Healthcare industry

Press release - 05/09/2017

Cell marking opens up a window into the body

A new and particularly reliable method for marking cells can simplify research into diseases such as myocardial infarction, diabetes or Alzheimer's and reduce the use of test animals: Scientists from the University of Tübingen have developed a method by which they can target specific cell types in mice and monitor their behavior using positron emission tomography (PET). PET-based cell tracking allows scientists to observe complex life…

The actual age of a person not only depends on the date he or she was born. Biological age, which is far more important in determining lifespan, can so far only be estimated rather than precisely calculated. The European MARK-AGE research project is working on finding a solution to this problem. Esslingen plays a major role in this project for two reasons: the structure of the city and the company BioTeSys.

Dossier - 13/05/2013

The human proteome – the next major goal

The “Human Proteome Project”, a ten-year global initiative that is making a systematic effort to map all human proteins, has moved from the planning to the experimental stage. How significant and how effective the project will be depends on how much the resources offered are used by proteome researchers and on the data that the researchers bring into the project.

Article - 31/03/2014

The growing significance of peptide therapeutics

The therapeutic use of peptides lags behind that of proteins. And there are good reasons for this. However, it seems that this is beginning to change and that peptide therapeutics are growing in significance. As a matter of fact, peptides have become rather popular candidates for drugs.

Article - 30/03/2009

Innovative sunscreen for noninvasive therapies

The importance of sunlight for human health becomes particularly obvious when people do not receive sufficient sunlight. A prime example of this is rachitis also known as English disease which is caused by vitamin D deficiency. However the exposure to too much sunlight can also be dangerous. The Empfingen-based company HelioVital has now developed a special film that enables the therapeutic use of the positive effects of sunlight without causing…

Article - 11/07/2010

Complex issues relating to membranes

Dr. Uwe Schulte of the Freiburg-based biotech company Logopharm GmbH is a specialist in the analysis of membrane proteins membrane protein complexes and functional networks involving membrane proteins. In an interview with BIOPRO Schulte expresses his views on the direction research should take.

Article - 08/12/2008

Specific control of cellular processes

It would be extremely useful to have a remote control system which would enable processes inside cells to be switched on and off at will externally. Students from the University of Freiburg have succeeded in constructing just such a system.

Article - 18/08/2016

Chronic viral infections of the liver

Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are two of the most common infectious diseases in the world. They often take a chronic course and carry a high risk of progressing to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. A new transregional collaborative research centre involving scientists from Heidelberg and Freiburg is looking into how hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses, which have different symptoms and treatments, are able to evade the immune system and allow…

Article - 30/05/2011

BioRN Innovation Center: Innovation broker for market and society

With the establishment of the BioRN Innovation Center in the Rhine-Neckar Life Science Cluster, a professional, specialist and neutral intermediary between science and industry will be available to support the transfer of technologies in all of the cluster’s research institutions. In addition, the BioRN Innovation Center acts as a partner for strategic alliances set up to reinforce the competitiveness of the institutions on the European and…

Article - 11/02/2013

REGiNA – the health region for regenerative medicine

REGiNA is a users’ centre for regenerative medicine in the area bordered by the cities of Stuttgart and Tübingen and the Neckar-Alb region. It was established with the aim of translating a variety of advanced regenerative methods into broad clinical application. Providing a diverse and broad range of information, REGiNA is focused on making new treatment possibilities and the opportunities created by regenerative medicine known to doctors,…

Article - 12/07/2010

Twelve in one fell swoop – New type 2 diabetes genes

An international team of scientists working on the largest diabetes study to date have found 12 new diabetes genes in around 140000 Europeans. One of the authors the endocrinologist Bernhard Böhm from Ulm considers the findings to be a breakthrough in the research and treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Article - 19/04/2017

Are start-ups a matter for the boss? A professor’s thoughts on university spin-offs

Research work and entrepreneurship are by no means mutually exclusive. There are numerous successful university spin-offs in the life sciences sector that prove this only too well. However, the road from a good idea to a commercially successful company can be long and arduous. Those who benefit from the support of their boss from the outset can consider themselves extremely fortunate. Prof. Dr. Hans-Georg Rammensee talks about his experience with…

Press release - 03/08/2009

An investment in the future is being made at the University of Constance

A few weeks ago the Max Planck Society approved the establishment of a new International Max Planck Research School IMPRS for Organismal Biology at the Excellence University of Constance. The International Research School will be established in order to investigate the complex interactions between the organism and environment as well as between organisms.

