Press release - 27/05/2014 DKFZ and NCT: individualized cancer medicine Comprehensive genome analyses of cancer cells have shown that each tumor and cancer patient are unique and need to be treated individually. To pave the way, by 2015 the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg aims to offer cancer patients at the NCT analyses of their individual cancer genomes to be used as the basis for personalized recommendations for treatment. This initiative from the DKFZ and NCT has been made possible by generous…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/dkfz-and-nct-individualized-cancer-medicine
Press release - 26/05/2014 50 years of research for life without cancer The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg turns 50 this year. Conducting research on the basic biological mechanisms of cancer, the DKFZ has been instrumental in our current understanding of the development and growth of cancer and has advanced the development of enhanced methods for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/50-years-of-research-for-life-without-cancer
Article - 28/04/2014 Sciomics: antibody microarrays and their broad range of applications Sciomics GmbH is a start-up biotech from Heidelberg with a special focus on protein microarrays. Sciomics produces complex, high-density antibody microarrays for cancer-relevant proteins and offers services for medical research, diagnostics and the industry, including biomarker screening, the verification of biomarker candidates, the analysis and localization of drug targets and their signalling pathways as well as the characterization of…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/sciomics-antibody-microarrays-and-their-broad-range-of-applications
Article - 22/04/2014 Synthetic nanoparticles as mini-pills for the treatment of tumours Little is yet known about the risks and dangers of the tiny particles that play a key role in the field of nanotechnology because many applications are still under development. The technology is therefore not without controversy. However, there are promising possibilities for equipping artificial particles with new functions, such as optimizing the targeted delivery of drugs in the human body or developing a non-invasive type of cancer therapy.…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/synthetic-nanoparticles-as-mini-pills-for-the-treatment-of-tumours
Article - 14/04/2014 New insights into apoptotic signalling networks Apoptosis, i.e. programmed cell death, is a precisely regulated process that leads to the elimination of surplus or damaged cells. The proteins of the Bcl-2 family play a key role in apoptosis. However, their complex interactions are not yet known in detail. A group of researchers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland is now trying to get to the bottom of this issue. Coordinated by the University of Konstanz, the researchers are jointly…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/new-insights-into-apoptotic-signalling-networks
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. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-growing-significance-of-peptide-therapeutics
Article - 31/03/2014 TherapySelect – Identifying Susceptibility to Cancer Therapy TherapySelect Dr. Frank Kischkel is an innovative biotechnology company based in Heidelberg, Germany, with a special focus on the development, validation and application of diagnostic tests for cancer patients. The company’s proprietary CTR-Test® uses patients’ cancer cells to determine the tumor’s susceptibility to treatment with cytostatic drugs. This knowledge helps identify ineffective drugs prior to treatment as well as reduce adverse drug…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/therapyselect-identifying-susceptibility-to-cancer-therapy
Dossier - 31/03/2014 Peptides – diverse molecules of life Peptides exist in all organisms, wherever there are cells. The range of their physiological functions is huge. Biologically active peptides can act as hormones, neurotransmitters, growth factors as well as toxins and antibiotics. This is what makes them highly interesting drug leads. They are used for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, cancer and other diseases. Despite some drawbacks, peptides are gaining in importance as candidates for drugs…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/peptides-diverse-molecules-of-life
Article - 31/03/2014 Lsd1 – a gatekeeper for differentiation onset of embryonic mouse stem cells Epigenetics is an emerging field of research that studies heritable changes in gene expression that are not caused by changes in the underlying DNA sequence. Prof. Dr. Roland Schüle, Director of Central Clinical Research at the Freiburg University Medical Centre, and his team are specifically focused on epigenetic modifiers that regulate the timely development of placental mouse tissue. Schüle and his team have discovered in mouse embryos that a…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/lsd1-a-gatekeeper-for-differentiation-onset-of-embryonic-mouse-stem-cells
