3D matrices that can be populated with cells and support the regeneration of severely damaged tissue in the context of regenerative therapies.

The company Particle Metrix, also founded in 2004, expects that the research will contribute to the development of novel labeling techniques for EVs derived from soft muscle tissue — thereby improving diagnostic capabilities. For managing directors Stefan Haid and Jens Schiffmann, nanoparticle tracking analysis could in the future “become a standardized tool for establishing EV profiles, enabling precise assessment of cell status in soft muscle tissue.”

What is a Josef Ressel Center?
A Josef Ressel Center (JRC) conducts high‑level, application‑oriented research, bringing together outstanding researchers and innovative companies. Internationally, the Christian Doppler Research Association is regarded as a best‑practice example for supporting this type of cooperation. A JRC is jointly funded by the Federal Ministry for Economy, Energy and Tourism and the participating companies.

About FH Upper Austria
FH Upper Austria is the strongest university of applied sciences in Austria in terms of research performance. Its four campuses offer distinct academic profiles:

• Campus Hagenberg: Computer Science, Communication, and Media
• Campus Linz: Medical Engineering and Applied Social Sciences
• Campus Steyr: Business and Management
• Campus Wels: Engineering and Applied Natural Sciences

With 75 bachelor’s and master’s programs, including 32 offered on a part‑time basis, FH Upper Austria provides a broad range of practice‑oriented and innovative study options.
Further information can be found on the website: FH OÖ | Home

(AI-generated translation)