Research for health with innovative materials: "You have to understand the entire 'human' system"

Why does a materials research institute like Empa actually conduct biomedical research?

According to an EU study, around 70% of all innovations are material-driven. There are therefore numerous important fields of application for new materials, including in the healthcare sector. Take an implant, for example: it should last as long as possible, infections should be avoided and the surface properties should ensure the best possible integration into the bone tissue, for example in the case of an artificial hip - all highly complex issues that require an enormous amount of materials science expertise.

What distinguishes Empa projects in the health sector - what is special about them?

When working with our clinical partners, we often see a "push-pull" process that is triggered by intensive dialog. The most successful projects are those that arise directly in the clinical environment in interaction with our hospital partners. We demonstrate the technological possibilities of new materials and our partners tell us where the shoe pinches in everyday clinical practice. Although they know exactly where they have problems, they often don't know that there are already solutions for some of them. This intensive exchange is absolutely crucial - and you have to take the time to build trust and mutual understanding. That was also a learning process for us at the beginning.

In addition, many of our partnerships, particularly in the clinical area, are long-term. This allows us to develop technologies across different levels of maturity, known as the "Technology Readiness Level" (TRL), from the first prototype in the laboratory to the market-ready solution that our partners can use and implement. This is why we maintain strategic partnerships with selected centers, such as the Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen and the university hospitals in Zurich and Bern. And thirdly, our projects are highly interdisciplinary.

What do you mean by this and how is it practiced at Empa?

For us, this means approaching a problem from very different angles, which is the only way to recognize the potential for something truly new. As Empa, with all the natural and engineering sciences under one roof - from nanotechnology and surface analysis, textile and fiber technologies, molecular and cell biology to biomechanics and modeling - we are naturally predestined for this. On the other hand, modern health technologies are by their very nature systems sciences that combine countless disciplines. You have to understand the entire "human" system in order to develop effective solutions in the healthcare sector - from the molecular level to the physiology of the human body, including psychological and sociological aspects.

How should we imagine a typical Empa product for clinical applications?

One example is "smart" wound dressings. Wound healing processes are enormously complex and take place in different phases; the wound dressing must - ideally - optimally accompany the different phases, especially in the infection phase, which must be recognized and treated at an early stage. Above all, we must prevent a wound from becoming chronic. And later on, the dressing should support and accelerate the healing process.

A related, very topical issue is the global increase in antibiotic resistance. In order to prevent this from continuing, we should only use antibiotics when they are absolutely necessary - we therefore need to detect infections as quickly as possible, for example via sensors that indicate a bacterial infestation by changing the color of the dressing. At the same time, we are working on new, alternative therapeutic approaches, such as "living" materials like bacteriophages - bacteria-killing viruses that are harmless to humans - or probiotics, i.e. "good" bacteria. And we should only "activate" these when the wound is actually infected, for example by encapsulating them in certain polymers that only release their contents when, for example, the pH value in the wound rises, an early indicator of infection. A wound dressing that combines all these different "abilities" would be a typical Empa product.

Health is always associated with costs. Where do you see opportunities to get healthcare costs under control?

Primarily in prevention and early detection. Healthcare costs rise sharply, especially in the last years of life. One possible approach would be to use wearable sensors and their digital twins to optimally accompany and support older patients. The digital twin could - if necessary - suggest personalized therapies based on the transmitted sensor data. In addition, various studies have found that up to 50% of all therapies are not applied correctly. If we could improve therapy safety as well as compliance - and ultimately the success of the therapy - through improved health monitoring, a lot would be gained.

A look into the future: What would you like to have achieved with your research in five to ten years' time?

Since 2023, we have launched three "booster" programs at Empa, for example for improved cancer treatment, the fight against antibiotic resistance and one on wound healing. A wound dressing that could prevent wound infections and, above all, chronic wounds, for example in paraplegics and bedridden people, but also in newborns who are in intensive care for any reason - that would be a great success.

And in dementia research, to name another example, it would be a huge step forward if we could detect the first signs of a disease at an early stage with the help of simple diagnostics, for example by analyzing movement patterns, vital parameters such as heart and respiratory rate, body temperature, blood analyses, etc. The earlier we intervene in degenerative diseases - which is unfortunately not yet possible - the sooner we can at least slow down the progression of the disease. The earlier we intervene in degenerative diseases - which is unfortunately not yet possible - the sooner we can at least slow down the progression of the disease.

Source: Empa