The research group innovates in preventing and treating postoperative orthopedic infections, pioneering photodynamic therapy and advanced diagnostics to combat implant-associated infections through humanized preclinical models and clinical research.
Our research group focusing on postoperative orthopedic infections. The main project “Photodynamic treatment to prevent and treat periprosthetic joint infections” has started with the hypothesis that photodynamic therapy (PDT) on the skin improves skin antisepsis and with that prevents deep orthopedic implant-associated infections. Furthermore, we focus on diagnostic tests to improve diagnostic sensitivity for explanted foreign materials, potentially contaminated with common skin colonizing microorganisms. In parallel, we study novel intra-operative treatment options for skin pathogens infecting foreign material in orthopedic surgery. In order to achieve these goals, we combine laboratory work, with a special emphasis on the development and use of humanized preclinical models to replace animal models, together with clinical research. All projects benefit from multi-disciplinary collaborations