Dossier - 15/04/2013 Bioactive plant foods – more than just filling The increasing demand for functional foods clearly shows that the role of food is no longer just to meet an essential need. Food that offers additional nutritional benefits is becoming increasingly important for example food that is able to prevent or treat diseases. This kind of food is therefore interesting for consumers the food industry and the healthcare sector alike. Products based on plant raw materials are particularly in demand due to…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/bioactive-plant-foods-more-than-just-filling
Article - 08/04/2013 The first major cell migration It is of crucial importance that cells stick tightly together where their function requires them to do so for example in organs such as the heart and the liver to name but two examples. However it is equally crucial that cells start to migrate at some stage during embryonic development in order to form such organs. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Driever from the Institute of Biology I at the University of Freiburg and his team have elucidated the molecular…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-first-major-cell-migration
Article - 08/04/2013 Integrated infrastructures for medical science The annual TMF conference in Heidelberg dealt with the need for integrated science infrastructures for the advancement of medical research. The major focus was on quality criteria for medical biomaterial banks and the establishment of the German Biobank Registry as the core of a central IT infrastructure, with the overall aim of creating the right conditions for resource-saving medical research excellence in Germany. https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/integrated-infrastructures-for-medical-science
Dossier - 01/04/2013 Retroviruses: from infectious agent to therapeutic assistant Viruses are infectious particles that use the machinery and metabolism of a host cell to replicate. Despite some similarities with accepted forms of life viruses are not considered as such. The family of retroviruses is particularly known for its most notorious representative i. e. the human immunodeficiency virus HIV which leads to AIDS and for which no cure or effective vaccine is currently available. However retroviruses are not only of…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/retroviruses-from-infectious-agent-to-therapeutic-assistant
Article - 25/03/2013 Epigenetics for personalised cancer care for women Every year in the EU, 45,300 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 330,000 with breast cancer. Ovarian cancer has a mortality rate of around 64% and breast cancer around 27%*. The EU-funded research project EpiFemCare aims at improving cancer detection and subsequent patient care. The research project aims to develop blood tests based on epigenetic DNA modifications, i.e. the methylation of the base cytosine, for the identification of…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/epigenetics-for-personalised-cancer-care-for-women
Article - 04/03/2013 Genomic structural variations can cause cancer Genome-wide sequencing analyses show that comprehensive structural variations of chromosomes can play a key role in the pathogenesis of many types of cancer. Dr. Jan Korbel’s research group at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg has been investigating chromosomal aberrations in paediatric brain tumours and early-onset prostate cancer.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/genomic-structural-variations-can-cause-cancer
Article - 04/03/2013 TellTargeting Medical GmbH – targeted chemotherapy using CARL® The needs of cancer patients are clear chemotherapies that are as gentle as possible associated with minimal adverse effects and have a rapid effect. This is often difficult to achieve because the drug that stops tumour growth needs to remain in the body for a certain amount of time during which time it damages cancerous as well as healthy structures. Dr. Gerhard Pütz and Dr. Jürgen Eckes founded the company TellTargeting Medical GmbH Co. KG…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/telltargeting-medical-gmbh-targeted-chemotherapy-using-carl
Article - 22/02/2013 Malte Drescher provides insights into cells Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy can deliver information about the structure and dynamics of large molecules and was used by Dr. Malte Drescher from the University of Konstanz to develop a method for the structural analysis of biological macromolecules inside cells. It provides insights into the complex structure of molecules under physiological conditions and is a promising approach for the development of cancer drugs.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/malte-drescher-provides-insights-into-cells
Article - 18/02/2013 Dickkopf deficiency improves cognitive performance Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center have shown that the Dickkopf gene, which regulates head development during embryogenesis, prevents the regeneration of nerve cells in the mouse hippocampus. This also leads to the loss of learning capacity in advanced age. Animals in advanced adult age whose Dickkopf gene had been silenced showed no age-related decline in cognitive performance.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/dickkopf-deficiency-improves-cognitive-performance
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,…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/regina-the-health-region-for-regenerative-medicine
Article - 04/02/2013 DKFZ-HIPO – the Heidelberg Center for Personalised Oncology The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the National Center for Tumour Diseases (NCT) have jointly initiated the Heidelberg Center for Personalised Oncology (HIPO) which provides cancer patients with high-throughput genetic and molecular analyses. In anticipation of the upcoming World Cancer Day on 4th February 2013, the potential of high-throughput genetic and molecular analyses in improving cancer therapy was presented at a workshop held…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/dkfz-hipo-the-heidelberg-center-for-personalised-oncology
Article - 04/02/2013 G protein-coupled receptors and their importance for research and development Brian Kobilka and Robert Lefkowitz were awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their groundbreaking discoveries of the inner workings of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). These transmembrane receptors play a key role in the processing of odours and the recognition of hormones. The work of the two American scientists has had an impact on many researchers around the world. In the following interview, Professor Dr. Daniel Legler, head of…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/g-protein-coupled-receptors-and-their-importance-for-research-and-development
Article - 28/01/2013 Epigenetics and childhood blood cancer Juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia JMML is the most common chronic cancer of the blood in children and tends to have a poor response to chemotherapy. Prof. Dr. Christian Flotho and his team from the Centre of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine in Freiburg have shown that epigenetic mechanisms play a key role in the pathogenesis of JMML. As part of a German Research Foundation priority programme the researchers from Freiburg are working on…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/epigenetics-and-childhood-blood-cancer
