AG Rinderknecht – In vitro microphysiological systems for innovative polytrauma modeling

Helen graduated with a master’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Tübingen. Due to her interest in translational biomedical research, she joined the Siegfried-Weller-Institute at the BG Trauma Center in Tübingen, where she obtained her PhD with a focus on modeling traumatic events in vitro, in particular early fracture healing. In July 2023, she joined our lab to explore the multi-layered interactions between organs after a traumatic injury.
In her research she continues with the development of human 3D in vitro microphysiological systems focusing on liver, lung and bone to model and understand organ crosstalk in polytrauma. Through her projects, she aims to contribute to the translation of basic animal findings to the human setting and to help reduce the use and need for animal experimentation according to the 3Rs principle (Replace, Reduce, Refine).
Keywords: Multiple trauma, Organ-crosstalk, Immune response, trauma modelling, in vitro microphysiological systems

Bülow JM, Rinderknecht H, Becker N, Exploring the Bone–Liver Axis: Impact of Acute Ethanol Intoxication on Post-Traumatic Liver Inflammation and Damage Following Femur Fracture. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025; 26(10):4923. doi.org/10.3390/ijms26104923

2024

Becker N, Franz N, Eguchi A, Wagner A, Sturm R, Rinderknecht H, Kobayashi Y, Iwasa M, Weber B, Marzi I, Relja B. Elevated extracellular particle concentration in plasma predicts in-hospital mortality after severe trauma. Frontiers in Immunology. 2024 Jun 12;15:1390380.

2023

Rinderknecht H, Mayer A, Histing T, Ehnert S, Nüssler A. Herbal Extracts of Ginseng and Maqui Berry Show Only Minimal Effects on an In Vitro Model of Early Fracture Repair of Smokers. Foods. 2023 Aug 4;12(15):2960.

Ehnert S, Rinderknecht H, Liu C, Voss M, Konrad FM, Eisler W, Alexander D, Ngamsri KC, Histing T, Rollmann MF, Nussler AK. Increased Levels of BAMBI Inhibit Canonical TGF-β Signaling in Chronic Wound Tissues. Cells. 2023 Aug 18;12(16):2095.

2022

Rinderknecht H, Nussler AK, Steinestel K, Histing T, Ehnert S. Smoking impairs hematoma formation and dysregulates angiogenesis as the first steps of fracture healing. Bioengineering. 2022 Apr 24;9(5):186.

Liu C, Rinderknecht H, Histing T, Kolbenschlag J, Nussler AK, Ehnert S. Establishment of an in vitro scab model for investigating different phases of wound healing. Bioengineering. 2022 Apr 28;9(5):191.

Guo H, Weng W, Zhang S, Rinderknecht H, Braun B, Breinbauer R, Gupta P, Kumar A, Ehnert S, Histing T, Nussler AK. Maqui berry and ginseng extracts reduce cigarette smoke-induced cell injury in a 3D bone co-culture model. Antioxidants. 2022 Dec 14;11(12):2460.

Lu C, Prahm C, Chen Y, Ehnert S, Rinderknecht H, McCaig CD, Nussler AK, Kolbenschlag J. Microcurrent reverses cigarette smoke-induced angiogenesis impairment in human keratinocytes in vitro. Bioengineering. 2022 Sep 6;9(9):445.

2021 and previous

Rinderknecht H, Ehnert S, Braun B, Histing T, Nussler AK, Linnemann C. The art of inducing hypoxia. Oxygen. 2021 Aug 30;1(1):46-61.

Ehnert S, Relja B, Schmidt-Bleek K, Fischer V, Ignatius A, Linnemann C, Rinderknecht H, Huber-Lang M, Kalbitz M, Histing T, Nussler AK. Effects of immune cells on mesenchymal stem cells during fracture healing. World Journal of Stem Cells. 2021 Nov 11;13(11):1667.

Häussling V, Aspera-Werz RH, Rinderknecht H, Springer F, Arnscheidt C, Menger MM, Histing T, Nussler AK, Ehnert S. 3D environment is required in vitro to demonstrate altered bone metabolism characteristic for type 2 diabetics. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2021 Mar 13;22(6):2925.

Weng W, Häussling V, Aspera-Werz RH, Springer F, Rinderknecht H, Braun B, Küper MA, Nussler AK, Ehnert S. Material-Dependent Formation and Degradation of Bone Matrix—Comparison of Two Cryogels. Bioengineering. 2020 Jun 5;7(2):52.

Häussling V, Deninger S, Vidoni L, Rinderknecht H, Ruoß M, Arnscheidt C, Athanasopulu K, Kemkemer R, Nussler AK, Ehnert S. Impact of four protein additives in cryogels on osteogenic differentiation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Bioengineering. 2019 Aug 7;6(3):67.

Ruoß M, Kieber V, Rebholz S, Linnemann C, Rinderknecht H, Häussling V, Häcker M, Olde Damink LH, Ehnert S, Nussler AK. Cell-type-specific quantification of a scaffold-based 3D liver co-culture. Methods and protocols. 2019 Dec 23;3(1):1.