Dossier - 18/04/2016 Epigenetics – heritable traits without changing the DNA sequence Epigenetics, i.e. the inheritance of traits that does not involve a change in the DNA sequence, was once a controversial subject that has since become a central focus of biological research. Epigenetic inheritance is now studied by numerous national and international research programmes. Many cellular regulatory and differentiation processes are controlled by epigenetic mechanisms that take place on different levels, including the DNA, histone,…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/epigenetics-heritable-traits-without-changing-the-dna-sequence
Article - 02/02/2016 EU consortium to speed up innovations in the healthcare sector EIT Health is a large-scale European project launched in December 2014 that aims to help people in Europe to live a healthier life and stay active as they grow older. The consortium brings together 140 leading companies and institutions from 14 European countries and has a total budget of two billion euros. It is one of the largest networks worldwide in the healthcare sector.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/eu-consortium-to-speed-up-innovations-in-the-healthcare-sector
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 - 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
Article - 29/06/2015 The transition from acute to chronic pain Prof. Dr. Rohini Kuner and fellow scientists from Heidelberg have shown that a protein that inhibits an enzyme produced by immune cells protects nerve cells from chronic hypersensitivity to neuropathic pain. Kuner is also the spokesperson of a new collaborative research centre in Heidelberg that is receiving funding from the German Research Foundation totalling over 12 million euros. The centre is seeking to find the reasons why acute pain…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-transition-from-acute-to-chronic-pain
Article - 26/05/2015 Does too much beef and cow’s milk cause cancer? The large number of breast and colon cancer cases might be due to viruses that are taken up with beef and dairy products. This is the provocative thesis of Nobel Laureate Harald zur Hausen who previously linked HPV with cervical cancer. In addition to epidemiological evidence, zur Hausen and his team have also provided experimental evidence to substantiate his thesis.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/does-too-much-beef-and-cows-milk-cause-cancer
Article - 18/05/2015 Parvoviruses can destroy brain tumours Parvoviruses such as H-1PV have been shown to selectively attack and destroy human cancer cells. However, they are unable to replicate in healthy human cells. A preliminary clinical trial is currently being carried out to assess the suitability of parvoviruses for treating malignant brain cancer. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have now discovered the cause of the selective effect of H-1PV. The finding helps identify…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/parvoviruses-can-destroy-brain-tumours
Press release - 01/04/2015 Migrating immune cells promote nerve cell demise in the brain The slow death of dopamine-producing nerve cells in a certain region of the brain is the principal cause underlying Parkinson's disease. In mice, it is possible to simulate the symptoms of this disease using a substance that selectively kills dopamine-producing neurons. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have now shown for the first time in mouse experiments that after this treatment, cells of the peripheral immune…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/migrating-immune-cells-promote-nerve-cell-demise-in-the-brain
Article - 16/03/2015 The critical balance between liver fibrosis and liver regeneration When the liver has been damaged, a receptor protein of the hepatic stellate cells called endosialin controls the balance between liver repair and scar formation. A team of researchers from Heidelberg and Mannheim has shown that endosialin is a positive regulator of fibrogenesis and a negative regulator of hepatocyte proliferation. Endosialin therefore seems to be a promising therapeutic drug target in non-neoplastic settings. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-critical-balance-between-liver-fibrosis-and-liver-regeneration
Article - 09/03/2015 Treating cancer by activating the immune system Vaccines that prevent infection with cancer-causing viruses are already available. Moreover, the development of therapeutic vaccines for the treatment of a number of other cancers is well under way. These vaccines not only prevent the development of cancer, but also treat early stages of cancer. Antigen-armed antibodies have long been used in vaccines against infectious diseases, and can now also be used for treating cancer. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/treating-cancer-by-activating-the-immune-system
Press release - 07/03/2015 Genome Analysis of Cancer Cells: Germany’s Biggest Sequencing Unit Established in Heidelberg Thorough examination of the genome of cancer cells is essential for a better understanding of the disease and to improve treatment. Therefore, the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), with the support of the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), will invest in the Illumina HiSeq X Ten Sequencing System, the world’s first and only platform to deliver full coverage human whole genome for less than 1000 Euros per genome with the power to sequence more…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/genome-analysis-of-cancer-cells-germany-s-biggest-sequencing-unit-established-in-heidelberg
Article - 16/02/2015 Therapeutic vaccines against brain tumours Therapeutic cancer vaccines have the potential to boost the immune system's ability to destroy tumour cells. Cancer researchers around the world are intensively studying the potential of this therapeutic concept and initial positive results have been obtained. Cancer researchers from Heidelberg have developed a vaccine that triggers an immune response against a protein that is mutated in brain cancer. The vaccine, which successfully arrested…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/therapeutic-vaccines-against-brain-tumours
Article - 09/02/2015 Joining forces to develop anti-cancer immunotherapies No cancer therapy is currently achieving such promising results as immunotherapy. The German Cancer Research Center and Bayer HealthCare have established a joint laboratory to develop novel immunotherapies that selectively reactivate the body’s own immune system and incite it to attack tumour cells, thereby supporting the faster translation of concepts from the laboratory into clinical application.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/joining-forces-to-develop-anti-cancer-immunotherapies
