Press release - 29/11/2018 Hattrick in Freiburg Three researchers at the MPI for Immunobiology and Epigenetics receive millions in funding from the European Research Council. Dominic Grün, Nicola Iovino and Ritwick Sawarkar from the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg will each be awareded one of the prestigious Consolidator Grants of the European Research Council. This means that 6 million euros in funding will go to fundamental research in Freiburg over the next…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/hattrick-in-freiburg
Press release - 04/07/2018 Phase-I-trial approved for novel stem cell therapy for patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy Viscofan BioEngineering, the biomedical business unit of the world market leader for collagenous sausage casings Viscofan announced today that the Spanish Agency for Medicines (AEMPS) has given green light to carry out a clinical phase-I-trial with Viscofan BioEngineering’s first product for regenerative medicine. The novel therapy consisting of stem cells on a collagenous carrier membrane can now be tested on ten patients suffering from severe…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/phase-i-trial-approved-for-novel-stem-cell-therapy-for-patients-with-ischemic-cardiomyopathy
Article - 28/03/2018 New method for analysing epigenetic modifications - in the service of medical progress It is not just genetic factors that influence developmental processes and diseases; it is becoming increasingly evident that epigenetic changes play a major role too. Thanks to a new method developed at the University of Stuttgart, epigenetic processes can now be investigated in living cells.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/new-method-for-analysing-epigenetic-modifications-in-the-service-of-medical-progress
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…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/cell-marking-opens-up-a-window-into-the-body
Article - 24/07/2017 Cancer medicine development as a science and industry partnership The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Bayer AG are collaborating on a strategic partnership focusing on the development of innovative cancer therapies. The two partners have developed an active substance which selectively blocks a mutation of a metabolic enzyme that occurs in certain types of cancer. The substance has been successfully tested in preclinical studies and is now also being tested in a clinical trial on patients with brain…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/cancer-medicine-development-as-a-science-and-industry-partnership
Article - 19/06/2017 Eric Gottwald: innovative 3D cell culture systems for pharmaceutical testing Realistic alternatives to animal testing are more in demand than ever, especially in the drug development field. One possible solution is 3D cell cultures that possess the characteristics of the tissue from which they originate. Such systems were already developed at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) many years ago. Due to the huge demand for such systems, Prof. Dr. Eric Gottwald and two of his colleagues founded a company called…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/eric-gottwald-innovative-3d-cell-culture-systems-for-pharmaceutical-testing
Press release - 23/05/2017 TolerogenixX secures seed funding and completes Phase I clinical trial TolerogenixX GmbH has developed a patented and clinically tested cell therapy technique for individualised immunosuppression in transplant patients. The technique enables the targeted disabling of undesired reactions caused by the immune system’s defences. As a seed stage investor, High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) will finance this innovative technique and the preparations for Phase II of the clinical trial, which begins in spring 2018. Further…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/tolerogenixx-secures-seed-funding-and-completes-phase-i-clinical-trial
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…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/chaperones-disassemble-parkinsons-disease-specific-amyloid-fibrils
Article - 12/04/2017 Imaging flow cytometry – introducing a new era of imaging High-resolution images or quantifiable results? Up until now, researchers usually had to choose. All this has now changed thanks to a single device known as an imaging flow cytometer that combines fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. The new device gives new insights into complex biological phenomena in cells. It is available for research purposes at the Research Centre for Women’s Health at the University Hospital of Tübingen, which…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/imaging-flow-cytometry-introducing-a-new-era-of-imaging
Article - 18/08/2016 Moonlighting proteins can make bacteria pathogenic Proteins either remain in a cell or leave it, and which they do depends on their function. However, the mechanism underlying the export of biomolecules from cells remains unknown. Prof. Dr. Friedrich Götz and his team of researchers at the Institute of Microbial Genetics at the University of Tübingen have found out that staphylococci can turn into dangerous pathogens by excreting normally harmless enzymes. The researchers believe that the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/moonlighting-proteins-can-make-bacteria-pathogenic
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…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/chronic-viral-infections-of-the-liver
Article - 21/07/2016 New anticancer drugs – hop compounds have the potential to treat cancer Secondary hop compounds appear to have a positive effect on the immune system and therefore have the potential to be used for the treatment and prevention of cancer. However, the bioavailability of hop compounds in the human body is relatively poor. Researchers from Hohenheim and Tübingen are therefore looking for a way to increase their absorption rate.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/new-drugs-for-the-treatment-of-cancer-hop-compounds-have-the-potential-to-treat-cancer
Article - 11/07/2016 Endogenous oxidants: biosensor monitoring of metabolic conditions in living organisms The oxidation state of the cells in our body is very important for us: if the normal balance of the distribution of endogenous oxidants is disturbed or if they attack cellular structures, cells are either unable or only partially able to fulfil their functions, and diseases develop. Knowing the oxidation state and one day also having the capacity to modify it with pharmaceuticals, is therefore of crucial importance when disease-related changes…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/endogenous-oxidants-biosensor-monitoring-of-metabolic-conditions-in-living-organisms
Article - 02/06/2016 DNA origami for decoding the language of biological cells Cells have their own language that they use to communicate with each other. They need this language to be able to form intact tissues and fulfil their specific functions in the body. If these signalling pathways are disrupted, metabolic processes will suffer and result in diseases. We know many “words” of the cellular language, i.e. signalling molecules that bind to specific surface receptors and thereby trigger chemical reactions inside the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/dna-origami-for-decoding-the-language-of-biological-cells
Press release - 02/05/2016 2015 call - ERC Advanced Grants granted to Baden-Württemberg researchers The main goal of the European Research Council (ERC) is to fund Europe’s brightest minds and thus encourage the highest quality research. In April 2016, the ERC announced the awarding of its prestigious Advanced Grants, and three life sciences researchers from Baden-Württemberg were among the recipients.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/2015-call-erc-advanced-grants-granted-to-baden-wuerttemberg-researchers
Article - 11/01/2016 Study shows correlation between intestinal gene activity and obesity People with obesity suffer from more than just health problems related to their weight. They often feel socially stigmatised because their disease is often seen as a self-inflicted condition. A new study by the University of Hohenheim in cooperation with the eSwiss Medical and Surgical Center in St. Gallen now shows that severe obesity is closely associated with gene activity in the intestinal tissue. This activity is responsible for producing…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/studie-zeigt-zusammenhang-zwischen-gen-aktivitaet-im-darm-und-uebergewicht
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 - 01/06/2015 High-tech fibres for organ and tissue regeneration Biologically degradable polymers can be electrically spun into a type of fleece that can be used as a scaffold and growth matrix for living cells. This fleece can be used to replace diseased or damaged tissue. In the field of cardiovascular medicine, the fleece can be used to produce new heart valves and tissue.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/high-tech-fibres-for-organ-and-tissue-regeneration
Overview Basic research The latest articles, press releases and dossiers on basic research in Baden-Württemberghttps://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/research
Article - 19/01/2015 Rich in contrasts – three research months in Shanghai After graduating, Johannes Zang applied for a Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts China Scholarship to spend three months in Shanghai before going on to do his PhD. At the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, he was, amongst other things, involved in elucidating the crystal structures of proteins. He also had time to learn about the city of Shanghai, China and the Chinese…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/rich-in-contrasts-three-research-months-in-shanghai
Article - 19/01/2015 Kay Gottschalk and the physics of cells You learn a great deal about the physical aspects of cells when you talk to Prof. Dr. Kay-E. Gottschalk. For example, their ability to react as solid and liquid, to adapt their environment to suit themselves and to exert and respond to forces. The 42-year-old has great respect for the smallest of living units, i.e. cells, which he calls smart composite materials. Working on the boundaries of medicine, biology, chemistry and physics, Gottschalk…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/kay-gottschalk-and-the-physics-of-cells
Article - 01/12/2014 Stem cell research for preventing radiation-induced developmental damage Although ionizing radiation is known to cause cell damage and genetic modifications, its effects on embryonic development are still poorly understood. This is why Prof. Dr. Suzanne Kadereit from the Albstadt-Sigmaringen University of Applied Sciences is involved in a cooperative project that uses human embryonic stem cells for studying the effects of ionizing radiation on prenatal brain development. She heads up the only university of applied…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/stem-cell-research-for-preventing-radiation-induced-developmental-damage
Article - 21/07/2014 Predicting the efficiency of cancer drugs using mathematical models New cancer drugs are often tested on a trial and error basis. This is because little is yet known about the molecular processes that govern the action of drugs in tumour tissue. A research consortium was established at the Stuttgart Research Center Systems Biology (SRCSB) at the University of Stuttgart in January 2013 with the goal of establishing models that help predict the action of targeted therapeutics. The scientists combine molecular…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/predicting-the-efficiency-of-cancer-drugs-using-mathematical-models
Article - 21/07/2014 China - experiencing something new every single day The Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts finances a scholarship scheme called “Research stay for application-oriented bioscientists and biotechnologists in Shanghai and Jiangsu/China”. A recent winner of this scholarship, Felix Wertek, spent six months at the Chinese Academy of Science in Shanghai and collected first-hand impressions of Chinese laboratory practice. Here, Felix reports about his exciting time in the Chinese…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/china-experiencing-something-new-every-single-day
Article - 10/03/2014 INCIDE – IT solutions in the life sciences The use of modern research methods in the natural sciences generates increasing amounts of data, which can often only be analysed using special software. The INCIDE research centre at the University of Konstanz provides data processing services that facilitate the development and adaptation of software programmes for use in the life sciences. The INCIDE scientists work in close collaboration with life scientists. In future, this successful…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/incide-it-solutions-in-the-life-sciences