The Institute of Transfusion Medicine is involved in numerous joint research projects with internal and external partners, including:

• University Heart Center Hamburg at the UKE
• Freiburg University Clinic

Research
Cryopreservation (the use of sub-zero temperatures) can be employed to conserve blood cells and their precursor cells. This technique also has therapeutic applications – for example, the use of autologous blood stem cells in conjunction with high dose chemotherapy (e.g. in the treatment of multiple myeloma and Hodgkin’s or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma).

In cooperation with the interdisciplinary clinic and polyclinic of the University Medical Center we are conducting scientific research into developing cryopreservation processes. At present the focus is on temperature control during freezing and defrosting, as well as the optimization of cryogenic temperatures for storage.

In another research project we have joined forces with the Institute of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Research and the Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH) to support research in a Clinical Phase I/IIA study into the safety and efficacy of a modified autologous cell preparation. The aim is to establish tolerance in multiple sclerosis (induction of immune tolerance in clinically early relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis).