Article - 29/10/2012 Friederike J. Gruhl – biology is not always enough Researchers are usually only able to explore the development and growth of tumours with animal models. This is because many human cells lose their typical characteristics once outside the body. Friederike J. Gruhl from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT is working to create a biomimetic environment in Petri dishes in which prostate cells thrive and can be manipulated to become tumours for example - if required. The three-dimensional…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/friederike-j-gruhl-biology-is-not-always-enough
Article - 22/10/2012 The crème de la crème of contact allergy tests goes in vitro As of 2013 all cosmetic products containing a chemical with inherent skin sensitisation potential must be tested without the traditional animal testing. Prof. Dr. Stefan Martin from the Department of Dermatology at the University of Freiburg Medical Centre and his partners have been looking for alternatives to animal testing and have come up with the most specific in vitro test there has ever been. The researchers involved in the project have…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-cr-me-de-la-cr-me-of-contact-allergy-tests-goes-in-vitro
Article - 24/09/2012 MTS: Shock wave technology for the therapy of diabetic foot ulcer Almost 15 percent of an estimated seven million diabetes mellitus patients in Germany suffer from diabetic foot syndrome DFS. It is associated with damage to the foot nerves and blood vessels as well as the presence of chronic wounds which in thousands of cases every year precede lower leg amputations. The Konstanz-based company MTS Medical has developed a shock wave therapy system that has the potential to considerably reduce the number of…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/mts-shock-wave-technology-for-the-therapy-of-diabetic-foot-ulcer
Article - 02/07/2012 amcure GmbH is working on a new compound against pancreatic cancer amcure GmbH has identified a new compound with a new efficacy profile against pancreatic cancer. Animal experiments have shown promising results: the drug candidate successfully prevents tumour growth and destroys existing metastases. The company, which was spun out from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in 2011, is now working on its first financing round and is looking for new investors. At the same time it is carefully planning its…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/amcure-gmbh-is-working-on-a-new-compound-against-pancreatic-cancer
Article - 21/05/2012 Interactions between the genome and the environment Parental neglect appears to lead to epigenetic changes in children, which result in behavioural problems in later years. This is one issue amongst the many that were addressed at the colloquium “Gene und Umwelt – Wie wir werden, was wir sind” (Genes and the environment – how we become what we are) recently organized by the Daimler and Benz Foundation in Berlin.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/interactions-between-the-genome-and-the-environment
Article - 02/04/2012 Looking for the molecular conductors of neuroembryogenesis Tissue development in areas such as the nervous system can be likened to the arrangement of various elements in a concert. Genetic control centres play a key role in coordinating which pieces of music are played in which order. These control centres regulate the expression of genes. A team of researchers led by Prof. Dr. Uwe Strähle from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT uses zebrafish to understand the gene networks that control…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/looking-for-the-molecular-conductors-of-neuroembryogenesis
Article - 13/02/2012 Suzanne Kadereit: assessing nanotoxicity using stem cells Nanotoxicity has become the subject of concern because of increasing toxic effects of nanomaterials on living organisms. However such effects are difficult to detect in people. In an interview with BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg Dr. Susanne Kadereit biologist at the University of Konstanz reports about her work involving the development of a human in-vitro system that enables the more effective assessment of the toxicity of nanoparticles.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/suzanne-kadereit-assessing-nanotoxicity-using-stem-cells
Article - 13/02/2012 A strange combination: green tea extract and light for treating Alzheimer’s Andrei Sommer from the University of Ulm and colleagues from Ulm, Heidelberg and Berlin have succeeded in reducing amyloid beta deposits in human neuroblastoma cells by up to 60 per cent in vitro. The researchers found that the apparently strange combination of green tea and red light has the potential to lead to the development of new therapies for Alzheimer’s. There are currently no treatments available that stop or reverse the progression of…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/a-strange-combination-green-tea-extract-and-light-for-treating-alzheimer-s
Press release - 30/09/2011 Blood Vessels from Your Printer Researchers have been working at growing tissue and organs in the laboratory for a long time. These days, tissue engineering enables us to build up artificial tissue, although science still hasn’t been successful with larger organs. Now, researchers at Fraunhofer are applying new techniques and materials to come up with artificial blood vessels in their BioRap project that will be able to supply artificial tissue and maybe even complex organs in…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/blood-vessels-from-your-printer
Press release - 31/08/2011 Insilico’s alternatives to animal testing Insilico Biotechnology is partner in several EU research projects aimed at developing testing methods for cosmetic substances without using animals. Computer-based models and simulations will be implemented to support and advance the development of cell and tissue cultures which produce reliable results even for long-term applications.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/insilico-s-alternatives-to-animal-testing
Article - 29/08/2011 Ute Schepers – the therapeutic potential of small RNAs and molecular transporters Small RNAs can specifically interfere with cellular mechanisms; or more precisely, with the cells’ protein biosynthesis machinery. Scientists have therefore decided to exploit this potential by using small RNAs against cancer cells or cells damaged in other ways. But the question arises as to how the small RNAs can reach the site where their role is to prevent the generation of dangerous proteins. Dr. Ute Schepers and her team from the Karlsruhe…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/ute-schepers-the-therapeutic-potential-of-small-rnas-and-molecular-transporters
Article - 29/07/2011 Labor Dr. Merk und Kollegen - Viruses under control It is difficult to imagine how Ochsenhausen-based Labor Dr. Merk und Kollegen (LMK) would be able to develop, produce and test medical products for bacterial and viral contaminations without using cell cultures. The medium-sized company also produces viruses for testing and has stored more than 80 different viruses – enveloped and non-enveloped ones, animal and human pathogens – at -80˚C.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/labor-dr-merk-und-kollegen-viruses-under-control