Article - 26/03/2014 CeloNova is taking off CeloNova BioSciences is a global medical device company whose core technology is currently mainly used for interventional cardiology (stents) and tumour embolisation (selective occlusion of tumour arteries) products. The company has been expanding since 2010. CeloNova products are currently available in 52 countries and there are plans to place them on the Asian market in 2014 and further increase company turnover.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/celonova-is-taking-off
Article - 24/03/2014 DNA – from Watson and Crick to modern molecular biology Watson and Crick deciphered the structure of DNA around 60 years ago and thus provided the key to understanding how genetic information is passed on. Since this discovery, which laid the foundation for molecular biology, new insights and developments have significantly changed many research areas and have also found their way into our everyday lives. DNA sequencing, genetic fingerprinting or personalised medicine – Watson and Crick’s heritage is…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/dna-from-watson-and-crick-to-modern-molecular-biology
Article - 24/03/2014 Vaccine against papillomaviruses protects from skin cancer Papillomaviruses are thought to cause non-melanoma skin cancer in people exposed to UV radiation, especially those who have suppressed immune systems. Researchers from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Charité University Hospital in Berlin have developed a vaccine that protects mice against such skin tumours. The vaccine is even effective in mice that have previously been infected with papillomaviruses and that have suppressed…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/vaccine-against-papillomaviruses-protects-from-skin-cancer
Article - 17/03/2014 Bacterial toxins manipulate proteins that serve as signalling switches in the host cell The enterobacterial species Photorhabdus asymbiotica und luminescens live in symbiosis with predatory nematodes that infest insect larvae and feed on their victims. The bacteria wait in the worms gut until their symbiotic partner has crept into the larvae then they are released and kill the insect with an ingenious toxin cocktail. Researchers in the team led by Professor Aktories and Dr. Thomas Jank recently discovered a mechanism of one of the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/bacterial-toxins-manipulate-proteins-that-serve-as-signalling-switches-in-the-host-cell
Dossier - 10/03/2014 Cancer therapy and cancer diagnostics Thanks to improved diagnostics and therapy, today’s cancer patients can live considerably longer than patients several years ago. Nevertheless, some cancers, especially the strongly metastatic ones, are difficult to treat. Therapies targeting immune cells or cancer stem cells could potentially improve the current situation. The early detection and classification of tumours is crucial for the successful treatment of the disease, and molecular…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/cancer-therapy-and-cancer-diagnostics
Article - 24/02/2014 Chemical tools for exploring cell division The cell cycle, consisting of interphase and mitosis, forms the basis for eukaryotic growth and reproduction. Numerous control and regulatory mechanisms guarantee that the separation and distribution of the chromosomes happens synchronously with the formation of the daughter cells. Amongst other things, the two daughter cells only form when the chromosomes are far enough apart from each other. Professor Dr. Thomas Mayer from the University of…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/chemical-tools-for-exploring-cell-division
Article - 17/02/2014 Personalised tumour diagnostics with high-throughput sequencing CeGaT GmbH Center for Genomics and Transcriptomics in Tübingen is one of the first organisations that have managed to combine human genetic diagnostics with high-throughput sequencing for the diagnosis of specific tumour variants. CeGat researchers have developed diagnostic panels that they use to study more than 550 tumour-relevant genes simultaneously. The identification of genetic changes provides a more detailed diagnosis of tumours and helps…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/personalised-tumour-diagnostics-with-high-throughput-sequencing
Article - 27/01/2014 immatics biotechnologies GmbH: active against cancer immatics biotechnologies GmbH is a biopharmaceutical company wholly concerned with the development of advanced immunotherapies that are active against different types of cancer, including renal cell, colorectal, brain and gastric cancer. The company currently has a workforce of 80 at its headquarters in Tübingen and subsidiary in Munich. It capitalises on the know-how in the analysis of tumour cells and vaccine development gained through its…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/immatics-biotechnologies-gmbh-active-against-cancer
