Article - 26/09/2016 TuCADD: Coaching for early drug candidates The University of Tübingen is optimising its drug development pipeline. The TuCADD consortium provides professional help to people who want to take potential drug candidates to clinical application. The coaching involves assistance with the entire phase I drug development phase from industry experts.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/tucadd-coaching-for-early-drug-candidates
Article - 20/09/2016 CRISPR-Cas has more surprises in store Since 2012, a DFG-funded research group called FOR1680 has been studying CRISPR-Cas, an immune system that unicellular bacteria and arachaea use to protect themselves against attacks from viruses and plasmids. Prof. Dr. Anita Marchfelder, a molecular biologist at Ulm University and coordinator of the FOR1680 research group, and many other researchers were surprised to find that prokaryotes incorporate the genetic material of enemies as a kind of…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/crispr-cas-has-more-surprises-in-store
Article - 13/09/2016 Catalent – galenics experts from Schorndorf Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are working intensively on the discovery and development of new drugs for the efficient and safe treatment of diseases. However, before drugs are authorised for treating humans and animals, they have to be made into a form that is acceptable. That is where a company called Catalent Pharma Solutions, with a facility in Schorndorf in the south of Germany, comes in.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/catalent-galenics-experts-from-schorndorf
Article - 12/09/2016 New target for the therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma discovered Hepatocellular carcinoma is the second most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide. If the tumour is at an advanced stage, doctors have few treatment options. Researchers led by Prof. Dr. Lars Zender from the University of Tübingen have now identified one of the cancer's Achilles' heels, namely, the interaction between C-MYC and AURKA proteins, which can be destabilised with a drug, thus killing cancer cells. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/new-target-for-the-therapy-of-hepatocellular-carcinoma-discovered
Article - 08/09/2016 A diamond might make sequencing more accurate DNA sequencing techniques have been developed along the lines of faster, further, cheaper. State-of-the-art methods make it possible to handle large projects in a relatively short period of time. However, the error rate is still very high. Dr. Maria Fyta and her team at the Institute for Computational Physics at the University of Stuttgart have carried out quantum-transport calculations which suggested that specific chemical modifications in the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/a-diamond-might-make-sequencing-more-accurate
Article - 05/09/2016 Apogenix: immuno-oncological protein drugs for the treatment of malignant diseases Apogenix AG, a biopharmaceutical company from Heidelberg that specialises in immuno-oncology, develops protein drugs that target central signalling pathways involved in regulating the growth, migration and apoptosis of malfunctioning cells and thus offer novel treatment options for cancer and other malignant diseases.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/apogenix-immunonkologische-proteinwirkstoffe-gegen-maligne-erkrankungen
Article - 01/09/2016 Tailor-made biotech fibres for improved wound dressings Scientists have developed a biotechnological process to produce bacterial alginate. The alginate quality is highly reproducible, making it suitable for the production of fibre-based medicinal products such as wound dressings.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/made-to-measure-biotech-fibres
Article - 29/08/2016 Cellendes and EU partners develop cell therapy for treating type 1 diabetes Cells derived from suitable donor stem cells that can do the work defective insulin-producing cells can no longer do are the central focus of a European cell therapy project involving Reutlingen-based Cellendes GmbH as one of the partners. Cellendes develops a biomaterial that facilitates the mass production of cells and could potentially be approved for therapeutic use in humans. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/cellendes-und-eu-partner-entwickeln-zelltherapie-fuer-diabetes-typ-1
Article - 22/08/2016 Ad-O-Lytics – a new biotech start-up from Ulm A few years ago, Florian Kreppel developed a therapeutic approach that combined genetic vaccines with molecular address labels. It worked quite well, but the resulting product did not have the anticipated immunising properties and was put on the backburner. Now Kreppel's group of researchers is nearing completion of another project. The researchers plan to use a patented virotherapeutic platform technology for cancer treatment to establish a…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/ad-o-lytics-a-new-biotech-start-up-from-ulm
