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Interdisciplinary research
To achieve its goals, NIRM will utilize integrated biochemical and functional genetic approaches, combining gene expression analysis, novel gene disruption
technology, stem cell culture systems and rapid monoclonal antibody production. Bioinformatics databases will be integrated using the latest 3-D imaging technology
and will lead to a new perception of disease processes and possible modes of repair and regeneration. Proteomics technology of the Netherlands Genomics Initiative
(NGI) and Erasmus MC will be used to decipher the molecular makeup of connective tissues. All this will in turn lead to validation and the subsequent formulation
of novel intervention strategies for diseased and damaged tissue and great potential for clinical intervention.
Tissue engineering is a truly multidisciplinary field of research. A major development in the last years is the convergence of stem cell research with tissue
engineering, resulting in the field of regenerative medicine. The focal point of regenerative medicine lies within human cells, which contrasts the more prominent
role of artificial biomaterials during the ages of biomaterials and tissue engineering. Regenerative medicine aims for a minimal intervention through the design of
materials that evoke specific tissue healing responses. As such, regenerative medicine yields a new generation of instructive materials that are intended to orchestrate
local cellular processes by implementing signaling functions derived from biological processes. Regenerative medicine can be regarded as the culmination of regeneration
strategies that are increasingly inspired by fundamental knowledge of human biology.
