Article - 07/12/2015 Microglial cells – the health police of Alzheimer’s It starts with memory loss and disorientation. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia and is characterised by the loss of neurons and synapses in the brain resulting from the aggregation of beta amyloid protein fragments into fibrils and plaques. Prof. Dr. Knut Biber and his team from the Division of Molecular Psychiatry at Freiburg University Medical Center have analysed these plaques in an in vivo-like cell culture system. They…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/microglial-cells-the-health-police-of-alzheimers
Article - 04/12/2015 Exploring the retinal code Dr. Philipp Berens from the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience at the University of Tübingen uses computer models to study how light that enters the retina is turned into events that trigger nerve impulses. The bioinformatician has recently received the BMBF’s Bernstein Award for Computational Neuroscience.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/exploring-the-retinal-code
Article - 02/12/2015 Diabetes research: can foetuses develop susceptibility to diabetes in uteri? The measurement of blood glucose levels reveals changes in foetal brain response after a pregnant woman has consumed glucose. The postprandial brain response generated by the unborn children of women with gestational diabetes differs from that of children of women without gestational diabetes. Researchers from Tübingen have been using magnetic encephalography to examine the effect of insulin on the brain and the relationships between gestational…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/diabetes-research-can-foetuses-develop-susceptibility-to-diabetes-in-uteri
Article - 01/12/2015 Process optimisation in the operating theatre Modern IT solutions and the digital networking of devices and work processes permeate many areas of life, and this does not stop at hospital gates. A cooperative project, InnOPlan, coordinated by KARL STORZ GmbH & Co. KG in Tuttlingen, is studying data-driven optimisation of processes in operating theatres. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/process-optimisation-in-the-operating-theatre
Article - 30/11/2015 Bacterial MccA is better than other enzymes when it comes to reducing sulphites Dr. Bianca Hermann from the University of Freiburg specialises in multi-haem enzymes, and investigates the enzymes’ structure and reaction mechanisms. She has clarified the enzymes’ crystal structure and reaction mechanisms and found out why the bacterial MccA enzyme complex can reduce sulphur-containing substances such as sulphites up to a hundred times faster than other enzymes.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/bacterial-mcca-is-better-than-other-enzymes-when-it-comes-to-reducing-sulphites
Article - 26/11/2015 Chrystelle Mavoungou: how students get to the heart of the drug discovery process Chrystelle Mavoungou is a chemist who teaches regulatory affairs and quality in pharmaceutical production at the Biberach University of Applied Sciences’ Faculty of Biotechnology. While the public might consider these issues difficult to deal with, students and early career pharmaceutical biotechnologists quickly learn that issues like these take them right to the heart of the drug discovery process.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/chrystelle-mavoungou-how-students-get-to-the-heart-of-the-drug-discovery-process
Article - 24/11/2015 Researchers from Tübingen set out to thwart viral survival strategies Around two thirds of people carry the JC polyomavirus, a normally harmless virus that, in immunocompromised patients, can evade the body’s defences and cause a fatal brain infection. An international research network has now found a way to activate the immune system and attack the virus.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/researchers-from-tuebingen-set-out-to-thwart-viral-survival-strategies
Article - 23/11/2015 Double-secured immune protection against plant attackers Plants have sophisticated defence mechanisms to help them fight off all kinds of pathogens. A group of researchers led by Dr. Gabriel Schaaf at the University of Tübingen’s ZMBP has now discovered that plants’ immune response is more similar to the innate immune system of humans and animals than previously thought. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/double-secured-immune-protection-against-plant-attackers
Article - 19/11/2015 Immune cells are reprogrammed in Alzheimer’s brains Scientists from the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research at the University of Tübingen are pursuing an innovative treatment approach for Alzheimer’s disease using immune cells to eliminate the protein deposits that are the hallmark of Alzheimer’s. Dr. Jonas Neher and his team tested whether exchanging brain-specific immune cells with fresh, more active cells has a positive effect on the disease. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/immune-cells-are-reprogrammed-in-alzheimers-brains
Article - 17/11/2015 Novel hydrogels as functional materials In the ”NanoBioMater”project house, researchers from the University of Stuttgart are working to develop novel hydrogels with integrated biocompatible scaffold structures. Their aim is to make the materials suitable for producing innovative components for environmental and food analytics as well as medical applications. The hydrogels could potentially be used in diagnostic biosensors and the controlled release of medical compounds. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/novel-hydrogels-as-functional-materials
Article - 16/11/2015 Centromere regulation and cancer Dr. Sylvia Erhardt from the ZMBH in Heidelberg is specifically focused on the function of the centromere, the part of the chromosome indispensable for correct segregation of the chromosomes during cell division. Malfunctioning centromeres lead to changes in chromosome number, which is a hallmark of many types of cancer. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/centromere-regulation-and-cancer
Press release - 16/11/2015 The Baden-Württemberg healthcare industry – a strong economic power (Stuttgart – 16th November 2015) BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg has just published its latest analysis of the Baden-Württemberg healthcare industry including comprehensive facts and figures. Baden-Württemberg continues to be one of the top locations for medical technology, pharma and biotechnology in Germany. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/the-baden-wuerttemberg-healthcare-industry-a-strong-economic-power
Article - 11/11/2015 A metal enzyme that can cleave benzene rings Aromatic rings are extremely stable and very difficult to break apart. Prof. Dr. Matthias Boll from the University of Freiburg’s Faculty of Biology and his team work with Geobacter metallireducens, a bacterium that can completely degrade aromatic compounds under strictly anaerobic conditions. While the biological degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons is of global relevance, the chemical resulting from the reduction of benzene rings could also be…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/a-metal-enzyme-that-can-cleave-benzene-rings