Article - 08/12/2014 Stefan Hell – a Nobel Prize for a lateral thinker Stefan Hell was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the development of STED fluorescence microscopy which has made it possible to obtain optical images well below the optical diffraction limit. However, Hell does not really see himself as a developer. His passion is scientific principles, the identification of how things are connected and the exploration of new, uncharted paths.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/stefan-hell-a-nobel-prize-for-a-lateral-thinker
Press release - 09/10/2014 Stefan Hell - Nobel Prize in Chemistry For the second time a researcher at the DKFZ has been awarded the highest distinction in science: Professor Stefan Hell, director of the Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen and department head at the DKFZ, has been awarded this year´s Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his pioneering work in the field of ultra high resolution fluorescence microscopy. This follows the 2008 Nobel Prize in Medicine for Harald zur Hausen.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/stefan-hell-nobel-prize-in-chemistry
Article - 14/07/2014 Enhancers promote the activation of cancer-causing genes Scientists from the EMBL and the DKFZ in Heidelberg have made an important discovery about a highly aggressive childhood brain tumour: the oncogenes are activated as a result of comprehensive DNA rearrangements that had moved them into the vicinity of DNA sequences called enhancers. This activation mechanism might play a role in many types of tumours and therefore has the potential for being used in the targeted development of new, more effective…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/enhancers-promote-the-activation-of-cancer-causing-genes
Article - 30/06/2014 The German National Cohort: collecting data for a healthier future A large-scale long-term cohort study will be carried out to explain the causes of widespread diseases, in particular cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes, and to identify the risk factors that lead to or favour the development of a certain disease. The principal objective of the German National Cohort (GNC) is to create the conditions that enable the development of new strategies for the prevention, risk assessment and early…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-german-national-cohort-collecting-data-for-a-healthier-future
Press release - 27/05/2014 DKFZ and NCT: individualized cancer medicine Comprehensive genome analyses of cancer cells have shown that each tumor and cancer patient are unique and need to be treated individually. To pave the way, by 2015 the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg aims to offer cancer patients at the NCT analyses of their individual cancer genomes to be used as the basis for personalized recommendations for treatment. This initiative from the DKFZ and NCT has been made possible by generous…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/dkfz-and-nct-individualized-cancer-medicine
Press release - 26/05/2014 50 years of research for life without cancer The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg turns 50 this year. Conducting research on the basic biological mechanisms of cancer, the DKFZ has been instrumental in our current understanding of the development and growth of cancer and has advanced the development of enhanced methods for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/50-years-of-research-for-life-without-cancer
Article - 28/04/2014 Sciomics: antibody microarrays and their broad range of applications Sciomics GmbH is a start-up biotech from Heidelberg with a special focus on protein microarrays. Sciomics produces complex, high-density antibody microarrays for cancer-relevant proteins and offers services for medical research, diagnostics and the industry, including biomarker screening, the verification of biomarker candidates, the analysis and localization of drug targets and their signalling pathways as well as the characterization of…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/sciomics-antibody-microarrays-and-their-broad-range-of-applications
Article - 24/03/2014 Vaccine against papillomaviruses protects from skin cancer Papillomaviruses are thought to cause non-melanoma skin cancer in people exposed to UV radiation, especially those who have suppressed immune systems. Researchers from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Charité University Hospital in Berlin have developed a vaccine that protects mice against such skin tumours. The vaccine is even effective in mice that have previously been infected with papillomaviruses and that have suppressed…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/vaccine-against-papillomaviruses-protects-from-skin-cancer
Article - 16/12/2013 An RNA switch for protein mutations RNA is a family of biological molecules with multiple roles, including the transmission of information and the catalysis of chemical reactions in a similar way to enzyme action. Ribozymes (ribonucleic acid enzymes) of this kind function for example within the ribosome where they link amino acids during protein synthesis. Professor Jörg Hartig from the University of Konstanz has developed a new ribozyme-based method that enables him to control the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/an-rna-switch-for-protein-mutations
Dossier - 15/10/2013 Adult stem cells – hope for regenerative therapies Adult stem cells have the lifelong ability to generate new specialised cells. They secure the continuous replenishment of cells therefore enabling the constant replacement of dying cells with new ones. Progress in the characterisation isolation and specific differentiation of adult stem cells over recent years raises hopes for the future use of the cells in the therapy of degenerative diseases. Knowledge about adult stem cells also has the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/adult-stem-cells-hope-for-regenerative-therapies
Article - 19/08/2013 The Heidelberg practice of whole-genome sequencing After two years’ work, scientists from Heidelberg have now presented their opinion on the ethical and legal consequences of the total sequencing of the human genome. The paper presents principles and practical recommendations aimed at maintaining the balance between the wellbeing and interests of patients on the one hand and the freedom of research and clinical progress on the other.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-heidelberg-practice-of-whole-genome-sequencing
Article - 04/07/2013 Experimental evidence of stem cells for metastasis For the first time, scientists from Heidelberg have characterised cancer cells that initiate metastasis in the blood of breast cancer patients using an in-vivo xenograft mouse model. These cells have the properties of cancer stem cells and are characterised by three surface molecules that can be used as biomarkers for disease progression. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/experimental-evidence-of-stem-cells-for-metastasis