Daniela Berger receives the Ministry of Science’s Award of Appreciation

People of the MedUni Vienna Daniela Berger has been awarded the Ministry of Science's Würdigungspreis (state appreciation prize for the best diploma and master's degrees) for her outstanding academic achievements and diploma thesis at MedUni Vienna's Centre for Biomedical Research and Translational Surgery. Daniela Berger received the award for her dissertation thesis "Macrophage and Fibroblast Interaction with Hydrogels derived from Placental Isolates". Hydrogels from decellularised tissue imitate the natural environment of cells and are already widely used in regenerative medicine. However, the mostly animal origin often leads to undesired immune reactions and limits the success in clinical application. The placenta - a human, constantly available and clinically relevant tissue - represents a promising source for diverse biomaterials. At MedUni Vienna's Centre for Biomedical Research and Translational Surgery, research into the production of hydrogels from human placental tissue has been ongoing for several years under the direction of Karl H. Schneider. In Daniela Berger's study, hydrogels made from the extracellular matrix of decellularised placental isolates (amnion, chorion, basal and umbilical cord tissue) were investigated with regard to their biocompatibility and cellular interactions with macrophages (immune cells) and fibroblasts (cells of the connective tissue).