Esma Bahar Tankus, MD


Research Topic: Guiding Nasal Chondrocytes Through a 3D-Bioprinted Design to Generate an Osteochondral Tissue

Research in biofabrication strategies for the generation of personalized osteochondral constructs derived from human nasal chondrocytes


Background and Research Interest

Esma Bahar Tankus is a PhD candidate at the Swiss Medical Additive Manufacturing research group at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel. In 2022, she successfully completed her medical studies at the University of Bern.

Currently collaborating closely with the Cartilage Engineering group, under the guidance of Prof. Andrea Barbero, Department of Biomedicine (DBM), Esma's research is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of 3D bioprinting technologies. Her primary focus revolves around harnessing the potential of human nasal chondrocytes (hNC) to create patient-specific osteochondral grafts (MIRACLE II Smart Implants). These grafts hold immense promise in addressing the intricate challenges presented by osteochondral defects arising from trauma or osteoarthritis.

The convergence of 3D bioprinting and tissue engineering methodologies has ignited the potential to forge bespoke osteochondral grafts meticulously designed to match each patient's unique defect geometry. A pivotal hurdle in bioprinting lies in finding a hydrogel capable of encapsulating and printing cells effectively. To conquer this challenge, the group is working in close collaboration with Dr. Matteo D'Este from the AO Research Institute (ARI) in Davos, an expert in Biomedical Materials research.

Her ongoing pursuits involve delving into the impact of oxygen concentration on nasal chondrocyte differentiation potential and identifying optimal hydrogel compositions for seamless bioprinting. Her research harbors significant potential to advance the field of regenerative medicine and personalized medical interventions, with a particular emphasis on addressing the intricacies of osteochondral defects.

Esma Tankus

Esma Bahar Tankus
PhD Candidate

Hegenheimermattweg 167C
4123 Allschwil, Switzerland 

Tomokka Y, Spothelfer D, Puiggali-Jou A, Tourbier C, Tankus EB, Thieringer FM, Cattin PC, Rauter G, Eugster M. Minimally invasive in situ bioprinting based on tube-based material transfer. Automatisierungstechnik 2023, 7, 562-571. doi.org/10.1515/auto-2023-0060.

Wang F, Tankus EB, Santarella F, Rohr N, Sharma N, Märtin S, Michalscheck M, Maintz M, Cao S, Thieringer FM. Fabrication and Characterization of PCL/HA Filament as a 3D Printing Material Using Thermal Extrusion Technology for Bone Tissue Engineering. Polymers 2022, 14(4), 669. doi.org/10.3390/polym14040669.

Pirosa A, Tankus EB, Mainardi A, Occhetta P, Dönges L, Baum C, Rasponi M, Martin I, Barbero A. Modeling In Vitro Osteoarthritis Phenotypes in a Vascularized Bone Model Based on a Bone-Marrow Derived Mesenchymal Cell Line and Endothelial Cells. Int. J.Mol. Sci.2021,22, 9581. doi.org/10.3390/ijms22179581.

Drasler B, Karakocak BB, Tankus EB, Barosova H, Abe J, Sousa de Almeida M, Petri-Fink A, Rothen-Rutishauser B. An Inflamed Human Alveolar Model for Testing the Efficiency of Anti-inflammatory Drugs in vitro. Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2020 Aug 21;8:987. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00987.