Article - 18/08/2016 Moonlighting proteins can make bacteria pathogenic The mechanism underlying the export of biomolecules from cells remains unknown. Prof. Dr. Friedrich Götz and his team at the Institute of Microbial Genetics at the University of Tübingen have found out that staphylococci can turn into dangerous pathogens by excreting normally harmless enzymes. The researchers believe that the enigmatic excretion of such enzymes is due to a completely new mechanism and are thus planning to carry out further…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/moonlighting-proteins-can-make-bacteria-pathogenic
Article - 18/08/2016 Chronic viral infections of the liver Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are two of the most common infectious diseases in the world. They often take a chronic course and carry a high risk of progressing to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. A new transregional collaborative research centre involving scientists from Heidelberg and Freiburg is looking into how hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses, which have different symptoms and treatments, are able to evade the immune system and allow…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/chronic-viral-infections-of-the-liver
Article - 08/08/2016 First achromatopsia gene therapy clinical trial in Germany is going well Around 3000 people suffer from achromatopsia in Germany. Achromatopsia is an inherited visual disorder characterised by the absence of full colour vision. The disease is caused by a genetic defect that makes the retina's cone photoreceptors, needed for daylight and colour vision, non-functional. There is currently no cure for achromatopsia. Scientists from Tübingen University Hospital and their colleagues from Munich and New York have now…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/first-achromatopsia-gene-therapy-clinical-trial-in-germany-is-going-well
Article - 02/08/2016 Can the ticking Huntington clock be stopped? An early phase clinical study involving thirty-six Huntington’s disease (HD) patients is currently underway to investigate whether a method called gene silencing can cure the disease. If the gene that causes the disease can be turned off, it would be the first step towards a treatment that not only fights symptoms but actually treats the causes of HD, hence providing a cure. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/can-the-ticking-huntington-clock-be-stopped
Article - 27/07/2016 “Open science“ – a successful recipe for combating viruses Danger identified, danger averted – the better the dynamic changes of the viral genome are understood, the better the spread of the pathogens can be predicted, thus enabling more efficient countermeasures to be taken. A team of researchers from Tübingen and Seattle is developing an open source online platform that maps the evolution of viruses and identifies dangerous developments.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/open-science-a-successful-recipe-for-combating-viruses
Company profile - 25/07/2016 300MICRONS: 3D cell culture solutions tailored to customer needs What happens in tissues and organs and how do they react to pharmaceutical substances? Three-dimensional cell cultures can reproduce reality far better than a single-cell layer can. With good reason. Reality is far from two-dimensional. A company called 300MICRONS GmbH develops films with tiny indentations that provide optimal conditions for cells to grow into 3D cell aggregates.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/300microns-3d-cell-culture-solutions-tailored-to-customer-needs
Article - 21/07/2016 New anticancer drugs – hop compounds have the potential to treat cancer Secondary hop compounds appear to have a positive effect on the immune system and therefore have the potential to be used for the treatment and prevention of cancer. However, the bioavailability of hop compounds in the human body is relatively poor. Researchers from Hohenheim and Tübingen are therefore looking for a way to increase their absorption rate.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/new-drugs-for-the-treatment-of-cancer-hop-compounds-have-the-potential-to-treat-cancer
Article - 19/07/2016 Licence to kill – the enormous potential of CAR T cells With 6 million euros of EU funding, the CARAT project aims to optimise a technology called CAR T that is used to equip T cells with antibody fragments and specifically direct them to destroy cancer cells. The CARAT consortium comprises a multinational team of experts from the Institute for Cell- and Gene Therapy at the Freiburg University Medical Center led by Prof. Dr. Toni Cathomen and seven partner institutions. Cathomen’s team is developing…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/licence-to-kill-the-enormous-potential-of-car-t-cells
