Development of anti-tumour agents - 20/03/2023 Targeting the protective shield of cancers Cancer cells have different mechanisms to help them escape destruction by the immune system. Solid tumours, for example, are often surrounded by a protective layer of lactate, which has a strong immunosuppressive effect. WMT AG from Heidelberg is developing small drug molecules that reduce lactate production and thus make cancer cells vulnerable to immune system attacks.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/targeting-protective-shield-cancers
Press release - 13/03/2023 AI and multispectral imaging facilitate keyhole surgery How can camera images be used during minimally invasive surgeries to assess whether the operated organ is sufficiently perfused with blood? Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Städtisches Klinikum Karlsruhe have now succeeded in automatic monitoring of ischemia during a kidney surgery using only the optical properties of the tissue and not relying on injection of contrast agent. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/ki-und-moderne-bildgebung-erleichtern-schluesselloch-chirurgie
Photon-counting technology - 01/02/2023 PC3 consortium: innovative computed tomography for Baden-Württemberg The University Hospitals of Freiburg, Tübingen and Mannheim have been cooperating with each other since 2021 to test new types of computed tomography devices. With the help of photon-counting technology, the aim is not only to improve patient care, but also to encourage local companies to develop downstream data processing technologies.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/pc3-consortium-innovative-computed-tomography-baden-wuerttemberg
Press release - 17/11/2022 New target for Alzheimer's therapies found DZNE researchers discover link between the protein medin and Alzheimer's disease. The protein medin is deposited in the blood vessels of the brains of Alzheimer's patients along with the protein amyloid-β. DZNE Researchers have discovered this so-called co-aggregation. They have now published their observation in the renowned journal Nature.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/new-target-alzheimers-therapies-found
Press release - 24/10/2022 How tumors suppress the development of metastases Why do metastases often only appear after the original tumor has been surgically removed? Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) and the Mannheim Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University have now published an explanation for this phenomenon. They were able to identify a messenger substance of the cancer cells that locally promotes the growth of the primary tumor.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/wie-tumoren-die-entstehung-von-metastasen-unterdruecken
Press release - 09/09/2022 Breaking down proteins: How starving cancer cells switch food sources Cancer cells often grow in environments that are low in nutrients, and they cope with this challenge by switching their metabolism to using proteins as alternative "food". Building on genetic screens, an international team of scientists could identify the protein LYSET as part of a pathway that allows cancer cells to make this switch. Their findings are now published in the journal Science.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/neu-identifiziertes-protein-ermoeglicht-krebszellen-auf-alternative-nahrungsquellen-auszuweichen
Press release - 18/08/2022 When smooth muscle cells lack strength University of Tübingen team discovers how malformations of the blood vessels can occur in mice – yielding information with possible ramifications for retinal disease.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/when-smooth-muscle-cells-lack-strength
Press release - 12/05/2022 New imaging method makes tiny medical robots visible in the body Microrobots have the potential to revolutionize medicine. Researchers at the Max Planck ETH Centre for Learning Systems have now developed an imaging technique that for the first time recognises cell-sized microrobots individually and at high resolution in a living organism. This is an important step towards precise control of the robots and their clinical translation.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/new-imaging-method-makes-tiny-medical-robots-visible-body
Press release - 25/04/2022 Reprogrammed macrophages promote spread of breast cancer Metastatic breast cancer cells abuse macrophages, a type of immune cell, to promote the settlement of cancer metastases in the lungs. The reprogrammed macrophages stimulate blood vessel cells to secrete a cocktail of metastasis-promoting proteins that are part of the so-called metastatic niche.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/reprogrammed-macrophages-promote-spread-breast-cancer
Elastin as artificial muscle material - 02/03/2022 Artificial muscle from proteins for diverse future applications As far as diversity and complexity are concerned, proteins are nature's smallest marvels. Biotechnologists have already used natural proteins as a basis for the development, bespoke design and production of artificial systems. This is what the livMatS cluster of excellence at the University of Freiburg has been doing. Researchers in the cluster have successfully produced an artificial muscle from elastin that functions autonomously.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/artificial-muscle-proteins-diverse-future-applications
Press release - 28/01/2022 Artificial Muscles Made of Proteins Dr. Stefan Schiller and Dr. Matthias Huber from the University of Freiburg’s livMatS Cluster of Excellence have succeeded in developing a muscle solely on the basis of natural proteins. The autonomous contractions of the material, which the researchers presented in the journal Advanced Intelligent Systems, can be controlled with the help of pH and temperature changes.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/artificial-muscles-made-proteins
Press release - 25/10/2021 How the "thermostat" in the brain measures impending overheating The mechanisms by which the body measures temperature and regulates its own body heat are vital, but still poorly understood. The discovery of the first heat sensor on nerve cells in the skin, for which the U.S. molecular biologist David Julius received this year's Nobel Prize for Medicine, was therefore pioneering.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/how-thermostat-brain-measures-impending-overheating
