Presidents of MHB and THB present joint vascular therapy project

Brandenburg an der Havel, 30 January 2026

The presidents of the Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane (MHB), Prof. Dr. Hans-Uwe Simon, and the Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences (THB), Prof. Dr. Andreas Wilms, met this week to present their joint project “ECMAdigital” for improving the treatment of vascular diseases in the State of Brandenburg. The European Fund for Regional Development EFRE co-finances the campaign as part of an overriding initiative to strengthen technological and application-oriented research.

Many people in Brandenburg are affected by calcified vessels with the result of poor blood circulation in legs and heart. So called atherosclerotic vascular diseases are among the most frequent causes of chronic circulatory disorders and functional impairments. Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) causes more than 18,500 amputations above the ankle in Germany every year.

Early diagnostics, structured prevention and targeted therapy might have served to avoid serious progression in many cases. This is where the above project comes in. The project, co-funded by the European Union and jointly designed by MHB and THB, aims to develop innovative digital and personalized therapy approaches and integrate them into clinical practice.

The origin of the project is a procedure developed at the MHB for external application to stimulate muscles and vessels. Cuffs attached to the extremities control and accelerate the blood flow. These controlled stimuli have an effect on the arteries comparable to that of intensive physical exercise. PD Dr. Philipp Hillmeister, in charge of the project at the MHB, says that this treatment does not cause strong physical stress and is therefore well suited to patients who cannot exercise sufficiently or are already impaired in their mobility.  

One effect of this method is that it stimulates vascular regeneration, i.e. the production of small collateral vessels which considerably improve blood circulation. The success of this therapy depends on a patient-centered approach, so Prof. Dr. Andreas Johannsen (THB) on the technical aspects: “We found that lasting treatment success is primarily achieved by individual and personalized concepts which consider not only patients’ state of vessels but also their lifestyle and general situation as well as physical and mental circumstances. For this purpose, patient data are systematically recorded in a database and complemented with a specific diagnostic procedure. This will serve as a basis to generate personalized recommendations for optimized treatment by means of AI analyses and machine learning procedures.”

The meeting was an opportunity to give information on key parts of the joint project such as the central databank, a questionnaire on leg pain and a therapy appliance called “Marathor”. Both presidents had words of praise for the inter-university collaboration which will hopefully have beneficial effects on patients such as better circulation, less pain and a more active life, and thus help prevent amputations which all too often are still necessary in Germany.  

Contact Press Offices MHB & THB:
Dr. Eric Alexander Hoffmann
Medizinische Hochschule Brandenburg
Fehrbelliner Str. 38
16816 Neuruppin
E-Mail: presse@mhb-fontane.de
Phone: +49 3391 39-14160

Norman Giese
Technische Hochschule Brandenburg
Magdeburger Str. 50
14770 Brandenburg an der Havel
E-Mail:  presse@th-brandenburg.de
Phone: +49 3381 355-103