Researcher profile - 09/11/2015 Michael Boutros – from the study of social gene networks to the management of the DKFZ Deregulation of cell signalling pathways is a major driver of cancer. Prof. Dr. Michael Boutros has pioneered the development of new methods for the analysis of genetic interactions in such complex networks. He has been acting Chairman and Scientific Member of the Management Board of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) since September 1st 2015. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/michael-boutros-from-the-study-of-social-gene-networks-to-the-management-of-the-dkfz
Article - 04/11/2015 DNA capture molecules wanted for cells Artificial blood vessels made of special polymers are no longer a pipedream. However, one problem that needs to be solved is that the artificial vessels have to be compatible with tissue. One solution could be to dupe the body into thinking that the artificial vessels are real by coating their inside walls with the patient’s own cells. Researchers from Reutlingen have developed a microfluidic chip that identifies molecules that can capture the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/dna-capture-molecules-wanted-for-cells
Press release - 03/11/2015 CureVac raises $110 Million in a private placement CureVac, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the field of mRNA-based technology, today announces that it has raised about $110 million (€100 million) to enable accelerated expansion of its industry-leading messenger RNA (mRNA) development platform and clinical-stage pipeline. CureVac also announces the change of its corporate legal form to a joint stock company, Aktiengesellschaft (AG).https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/curevac-raises-110-million-in-a-private-placement
Vaccine development - 02/11/2015 A new vaccine could prevent influenza epidemics Influenza pandemics are dangerous and can claim many lives. Children and the elderly in particular run a high risk of developing influenza-related complications, because their immune system is often weakened by the virus. In Germany, annual vaccination against seasonal influenza has therefore been recommended for these target groups for quite a few years now. However, producing vaccines is costly and time-consuming. Researchers at the University…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/a-new-vaccine-could-prevent-influenza-epidemics
Article - 29/10/2015 Personalised Parkinson’s therapy using intelligent brain stimulation For many decades, deep brain stimulation has been used for treating neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. However, the mechanisms of the procedure, which involves implanting stimulation probes into low lying brain areas, are still not clear. Prof. Alireza Gharabaghi, Dr. Daniel Weiss and their teams of researchers at the University of Tübingen have now been able to demonstrate a direct relationship between deep brain…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/personalised-parkinsons-therapy-using-intelligent-brain-stimulation
Article - 26/10/2015 Ultrafast STED nanoscopy Nobel Laureate Stefan Hell and his team at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg have achieved yet another milestone in super-resolved optical microscopy. The team have developed an ultrafast STED (stimulation emission depletion) nanoscope that now makes it possible to study molecular processes and transport processes in living cells in millisecond time steps. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/ultrafast-sted-nanoscopy
Telemedicine - 19/10/2015 Medical apps – potential helpers for physicians and patients Can smartphones become health counsellors for patients or diagnostic tools for doctors? The answer is yes, at least technically. However, health apps that comply with valid medical device regulations are still rather rare in Germany. Many health insurance companies are reluctant to pay for the use of these modern tools because the legal framework is inadequate and doctors are not yet fully capable of using them. Nevertheless, the use of such…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/medical-apps-potential-helpers-for-physicians-and-patients
Article - 19/10/2015 New compound that may kill hospital germs is close to clinical testing Bacteria's increasing resistance to antibiotics is a very serious medical issue. An infection with pathogens such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria can be life-threatening for hospital patients because MRSA has become resistant to the most commonly used antibiotics. Although reserve antibiotics are available in cases where others have lost their ability to control or kill bacterial growth effectively, they do not…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/new-compound-that-may-kill-hospital-germs-is-close-to-clinical-testing
Telemedizin - 19/10/2015 SMARTY – a new way to treat and care for chronically ill children Chronic and complex diseases in children are often a heavy burden on their families. Parents naturally want their children to have the latest treatment, and children are usually treated by several specialists. This makes it rather difficult, or, at the very least, involves considerable effort to keep everyone up to date. Dr. Joachim Riethmüller from the University Children’s Hospital in Tübingen and his team of doctors are using telemedicine in…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/smarty-a-new-way-to-treat-and-care-for-chronically-ill-children
Article - 14/10/2015 High-throughput technologies and bioinformatics from a single source – the Quantitative Biology Center (QBiC) “Omics” is a current buzz word used to describe comprehensive investigations in many areas of the life sciences. In practice, omics refers to fields of scientific study that involve a huge number of experiments and even more data. Evaluating and managing all the data within a fixed period is a huge challenge for most researchers working on their own. It was to address these issues that the Quantitative Biology Center – QBiC for short – was…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/high-throughput-technologies-and-bioinformatics-from-a-single-source-the-quantitative-biology-center-qbic
Article - 12/10/2015 Ulm researchers are writing a new chapter of the thalidomide story Thalidomide, which was sold in Germany in the late 1950s under the trade name Contergan, is mainly known for having caused one of the biggest pharmaceutical scandals in Germany. However, what was once a sleeping pill is increasingly being used as an immunomodulatory drug for treating tumours of the haematopoietic system, something that is not yet widely known. Dr. Jan Krönke is the head of a junior research group at Ulm University Hospital…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/ulm-researchers-are-writing-a-new-chapter-of-the-thalidomide-story
Article - 07/10/2015 Call for a moratorium on germ line experiments in humans Modern genetic engineering tools enable genes to be modified in a genomic context in living cells. Genome surgery unlocks enormous potential for the treatment of genetic diseases, but it could also be misused for the uncontrolled manipulation of the human genome. An interdisciplinary working group of German scientists is calling for a moratorium on human germ line experiments to provide a space to define the opportunities and risks of this new…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/call-for-a-moratorium-on-germ-line-experiments-in-humans