Pathophysiological mechanisms of joint implant loosening

Overthe past half-century, there have been many advances in the design, construction, and implantation of joint prostheses, resulting in a high percentage of successful long-term outcomes. One of the most common concerns of both patients and physicians is the problem of joint replacements becoming loose over time. Causes of failure include infections, aseptic loosening, dislocations, and fracture of the prosthesis or bone. Multidisciplinary research team studies are needed for an improvement in understanding in pathophysiological mechanisms of joint implant loosening and failure, which is the key point to improve implant survival and to minimize revisions

Real-time PCR applications in clinical research and diagnostics

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has enabled enormous progress in the field of molecular biology in the last twenty-five years. It became popular due to its high sensitivity and specificity and was introduced to numerous scientific fields. Today many different variants of PCR exist, with real-time PCR being the most common. This method is being successfully used at our institution for a variety of different applications, among which gene expression analyzes and development of protocols for clinical diagnostics currently dominate. But the extreme flexibility and customizability of real-time PCR, coupled with our team’s expertise, ensures efficient application of this technique to various new research projects

From gene to treatment: supporting rare disease translational research through model systems

Individual rare diseases may affect only a few people, making them difficult to recognize, diagnose or treat by studying humans alone. Instead, model organisms help to validate genetic associations, understand functional pathways and develop therapeutic interventions for rare diseases. In this Editorial, we point to the key parameters in face, construct, predictive and target validity for accurate disease modelling, with special emphasis on rare disease models. Raising the experimental standards for disease models will enhance successful clinical translation and benefit rare disease research