Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine
Researchers at Fraunhofer ITEM have established a stem cell technology platform that enables the production of functional immune cells for use in innovative wound-healing therapies. At the core of this development are novel tissue organoids known as hemanoids, which replicate the physiological environment of a bone marrow niche (see publications below). These organoids are capable of continuously generating immune cells, such as macrophages, which play a crucial role in organ regeneration and wound healing.
This technology opens up new perspectives for regenerative medicine and for the provision of standardized immune cell products. In close cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute ISC in Würzburg, the ILK (Institut für Luft- und Kältetechnik gGmbH) in Dresden, as well as the German Space Agency at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the researchers are making both the bone marrow organoids and the immune cells derived from them available for space research. In early 2026, the organoids and immune cells will be transported by rocket to the edge of Earth’s atmosphere – the thermosphere – to collect initial data and to test their performance under extreme conditions. Through this work, Fraunhofer researchers are making an important contribution to the further development of cell-based therapies and to the exploration of new approaches to wound healing.