Press release - 16/09/2021 Organ twin: a “flight simulator” for surgeons Cyber Valley researchers have created medical educational tools that could potentially train the surgeons of the future, much like flight simulators train pilots. The team developed a range of artificial organ phantoms to serve as training platforms for surgeons. Thanks to the structured data of experienced medical professionals, a quantitative and objective assessment of a trainee’s skills can be assessed in real time.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/organ-twin-flight-simulator-surgeons
Press release - 02/09/2021 Blood vessels produce growth factor that promotes metastases On the one hand, blood vessels supply tumors with nutrients and, on the other, enable cancer cells to spread throughout the body. The settlement of circulating tumor cells in a distant organ is promoted by factors whose production is induced by the primary tumor itself. Scientists have now identified a new growth factor produced by blood vessels that enables tumor cells to metastatically colonize organs.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/blood-vessels-produce-growth-factor-promotes-metastases
Press release - 25/05/2021 From harmless skin bacteria to dreaded pathogens The bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidisis primarily a harmless microbe found on the skin and in the noses of humans. Yet some strains of this species can cause infections – in catheters, artificial joints, heart valves, and in the bloodstream – which are difficult to treat. These bacteria are often resistant to a particularly effective antibiotic, methicillin, and are among the most feared germs in hospitals.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/harmless-skin-bacteria-dreaded-pathogens
Press release - 25/05/2021 How “paralyzed” immune cells can be reactivated against brain tumors Brain tumor cells with a certain common mutation reprogram invading immune cells. This leads to the paralysis of the body's immune defense against the tumor in the brain. Researchers from Heidelberg, Mannheim, and Freiburg discovered this mechanism and at the same time identified a way of reactivating the paralyzed immune system to fight the tumor.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/how-paralyzed-immune-cells-can-be-reactivated-against-brain-tumors
Press release - 26/10/2020 How to prevent the spread of tumor cells via the lymph vessels What role do the lymphatic vessels play in the metastasis of cancer cells? Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center and the Mannheim Medical Faculty of the University of Heidelberg developed a method to investigate this question in mice. The aim of the work was to identify new ways to block the dangerous colonization and spread of tumor cells. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/how-prevent-spread-tumor-cells-lymph-vessels
Press release - 23/07/2020 Images from the inside of blood vessels Smallest 3D printed miniature endoscope in the world detects cholesterol plaques and thrombs inside human and mouse arteries.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/3d-bilder-aus-dem-inneren-von-adern
New edition - 24/05/2019 Tumour metastasis Cancer is usually not curable when metastases have formed in the body. Metastases are often resistant to drugs that have successfully eliminated the primary tumour. The basic features of the complex process of metastasis are now known, but many details still remain elusive. Intensive research activities are focusing on new therapeutic concepts aimed at developing effective anti-metastatic therapies.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/tumour-metastasis
Alternative to animal experiments - 21/03/2018 Drug tests using miniature organs At present, potential new drugs have to be tested on animals before they can be used on humans. However, results obtained from animals are not always transferrable to the situation in humans, which is why researchers around the world have long been seeking alternatives. Miniature human organs that can be used to test the efficacy of potential human drugs might provide a solution.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/drug-tests-using-miniature-organs
Article - 13/11/2017 An artificial heart valve with the potential to grow About 30,000 artificial heart valves are implanted in Germany every year. The durability of these heart valves presents a major challenge, requiring them to be exchanged time and again, especially in young patients. Researchers from the Stuttgart Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB have developed a new artificial heart valve material on which cells that are naturally present in a patient’s blood can form new…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/an-artificial-heart-valve-with-the-potential-to-grow
Transregional research cooperation - 11/10/2017 New research consortium to develop new liver cancer treatments The causes, signs and symptoms of liver cancer are extremely complex. Investigating them requires the collaboration of many experts across university and regional boundaries. A new transregional research group is now studying the complex overall mechanisms at the cellular, genetic and molecular level in order to develop new concepts and drugs for treating liver and bile duct cancers.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/new-research-consortium-to-develop-new-liver-cancer-treatments
24.04.2017 World Day for Laboratory Animals On 24 April 2017 is "World Day for Laboratory Animals" – the BIOPRO provides information about this topic. In Baden-Württemberg alone, up to 600,000 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,…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/world-day-for-laboratory-animals
Press release - 24/01/2017 Cancer Medications Learn to Hide The European Research Council awards Wilfried Weber an ERC Proof of Concept Grant. Wilfried Weber, Professor of Synthetic Biology at the University of Freiburg, has received a grant of roughly €150,000 for his project “Hide and Seek with Cancer Drugs” in which he is working to improve the drugs used in cancer treatment.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/cancer-medications-learn-to-hide
Article - 21/12/2016 For all types of tests: Signatope’s biomarker assays Signatope is a new biotech company that has been offering innovative biomarker assays for application in drug discovery since August 2016. The company’s assays can be used in all phases of drug development to detect potential adverse drug effects on the kidneys, liver and other organs in any species whatsoever using minute amounts of sample.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/for-all-types-of-tests-signatopes-biomarker-assays