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
Press release - 03/11/2015 CureVac raises $110 Million in a private placement CureVac, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the field of mRNA-based technology, today announces that it has raised about $110 million (€100 million) to enable accelerated expansion of its industry-leading messenger RNA (mRNA) development platform and clinical-stage pipeline. CureVac also announces the change of its corporate legal form to a joint stock company, Aktiengesellschaft (AG).https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/curevac-raises-110-million-in-a-private-placement
Vaccine development - 02/11/2015 A new vaccine could prevent influenza epidemics Influenza pandemics are dangerous and can claim many lives. Children and the elderly in particular run a high risk of developing influenza-related complications, because their immune system is often weakened by the virus. In Germany, annual vaccination against seasonal influenza has therefore been recommended for these target groups for quite a few years now. However, producing vaccines is costly and time-consuming. Researchers at the University…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/a-new-vaccine-could-prevent-influenza-epidemics
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 - 12/10/2015 Ulm researchers are writing a new chapter of the thalidomide story Thalidomide, which was sold in Germany in the late 1950s under the trade name Contergan, is mainly known for having caused one of the biggest pharmaceutical scandals in Germany. However, what was once a sleeping pill is increasingly being used as an immunomodulatory drug for treating tumours of the haematopoietic system, something that is not yet widely known. Dr. Jan Krönke is the head of a junior research group at Ulm University Hospital…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/ulm-researchers-are-writing-a-new-chapter-of-the-thalidomide-story
Article - 30/09/2015 New synthesis method produces compound for use in tumour medicines Very few people have ever heard of the chemical compound sulphoquinovose. This natural substance is nevertheless found in a large variety of foods. Sulphoquinovose has been playing an increasing role in cancer research, which is why demand for the compound is constantly growing. With this in mind, researchers from a company called MCAT GmbH from Konstanz are working on the development a method to synthesise larger quantities of sulphoquinovose…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/new-synthesis-method-produces-compound-for-use-in-tumour-medicines
Article - 28/09/2015 Breast cancer: a few millilitres of urine to diagnose the disease early It would be phenomenal news if it turned out that breast cancer could be detected by way of urine samples. Treating physicians would be able to use conspicuous test results to begin further examinations as quickly as possible along with therapy if necessary. Prof. Dr. Elmar Stickeler and his team from the Freiburg University Medical Centre have developed a method that identifies the composition of microRNAs in urine. They were able to predict…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/breast-cancer-a-few-millilitres-of-urine-to-diagnose-the-disease-early
Article - 24/09/2015 New test system for detection of HPV-related oral cavity cancers The number of people suffering from oral or oropharyngeal cancer is rising steadily. The major cause of these cancers is human papillomaviruses (HPV) that colonise the oral cavity, where they are difficult to detect. QIAGEN Lake Constance GmbH from Stockach, in cooperation with Abviris Deutschland GmbH, has developed a new test system to improve the detection of oral HPV. This new system enables rapid and reliable quantitative detection of…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/new-test-system-for-detection-of-hpv-related-oral-cavity-cancers
Press release - 26/08/2015 Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH - new alliances and launch of Immatics US, Inc. MorphoSys and Immatics Biotechnologies Enter Strategic Alliance in Immuno-oncology. Furthermore Immatics and MD Anderson announce launch of Immatics US, Inc., to develop multiple T-cell and TCR-based adoptive cellular therapies.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/immatics-biotechnologies-gmbh-new-alliances-and-launch-of-immatics-us-inc
Article - 27/07/2015 Looking for the Achilles’ heel of the tumour Although medicines that inhibit the growth of cancer cells are available, the prognosis for patients with solid tumours is generally still rather poor. The reason for this is that tumour cells develop resistance to therapy during treatment, and the tumour can continue to grow. However, tumours are vulnerable – if only more robust medicines were available. Prof. Dr. Lars Zender, senior physician and head of the Division of Translational…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/looking-for-the-achilles-heel-of-the-tumour
Article - 20/07/2015 Liver cell carcinoma: reducing tumour burden – increasing life expectancy Liver cell carcinoma or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most malignant human cancers. The disease arises from chronic damage to the liver, usually caused by virus- or alcohol-related liver cirrhoses. Liver tumours are considered difficult to treat, but there is evidence that they actually trigger an immune response in the body. Prof. Dr. Robert Thimme from Freiburg University Medical Centre is seeking to understand this effect and…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/liver-cell-carcinoma-reducing-tumour-burden-increasing-life-expectancy