Article - 21/01/2013 Early warning signals of ageing in stem cells The large international project SyStemAge is specifically focused on the role of stem cells in ageing and age-related diseases. Coordinated by the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and the Heidelberg University Hospital the SyStemAge consortium seeks to identify the causes and molecular pathways associated with the processes of ageing on the stem-cell level as well as developing novel strategies for the early treatment of age-related…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/early-warning-signals-of-ageing-in-stem-cells
Article - 14/01/2013 Boehringer takes a deep breath: a look into the company’s respiratory R&D pipeline At its 3rd International Research & Development (R&D) press conference, Boehringer Ingelheim gave journalists insights into its R&D pipeline. Around 200 scientists at the company’s site in Biberach are investigating new treatment options for patients with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma, idiopathic lung fibrosis, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases. In addition, the researchers are also focusing on the…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/boehringer-takes-a-deep-breath-a-look-into-the-company-s-respiratory-r-d-pipeline
Article - 07/01/2013 Small RNAs and immunological reactions Patients with common variable immunodeficiency CVID lack antibodies that would protect them against infections. Only a handful of patients develop the disease because of a single defect in any of the genes involved in CVID pathogenesis. A group of researchers led by Dr. Ulrich Salzer at the Centre for Chronic Immunodeficiency CCI at the University of Freiburg Medical Centre investigates how small RNA molecules control B-lymphocyte development as…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/small-rnas-and-immunological-reactions
Article - 18/12/2012 Gene therapy medicinal products: the first gene therapy product has been approved – where does the future lie? Is gene therapy close to broad clinical application? Following negative headlines at the end of the 1990s gene therapy had almost disappeared from the public radar to become an issue almost exclusively dealt with by research laboratories. Gene therapy has now reappeared in the public domain since the European Medicines Agency EMA gave the Dutch biotech company uniQure the go-ahead for the application of somatic gene therapy for the treatment of a…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/gene-therapy-medicinal-products-the-first-gene-therapy-product-has-been-approved-where-does-the-futu
Press release - 14/12/2012 Need for Speed: High-speed Measurements of Molecular Motion in the Cell Nucleus They were able to measure the binding of highly specialised protein complexes that specifically change the spatial structure of the genetic information thereby controlling the readout of the DNA information. The work of Dr. Karsten Rippe and his team was carried out at the BioQuant Center of Heidelberg University and the German Cancer Research Center. Their research has demonstrated that the positioning of nucleosomes complexes of DNA and…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/need-for-speed-high-speed-measurements-of-molecular-motion-in-the-cell-nucleus
Press release - 10/12/2012 Cocktail boosts immune cells in fighting cancer Natural killer cells (or NK cells), as part of the body´s immune system, can effectively fight cancer. Unfortunately, they quickly lose their aggressiveness and hence are unable to reject solid tumors. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) have now discovered a cocktail consisting of three different immune mediators that leaves NK killer cells active over a long period of time. In mice,…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/cocktail-boosts-immune-cells-in-fighting-cancer
Article - 10/12/2012 A machine learning method for the prediction of regulatory interactions Heidelberg bioinformaticians have developed a novel method for the automated prediction of regulatory interactions. The regulatory interaction predictor, a machine-learning based approach for predicting interactions between DNA-binding transcription factors and their target genes and obtaining important insights into the gene regulatory networks in complex cells.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/a-machine-learning-method-for-the-prediction-of-regulatory-interactions
Press release - 10/12/2012 Sex hormone induces elongation of stem cell telomeres The telomere ends of chromosomes become shorter with any cell division round. This is why the lifespan of most cells is limited. One of several exceptions to this rule is the haematopoietic stem cells of the bone marrow. The enzyme telomerase enables them compensate telomere attrition. However defective telomerase function can cause bone marrow failure disorders such as aplastic anaemia amongst others. Prof. Dr. Uwe Martens from the SLK Hospital…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/sex-hormone-induces-elongation-of-stem-cell-telomeres
Article - 03/12/2012 Differences between white, brown and “brite” fat tissue The latest results on the different metabolic pathways used by white and brown fat cells and potential transformations between the two cell types were discussed at the conference “Metabolism 2012: From Signalling to Disease” held on 15th and 16th November 2012 in Heidelberg. A special cell type, so-called “brite” adipocytes, may have the potential to be used in the treatment of obesity and related metabolic diseases such as diabetes.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/differences-between-white-brown-and-brite-fat-tissue
Article - 03/12/2012 Targeted therapeutic approaches that revolutionise melanoma treatment Melanoma is difficult to treat once it has spread from the skin to other parts of the body. Classical chemotherapy is often ineffective and the majority of patients die within a few months after diagnosis. However, the biggest breakthrough in around 30 years has now been achieved with the development of kinase inhibitors that directly interfere with the cancer cells’ molecular signalling pathways. Clinical research into the application of kinase…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/targeted-therapeutic-approaches-that-revolutionise-melanoma-treatment
Dossier - 26/11/2012 Genetic diagnostics: technology reaches the limits of what is medically reasonable Rapid progress in sequencing technologies is poised to set the imagination of biomedical researchers on fire. Experts now believe that progress is about to make possible what seemed to be utopian a few years ago – it seems likely that it will soon be possible to sequence the human genome in only a few minutes and store and automatically analyse it using tiny automates. However, is everything that is technically feasible also reasonable?https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/genetic-diagnostics-technology-reaches-the-limits-of-what-is-medically-reasonable
Article - 26/11/2012 Membrane proteins in the mitochondria do more than just generate cellular energy The proteins in the membranes of the mitochondria are complex machines in the nanoworld that mediate the oxygen-coupled generation of energy in cells. Their role in this process is not yet understood in detail. However, the proteins’ intractability has not discouraged Prof. Dr. Carola Hunte’s research group at the University of Freiburg. The group is using state-of-the-art methods to look deep into the proteins’ active centres and decipher the…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/membrane-proteins-in-the-mitochondria-do-more-than-just-generate-cellular-energy