Article - 10/01/2014 HybridKnife – an instrument for future endoscopy Endoscopic and minimally invasive keyhole surgery is increasingly replacing open surgery. For many years now, patients have reaped the benefits of such treatment techniques, which are less stressful than open surgery and usually leave no scarring. People can leave hospital just a few days after treatment, which also contributes to cost savings in healthcare. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a new technique that enables the endoscopic…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/hybridknife-an-instrument-for-future-endoscopy
Article - 07/01/2014 Martin Scheffner: a biochemist exploring a versatile protein Ubiquitin is found in almost all tissues and is involved in a wide variety of cellular processes e.g. protein degradation signal transduction and cell cycle control. The addition of ubiquitin alters the characteristics of proteins including their half life function or location. Prof. Dr. Martin Scheffners work is dedicated to the exploration of this versatile protein. The researcher from Konstanz studies the enzymes of the ubiquitin system and…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/martin-scheffner-a-biochemist-exploring-a-versatile-protein
Dossier - 02/12/2013 RNA interference: confidence is returning The 15-year history of RNA interference is not short on dramatic effects. It begins with the unexpected discovery and publication of the process of post-transcriptional gene silencing in 1998 for which the two Americans Andrew Fire and Craig Mello were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine just eight years after their discovery. In 2001 Thomas Tuschl succeeded in switching off genes in human cells with small synthetic pieces of RNA…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/rna-interference-confidence-is-returning
Article - 25/11/2013 Elisa May: a sharp, microscopic look at DNA damage DNA damage is part of our everyday life. Every day, tens of thousands of DNA single-strand breaks occur in every cell, but we have a variety of sophisticated genome maintenance mechanisms to protect ourselves against such problems. However, serious diseases can result in cases where the cellular repair system fails. Amongst other things, there is a close relationship between the failure of DNA repair mechanisms and the development of cancer.…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/elisa-may-a-sharp-microscopic-look-at-dna-damage
Press release - 16/10/2013 BIOTECHNICA 2013 - Baden-Württemberg is a top life sciences spot. The BIOTECHNICA trade show rolled out the red carpet for its exhibitors. Over 10,000 visitors walked over the carpet to inspect the exhibits that were on display at the Baden-Württemberg booth. The impressive exhibits of the companies showed that Baden-Württemberg has many highly innovative SMEs in the life sciences field. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/biotechnica-2013-baden-wuerttemberg-is-a-top-life-sciences-spot
Press release - 15/10/2013 Biotech financing in Baden-Württemberg: immatics raises 34 million Euros The immatics biotechnologies GmbH, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing advanced multi-peptide cancer vaccines that are active against cancer, today announced that it has closed a 34 million Euros Series D financing round. The funding round was supported by existing investors including dievini Hopp Biotech holding, Wellington Partners, MIG-advised funds and AT Impf GmbH. Under the terms of the fundraising, immatics will receive…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/biotech-financing-in-baden-wuerttemberg-immatics-raises-34-million-euros
Dossier - 15/10/2013 Adult stem cells – hope for regenerative therapies Adult stem cells have the lifelong ability to generate new specialised cells. They secure the continuous replenishment of cells therefore enabling the constant replacement of dying cells with new ones. Progress in the characterisation isolation and specific differentiation of adult stem cells over recent years raises hopes for the future use of the cells in the therapy of degenerative diseases. Knowledge about adult stem cells also has the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/adult-stem-cells-hope-for-regenerative-therapies
Article - 30/09/2013 CureVac GmbH: RNA-based vaccines and immunotherapies CureVac GmbH, a biopharmaceutical company based in Tübingen, develops immunotherapies for cancer along with prophylactic vaccines based on its proprietary messenger RNA (mRNA) technology platform. CureVac also uses RNA for developing adjuvants. Two clinical trials, a Phase I trial in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and a Phase IIb trial in prostate cancer, are currently underway to test the efficiency of mRNA-based drugs in treating cancer and…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/curevac-gmbh-rna-based-vaccines-and-immunotherapies