Article - 13/07/2015 CureVac and Boehringer Ingelheim - two strong partners forge cancer immunotherapy alliance Two German companies have teamed up to become a driving force in the immunotherapy of lung carcinomas. CureVac GmbH from Tübingen and Boehringer Ingelheim are working together on the development of a therapy for non-small cell lung cancer using CureVac’s vaccine CV9202. The drug is based on messenger RNA and will be used in combination with other therapies with the goal of fighting the tumour on several fronts.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/curevac-and-boehringer-ingelheim-two-strong-partners-forge-cancer-immunotherapy-alliance
Article - 06/07/2015 Blood stem cells deliver drugs to brain tumours The brain is the central switchboard in our body. Professor Ghazaleh Tabatabai’s work focuses specifically on the brain and the fight against uncontrolled proliferation of brain tumours. In May 2014, she was appointed professor in the newly established Interdisciplinary Division of Neuro-Oncology at the University of Tübingen and head of the Clinical and Experimental Neuro-Oncology research group at the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/blood-stem-cells-deliver-drugs-to-brain-tumours
Article - 29/06/2015 3D cell culture model for more efficient tumour research The development of anti-cancer drugs is a lengthy process because results obtained in vitro in the laboratory often differ from what then occurs in a living organism. A group of researchers led by Prof. Dr. Margareta Müller at the Furtwangen University of Applied Sciences is therefore developing a new cell culture model that adjusts in vitro to real conditions.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/3d-cell-culture-model-for-more-efficient-tumour-research
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 - 26/05/2015 Novel effect of B-Raf inhibitors against bowel cancer discovered Colorectal carcinoma is the most frequent type of bowel cancer and the second most common tumour disease in men and women in Germany. A particularly aggressive form occurs when a mutation is present in the proto-oncogene BRAF. As part of the Collaborative Research Centre 850 at the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research at the University of Freiburg, Dr. Ricarda Herr and Dr. Tilman Brummer are trying to find out how a mutated BRAF gene…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/novel-effect-of-b-raf-inhibitors-against-bowel-cancer-discovered
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
Article - 11/05/2015 Lung cancer: MTSS1 is a putative marker of tumour progression and metastatic disease Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant diseases and one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. 90% of all lung cancer cases in men and 80% in women are due to long-term exposure to tobacco smoke. In Germany, around 140 new cases are diagnosed every day, and 50,000 people die of lung cancer every year. PD Dr. Gian Kayser, senior consultant in the Department of Clinical Pathology at Freiburg University Medical Centre,…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/lung-cancer-mtss1-is-a-putative-marker-of-tumour-progression-and-metastatic-disease
Press release - 29/04/2015 cytena received EUR 1.1 million of seed capital from HTGF and a private investor cytena GmbH, headquartered in Freiburg, has developed a device called cy-Clone to separate single cells. A consortium made up of a private investor and High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), will provide EUR 1.1 million of seed capital. cytena GmbH will use this capital injection primarily to launch its product and to expand its marketing and distribution activities.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/cytena-received-eur-11-million-of-seed-capital-from-htgf-and-a-private-investor
Overview Basic research The latest articles, press releases and dossiers on basic research in Baden-Württemberghttps:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/research
Overview Red biotechnology The latest articles, press releases and dossiers on red biotechnology in Baden-Württemberghttps:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/biotech
Overview Pharmaceutics The latest articles, press releases and dossiers on pharmaceutics in Baden-Württemberghttps:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/pharma
Dossier - 13/04/2015 Boosting the immune system can improve cancer prevention and treatment The activation of the body’s immune system to fight cancer is not only a promising therapeutic concept, but is already used in medical practice. The first immunotherapies have been approved and many more are either in the experimental stages or already undergoing clinical testing. Vaccines to prevent certain types of cancer are already being used successfully around the world.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/boosting-the-immune-system-can-improve-cancer-prevention-and-treatment
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