Dossier - 25/07/2011 Cell culture technology: it all started with frog nerve fibres The history of cell culture technology is closely connected with cell biology and the discoveries made in the field of cell biology. Ever since the study of science became a professional activity, researchers have been trying to keep cells and tissues alive outside organisms for purposes of investigation. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/cell-culture-technology-it-all-started-with-frog-nerve-fibres
Article - 27/06/2011 New therapeutic approaches: nitric oxide for the treatment of brain tumours Researchers led by neurosurgeon Dr. Astrid Weyerbrock from the Freiburg University Medical Centre are working on the improvement of therapies for the effective treatment of glioblastomas that involve deciphering the biological mechanisms that lead to these complex brain tumours. They are using a volatile molecule that is also found in the earths atmosphere.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/new-therapeutic-approaches-nitric-oxide-for-the-treatment-of-brain-tumours
Article - 14/06/2011 Retinitis pigmentosa: a new form of cell death What form of cell death do the photoreceptors of people suffering from retinitis pigmentosa undergo and how can their degeneration be prevented or delayed with pharmaceutical substances? Dr. Paquet-Durand from the Institute for Ophthalmic Research in Tübingen is working to resolve these questions.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/retinitis-pigmentosa-a-new-form-of-cell-death
Article - 04/04/2011 Technical innovations for better diagnostics The quantitative detection of DNA single-strand breaks is of great importance for many areas of biomedical research and diagnostics. The Fluorescence-detected Alkaline DNA Unwinding FADU assay assists in the investigation of mechanisms of DNA damage and repair following DNA strand breaks upon exposure to chemicals. Prof. Alexander Bürkle and his team at the University of Konstanz have automated and optimised the original FADU assay which was…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/technical-innovations-for-better-diagnostics
Press release - 21/03/2011 Polymer brushes with mini proteins protect implants Patients who have had surgical implants are at risk of developing serious complications due to bacterial infections. This affects around two to six per cent of patients with implants. Scientists from the KIT Institute of Functional Interfaces (IFG) have now succeeded in developing a protective layer that prevents bacteria from adhering to implants and creating dangerous biofilms that can lead to serious infections. The protective layer has proven…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/polymer-brushes-with-mini-proteins-protect-implants
Article - 07/03/2011 Thomas Brunner: steroid synthesis in the intestine A research team led by Prof. Dr. Thomas Brunner at the University of Konstanz has found out that intestinal epithelial cells are able to synthesise anti-inflammatory steroids glucocorticoids following immunological stress which makes a considerable contribution to the maintenance of local immune homoeostasis. Brunner plans to use his findings to develop a therapeutic approach for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/thomas-brunner-steroid-synthesis-in-the-intestine
Article - 13/09/2010 Molecules adapted to the environment For many years Prof. Dr. Klaus Kümmerer from the University Medical Centre Freiburg has been investigating how the chemical structures of drugs and other chemicals can be modified in order to enable them to be degraded more quickly in rivers and soils. There has to be a new way of thinking said Kümmerer going on to add the appropriate methods are already in place.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/molecules-adapted-to-the-environment
Press release - 15/08/2010 The man who saved white rabbits When Stefan Fennrich received a telephone call asking for his opinion on replacing animal testing with in vitro human blood testing he was immediately thrilled by the idea. This is brilliant said the enthusiastic physician and biochemist from Tübingen. The call was from Professor Thomas Hartung and Albrecht Wendel from the University of Constance who came up with the idea of the PyroDetect assay which experts regard as a groundbreaking innovation…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/the-man-who-saved-white-rabbits
Article - 24/05/2010 Alternative CAM: chicken eggs to precede mouse experiments Researchers who test whether in vitro results can be transferred to living organisms prefer to use mice rats or rabbits. Many questions can be answered using the chorioallantoic membrane CAM of fertilised chicken eggs an alternative model to animal experiments that provides rapid results and only costs 50 cents per egg.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/alternative-cam-chicken-eggs-to-precede-mouse-experiments
Article - 24/05/2010 A long path from development to worldwide acceptance In cooperation with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Baltimore the University of Constance has established the Centre for Alternatives to Animal Testing Europe CAAT-EU in Constance. The goal of the transatlantic cooperation is to establish new and innovative methods to replace the use of laboratory animals in studies to combine the skills of the partners to provide a better safer and more human future for humans and animals…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/a-long-path-from-development-to-worldwide-acceptance
Article - 24/05/2010 Nose drops replace transplantation Dr. Lusine Danielyan a scientist from Tübingen has developed a method that enables her to administer therapeutic cells for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases to animals without requiring syringes or surgery. The animals simply snort the cell suspension. In September 2009 Danielyan received the Baden-Württemberg Research Prize for Alternative and Complementary Methods to Animal Testing for her development.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/nose-drops-replace-transplantation
Dossier - 24/05/2010 Animal experiments: alternatives need to be found urgently In Baden-Württemberg alone up to 600000 animals are used for scientific purposes every year. In order to reduce their pain and suffering as much as possible researchers all over the world are working on the development of innovative methods to replace animal experiments including cell culture methods for drug analysis artificial blood vessel systems for testing chemicals and rapid computer simulations used in diabetes research.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/animal-experiments-alternatives-need-to-be-found-urgently
Article - 15/04/2010 Bone-hard basic research for an ageing society Osteoporotic bones not only break very easily, they also heal badly when a fracture occurs. A fractured femur neck might mean that elderly patients have to remain bedridden for a long period and maybe even need nursing care. Fractures that heal badly, in combination with other diseases, frequently lead to a fatal outcome. A panregional team of researchers, including researchers from Ulm, has been working together since 2007 on basic research into…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/bone-hard-basic-research-for-an-ageing-society