Company profile - 18/07/2016 mbits imaging GmbH – mobile app in the field of radiology Trying to get a second opinion from a medical colleague who is at home preparing dinner may be quite a challenge, especially when the colleague does not have access to the necessary image data. This has now become easier in the field of radiology thanks to a mobile app called mRay, which provides a reliable way for radiologists to share medical images on mobile devices. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/mbits-imaging-gmbh-mobile-app-in-the-field-of-radiology
Company profile - 14/07/2016 neuroloop GmbH: how the manipulation of neuronal information can lower blood pressure Millions of people worldwide suffer from high blood pressure. However, taking medicines to control high blood pressure does not work for everyone. Dr. Dennis Plachta and Prof. Dr. Thomas Stieglitz from IMTEK have now developed a neurostimulator to control blood pressure. Together with Dr. Michael Lauk, an experienced company founder, the two researchers set up a company called neuroloop, which is funded by Aesculap AG and aims to turn the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/neuroloop-gmbh-how-the-manipulation-of-neuronal-information-can-lower-blood-pressure
Press release - 14/07/2016 Study in Peer-Reviewed Journal Vaccine Demonstrates Decoding Mode of Action of mRNA Vaccines CureVac AG, the most clinically advanced mRNA company, today announced that a study of its RNActive® technology was published in the renowned, peer-reviewed journal Vaccine. The study demonstrated a mechanistic insight into the mode of action and rationale for the use of messenger RNA (mRNA) for the development of multiple vaccines.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/study-in-peer-reviewed-journal-vaccine-demonstrates-decoding-mode-of-action-of-mrna-vaccines
Article - 11/07/2016 Endogenous oxidants: biosensor monitoring of metabolic conditions in living organisms The oxidation state of the cells in our body is very important for us: if the normal balance of the distribution of endogenous oxidants is disturbed or if they attack cellular structures, cells are either unable or only partially able to fulfil their functions, and diseases develop. Dr. Tobias Dick and his team of researchers at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg have now developed a biosensor that facilitates real-time…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/endogenous-oxidants-biosensor-monitoring-of-metabolic-conditions-in-living-organisms
Article - 11/07/2016 The toxin of natural killer cells Natural killer cells kill tumour cells by injecting the protein HMGB1, which blocks the production of cellular energy by aerobic respiration. Researchers from Heidelberg have elucidated this previously unknown cancer defence mechanism and are now in the process of developing a new immunotherapy for treating cancer patients.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-toxin-of-natural-killer-cells
BioLAGO and BIOPRO to start new diagnostics project - 07/07/2016 DiagNeeds: translating clinical requirements into new products (Lake Constance/Stuttgart) – BioLAGO e.V. and BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg GmbH are working together on the “DiagNeeds” project to bring hospitals and medical professionals closer to diagnostics providers in order to facilitate the development of new diagnostic procedures. There will be special focus on topics that are currently of major interest in the field of diagnostics, including liquid biopsies, companion diagnostics, point-of-care diagnostics…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/diagneeds-klinik-bedarfe-in-neue-produkte-uebersetzen
Company profile - 05/07/2016 HS-Analysis GmbH – using digital histology to develop new drugs The idea of analysing tissue samples automatically sounds more of a pipe dream than anything else. However, it already happens. HS-Analysis GmbH's ability to interpret tissue samples automatically is driving new drug development a decisive step forward.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/hs-analysis-gmbh-using-digital-histology-to-develop-new-drugs
Article - 04/07/2016 Epigenetic modifications for the treatment of oesophageal cancer Oesophageal cancer is a rare but highly aggressive type of cancer with a rather poor prognosis. Dr. Theresa Ahrens, a researcher in a group led by Prof. Dr. Silke Laßmann and Prof. Dr. Martin Werner at the Institute of Clinical Pathology at the Freiburg University Medical Centre, has tested a variety of epigenetic drugs that can interfere with the development of oesophageal cancer. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/modifikation-epigenetic-modifications-for-the-treatment-of-oesophageal-cancer-als-therapie-bei-speiseroehrenkrebs