Medical Center – University of Freiburg demonstrates a fundamental therapeutic approach for hereditary immune system defects in a mouse model. The safety profile of genome editing varies significantly depending on the method and cell type.

The Medical Center – University of Freiburg has been certified for the first time as a “Center of Excellence” by the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS). The professional association recognizes specialized centers that treat rare tumor diseases in accordance with established quality standards. Neuroendocrine tumors are rare cancers that can arise from hormone-producing cells.

High blood pressure is one of the most common causes of heart attacks, strokes, kidney damage, and vascular diseases. Many people affected experience no symptoms for a long time. This is precisely why it is important to check your blood pressure regularly. To mark World Hypertension Day on May 17, the Medical Center – University of Freiburg is providing information on warning signs, diagnosis, and treatment options.

Prof. Dr Simon Elsässer will be awarded one of this year’s Alexander von Humboldt Professorships in Berlin on 12 May 2026. With funding of five million euros, Elsässer will strengthen Freiburg’s research focus ‘Signals of Life’ over the next five years. In this interview, he discusses complex decision-making processes in cells, the significance of signals and what makes the research environment in Freiburg so special.

The Medical Center – University of Freiburg has implemented a new system that helps nurses identify risky situations early on and provide more targeted assistance / Motion detection is performed using radar

The Athletin-D project combines the universities of Bochum, Freiburg, Wuppertal and the Technical University of Munich on research into how the performance and health of female athletes could be improved in Olympic and paralympic sports. At the University of Freiburg, the sports psychologist Professor Jana Strahler is studying the interaction of hormonal processes, stress, lifestyle factors and mental health.

MRI analysis of fat and muscle distribution in more than 66,000 people provides a more accurate assessment of health risks / Poor muscle quality poses an additional risk / Study provides reference values based on age, sex, and height

Her ground-breaking research studies on the regulation of gene activity have earned Dr Angelika Feldmann the Hella Bühler Prize for 2026, which is endowed with 100,000 euros.

The University of Freiburg works closely with partners from various sectors including academia, business, politics and public administration through the Innovation Alliance Foundation Freiburg. The resolution that has been adopted reinforces the shared goal of establishing Freiburg as an attractive innovation hub with international appeal.

Prof. Dr. Halbritter has served as the new Medical Director of the Department of Nephrology at the Medical Center – University of Freiburg since April 2026. With his expertise, he is enhancing care for patients with kidney disease: The goal is to prevent kidney failure through early diagnosis and the implementation of strategies to slow disease progression. For cases where kidney failure has already occurred, the focus is on organ replacement.

Estrogen does more than regulate reproduction — it helps brain cells handle stress. When levels decline after menopause, this ability is reduced, and these hormonal changes are believed to contribute to the increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease in women. MPI-IE researcher María José Pérez Jiménez has received the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund to investigate why — and whether these cellular responses can be restored.​

Chronic infections cause long-term changes in key immune cells. T helper cells suppress their immune function to ensure their survival. New targets for vaccines and cancer immunotherapies.

Photoimmunotherapy - 09/04/2026

Switching off tumours with light: how photons can be used to target prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in Germany. Relapses and the harsh side effects of traditional treatments remain a major challenge, even with advanced surgical techniques. At the University of Freiburg, Dr. Wolf is pioneering the development of photoimmunotherapy. Photoimmunotherapy combines light, antibodies and a specialised dye to precisely target tumour cells - simultaneously 'waking up' the immune system.

Researchers in Freiburg have found a way to selectively replace defective immune cells in the blood vessels of the brain using an animal model. This is an important first step towards cell therapies for Alzheimer’s disease and other brain disorders. The findings were recently published in the journal Nature Immunology.

The powerhouse of the cells, known as mitochondria, appear to be able to influence the number of lipid droplets in the cell. Research into this previously unknown mechanism was conducted using baker’s yeast. This is shown by a recent study by the University of Freiburg, the University of Bonn and the University Hospital Bonn and the University of Freiburg. The results have now been published in the journal Nature Cell Biology.

A study by researchers at the University of Freiburg investigates how the scent of one’s partner influences stress reactions. The study participants showed that the subconsciously perceived scent of their respective partners increased their subjective perception of stress and caused their heart rate to rise, especially when the scent was perceived as sexually attractive.

nanodiag BW has received approval from the BMFTR for a further three-year implementation phase under the Clusters4Future initiative. With the approval of €15 million, the innovation network will be able to continue its work on nanopore-based diagnostic methods seamlessly from April 2026 onwards. The Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism is supporting the cluster management through accompanying measures.

Tenderness can literally get under your skin: An international research group led by Heidelberg University's Medical Faculty and Heidelberg University Hospital has found that small skin wounds heal significantly faster in couples who are particularly affectionate with each other in everyday life and who also receive the hormone oxytocin. At the same time, they had lower stress levels.

When gene mutations are found in the tumor of cancer patients, it is often unclear whether they promote tumor growth or whether a targeted therapy could be effective. A research team led by the Medical Center - University of Freiburg has now compiled a catalog in which over 11,000 gene variants of a central gene family were examined and evaluated for their role in tumor growth.

Researchers from the German Cancer Research Center and the University of Freiburg show how certain painkillers influence the iron metabolism of liver cancer cells and can thus contribute to iron deficiency and anemia in cancer patients.

Federal government awards 3.5 million euros in funding to the collaborative research project FLU-PREP. Researchers are developing methods to identify the pandemic potential of new viruses at an early stage.

Help for tracheostomy patients - 23/10/2025

Biomimetic speaking valve: how a carnivorous plant makes speaking safer

Nature is the best engineer, so they say, and it's always worth taking a closer look. An interdisciplinary group of researchers did just this and drew inspiration from an aquatic plant to develop a novel speaking valve for tracheostomy patients. At the University Medical Center Freiburg, Dr. Claudius Stahl and his team may have addressed a life-threatening issue that can arise in everyday clinical practice by creating a biomimetic valve with…

An imaging technique developed by Freiburg researchers provides insights into cardiac arrhythmias that can cause sudden cardiac death in animal models. The changes discovered could explain why even seemingly healthy people are sometimes affected.

Researchers from the Cluster of Excellence CIBSS have demonstrated that an actin scaffold stabilizes the cell nucleus upon mechanical stress. This protective mechanism helps cancer cells to avoid dying during their migration in the body. In the long term, targeted interventions in this mechanism could help to prevent metastases.

Researchers at the University of Freiburg, together with partners, have uncovered the mechanism of ultrafast transport by calcium pumps in nerve cells. These pumps, complexes of PMCA2 and neuroplastin proteins, operate at more than 5,000 cycles per second and terminate calcium signals within milliseconds – 100 times faster than previously known. They play a crucial role in rapid information processing in the brain.