A pioneering biochip model for osteoarthritis research has earned Eva Ingeborg Reihs and Mario Rothbauer of cluster member Medical University of Vienna the Austrian State Prize for the Promotion of Alternatives to Animal Testing. The award, presented by the Federal Ministry for Women, Science and Research (BMFWF), recognizes innovative scientific contributions that help replace, reduce, or refine the use of animals in research according to the 3R principles.
The prize-winning work is based on the publication “An Animal-Free Patient-Derived Tissue-Mimetic Biochip Model of the Human Synovial Membrane for Human-Relevant Osteoarthritis Research,” published in Advanced Healthcare Materials in 2025. Together with their collaborators, Reihs and Rothbauer developed a fully human-based, animal-product-free biochip model that replicates key features of the synovial membrane, the tissue that lines human joints.
Using patient-derived human cells, the platform enables researchers to study age-related structural changes and inflammatory processes associated with osteoarthritis in a physiologically relevant environment. By providing an alternative to conventional animal models, the technology has the potential to accelerate the development of new treatment strategies and to advance more ethical and human-relevant research approaches.
The State Prize is awarded by an international expert jury that evaluates scientific excellence, innovation, and the practical applicability of alternative methods. The Cluster congratulates Eva Ingeborg Reihs and Mario Rothbauer on this prestigious recognition and their contribution to the field.