Department for Women’s Health Tübingen
Molecular Gynecology Plasma | Medicine | Technology

Postoperative adhesions of the abdominal cavity are pathologically occurring connective tissue bridges between the peritoneum of the abdominal organs and the abdominal wall. These lead to restricted mobility of the abdominal organs and can result in serious illnesses. Particularly noteworthy here are severe chronic abdominal pain. In addition, adhesions are responsible for 15 - 20 % of all cases of secondary infertility and for 50 - 70 % of all mechanical ileus (often severe clinical courses). Secondary operations, such as adhesiolysis, are associated with a significantly higher degree of surgical difficulty and time expenditure as well as with an increased risk of renewed adhesion formation (10-year recurrence rate of 30 %).

There is therefore still a considerable clinical need for effective adhesion prophylaxis that can be routinely integrated into surgical procedures.

Within the framework of the EndoPAL project funded by the Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation, research is being conducted into the use of plasma activated fluids (PAL) for adhesion prophylaxis in the period from November 2021 to November 2024. PAL has already been shown to have a growth-regulating effect on peritoneal cells in 2D cultures. To replicate the complexity of human tissue, an in vivo similar in vitro model of a Peritoneum-on-Chip will be established to characterize the PAL effects with regard to its efficacy on a molecular and immunological level, safety and biocompatibility. Finally, the findings will be tested for their clinical applicability in a pilot study in small animals.

Key facts about this project:

• Project start: November 2021
• Estimated project duration: 3 years
• Funding: EKFS
• Collaborations: µOrganoLab
• Project participants: Franziska Kessler, Katharina Peisert 
• Corresponding website: EKFS