The Max Planck Society and the Dieter Schwarz Foundation (DSS) have embarked on a groundbreaking initiative. On March 13, 2025, they signed an agreement through which the foundation will support an innovative approach by the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg to translate basic research findings into practical applications. As part of this endeavour, two new departments of the institute will be established in Heilbronn.

Sepsis is one of the most dangerous medical emergencies. The condition is the result of a misdirected immune response to an infection, which can quickly lead to organ failure and death. Every hour counts – but early detection is difficult. A new study from Heidelberg now presents an innovative approach: artificial intelligence (AI) and hyperspectral imaging of the skin enable immediate and non-invasive sepsis diagnosis directly at the bedside.

Technology impulse for the Lake Constance region: The new Single Cell Centre at the University of Konstanz offers technology and expertise to study cells individually and at high resolution – for applications in medical diagnostics, medication development and basic research at universities.

Different types of bone marrow stem cells give rise to blood and immune cells. A team led by Simon Haas now reports in ​“Nature Cell Biology” how that diversity develops. The findings could help improve stem cell therapies, including treatments for blood cancers.

Whether we are predisposed to particular diseases depends to a large extent on the countless variants in our genome. However in the case of genetic variants the influence on the presentation of certain pathological traits has been difficult to determine. Researchers have introduced an algorithm based on deep learning that can predict the effects of rare genetic variants.

New findings indicate that a shingles vaccination could not only reduce the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia, but also reduce disease progression among those living with dementia.

Apogenix, a biopharmaceutical company developing next generation immunotherapeutics, announced today that asunercept showed statistically significant benefits for hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the ASUNCTIS trial. The open-label multi-center phase II trial investigated efficacy and safety of asunercept in 435 patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 disease.

They are underestimated genetic control elements: it is known that changes in the genome can trigger diabetes. But now researchers at the University Hospital Ulm and the INSERM Cochin Institute in Paris have shown that a previously under-researched region of the genome also plays a crucial role in the development of this disease.

Researchers at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and the Heidelberg University Hospital have used modified rabies viruses to label glioblastoma tumour cells and their direct cell contacts in the mouse brain. The new method showed that the tumour cells are connected to different types of nerve cells throughout the entire brain at a very early stage of the disease.

The Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 1550 “Molecular Circuits of Heart Disease” at Heidelberg University is entering its second funding period. The German Research Foundation (DFG) has approved approximately EUR 17.4 million in funding for the next four years. The spokesperson is Johannes Backs, Professor of Experimental Cardiology at the Heidelberg Faculty of Medicine.

Dossier - 14/06/2016

CRISPR/Cas – genome editing is becoming increasingly popular

The number of publications and patents that involve the CRISPR/Cas system has been increasing exponentially since the technique was first described a few years ago. The increase in funding for projects involving CRISPR/Cas also demonstrates how powerful this new method is. The targeted modification of genomes (also called gene or genome editing) using CRISPR/Cas is extraordinarily accurate and also has the potential to cure hereditary diseases.

EMBL scientists created SDR-seq, a tool for single-cell DNA-RNA-sequencing that studies both DNA and RNA simultaneously, linking coding and non-coding genetic variants to gene expression in the same single cell.

Joint press release of the Heidelberg Faculty of Medicine at Heidelberg University and the German Center for Infection Research: With the FDA approval of Hepcludex (bulevirtide), a therapy for chronic hepatitis D developed at the Heidelberg Faculty of Medicine at Heidelberg University, Heidelberg University Hospital, and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) has now reached the world’s most important pharmaceutical market.

Treatment resistance is a central problem in the treatment of cancer. Bone and soft tissue tumors – known as sarcomas – in adolescents and young adults often stop responding to treatment too. This is because cancer cells develop a large number of new characteristics as the disease progresses and often become resistant to drugs that were originally effective.

Five transnational and cross-institutional doctoral networks at Heidelberg University are being funded as part of the “Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions”. They work together on current scientific topics with high innovation potential. Ruperto Carola coordinates an MSCA Doctoral Network on artificial intelligence in physics, two networks in medicine, life sciences and engineering.

When embryos grow, cells and tissue are constantly bumping into each other. This creates mechanical tensions that could endanger their development. A team from University of Hohenheim and the Japanese RIKEN Center have discovered that fly embryos have strategies to deal with this pressure. The different species have developed two different solutions. This ability to control mechanical tension could be a key to why so many body plans have evolved.

Dossier - 28/08/2018

With molecular diagnostics to biomarker-based personalised therapy

Diagnosing suitable biomarkers is a prerequisite for tailoring personalised therapies to patient heterogeneity. Genetic tests and genome sequencing play a key role in these diagnoses. Up until now, personalised therapy has achieved the greatest success in the field of oncology. However, personalised treatments are also gaining in importance for treating other diseases.