Article - 14/05/2009

A multicentred approach for the treatment and prevention of diabetes

In order to counteract the increase in the number of diabetics it is necessary to take into account the entire psychosocial environment of the patients states Prof. Dr. Peter Nawroth a physician from Heidelberg University Hospital. The prevention of late complications must be a major goal of any treatment and patient consultation. By focusing on the development and investigation of the RAGE-dependent reaction system Nawroth and his team have…

Article - 11/05/2009

Can stem cells treat diabetes?

Stem cells are seen as the miracle cure of the future for many degenerative diseases. Scientists and physicians also hope that stem cells will exert their regenerative effect in the treatment of diabetes type 1 which is caused by damaged tissue.

Professor Heiko Möller teaches chemistry at the University of Constance and is a specialist in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. He enjoys working with other people including colleagues from the field of chemistry and also biologists and tropical disease specialists. Möller returned from the USA to accept a junior professor position at Constance University.

Article - 07/11/2011

Martin van der Laan and the labyrinth inside mitochondria

Mitochondria contain an intertwined membrane system that is necessary for the production of energy. Errors in the inner mitochondrial membrane architecture prevent energy from being produced. A group of researchers led by Dr. Martin van der Laan at the University of Freiburg in cooperation with partners has identified a protein complex that plays a key role in the architecture and functioning of the mitochondria.

Article - 14/07/2014

Andreas Marx – “Chemical Biology” of DNA polymerases

Whether inside the cell or in molecular biology laboratories, the synthesis of DNA would not be possible without DNA polymerases. The regulation and application of this versatile enzyme family is the subject of research carried out by Prof. Dr. Andreas Marx at the University of Konstanz in Southern Germany. In addition to basic research into naturally occurring DNA polymerases, Marx deals with the development of novel polymerases that can be used…

The new iNNOVATION fORUM of the Baden-Württemberg MicroMountains Network offered researchers and the medical device industry an intensive moderated dialogue and the chance to make new contacts and to improve their chances for future innovations.

Article - 22/10/2012

syneed imaging: precise visualisation of functional tissue properties

Functional medical imaging modalities are of great significance in modern medical diagnostics. Existing ways of diagnosing diseases are now being expanded with the arrival of the innovative parameter imaging method. syneed imaging uses proprietary highly sensitive software for the analysis of dynamic image data. This software complements standard methods such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging and increases the significance of…

Article - 07/06/2017

A gene that regulates body heat and fat storage

Researchers from Heidelberg have shown that the organismal balance between heat production and energy storage is regulated by a gene called THADA. In animal experiments, knocking out the THADA gene leads to excessive food intake, obesity and sensitivity to cold. As humans spread throughout the world and settled in different climate zones, THADA was exposed to high selection pressure due to evolutionary adaptation. This explains why human…

Worldwide less than 10000 people suffer from Gauchers disease which is the most common lysosomal storage disease. Genzyme has been offering the drug Cerezyme for the treatment of this rare genetic disease since 1994. The companys subsidiary in Constance markets and sells this enzyme replacement therapy in Europe and Asia. The active substance is produced in Chinese hamster ovary cell cultures.

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.

Article - 29/04/2010

The biopharmaceutical industry remained stable in times of crisis

The German biopharmaceutical industry has come through 2009 without experiencing too many major slumps. The roaring growth of the biopharmaceutical industry in previous years has been replaced by more moderate growth. This is the result published by the 4th Medical Biotechnology report in 2010 compiled on behalf of the biotech interest group of the vfa bio Association of Research-Oriented Pharmaceutical Companies by the Boston Consulting Group.

Article - 26/04/2017

Chaperones disassemble Parkinson’s disease-specific amyloid fibrils

Amyloid fibrils consisting of clumped α-synuclein protein are characteristic of Parkinson's disease. Chaperones, which ensure the correct folding of newly synthesised polypeptides, can inhibit α-synuclein aggregation and, as a consequence, prevent fibrils from forming. Researchers from Heidelberg have shown that a specific combination of human molecular chaperones is able to disassemble fibrils and transform them into non-toxic α-synuclein…