Press release - 09/09/2021 Machine learning improves biological image analysis Scientists use super-resolution microscopy to study previously undiscovered cellular worlds, revealing nanometer-scale details inside cells. This method revolutionized light microscopy and earned its inventors the 2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. In an international collaboration, AI researchers from Tübingen have now developed an algorithm that significantly accelerates this technology. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/machine-learning-improves-biological-image-analysis
Press release - 02/09/2021 Award-winning science: Cancer-promoting metabolic pathways as targets of new therapies Christiane Opitz, scientist at the German Cancer Research Center, is being awarded this year's Ita Askonas Prize of the European Federation of Immunological Societies. Opitz has discovered how tumor cells use certain metabolites to protect themselves against the immune system. Her research findings may provide important clues for the development of new therapeutic concepts.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/award-winning-science-cancer-promoting-metabolic-pathways-targets-new-therapies
Press release - 06/07/2021 High-throughput metabolic profiling of single cells Scientists from the EMBL and the German Cancer Research Center have presented a new method for generating metabolic profiles of individual cells. The method, which combines fluorescence microscopy and a specific form of mass spectroscopy, can analyze over a hundred metabolites and lipids from more than a thousand individual cells per hour. Researchers expect the method to better answer a variety of biomedical questions in the future.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/high-throughput-metabolic-profiling-single-cells
Atriva Therapeutics - 21/10/2020 COVID-19 pioneer drug in Phase II clinical trial – with double the power The effective treatment of people with severe COVID-19 is a major goal during the corona pandemic. ATR-002, an oral small molecule that targets RNA viruses such as influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2, has a dual effect: it impairs viral propagation and also has an immunomodulatory effect. And what’s more, due to its unique cellular mechanism of action, the efficacy of Atrivia Therapeutics’ drug candidate is not reduced by virus mutations and…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/covid-19-pioneer-drug-phase-ii-clinical-trial-double-power
Material research - 25/05/2020 Reaching up into weightlessness – a start-up that enables commercial research experiments in space Yuri, a start-up company founded in 2019 in the Lake Constance area, is aiming high. The company’s mission is to enable microgravity research into the development of materials, new medicines and vaccines, including research opportunities on the International Space Station (ISS). Yuri’s tailor-made solutions are faster and more affordable than previous space research missions.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/reaching-up-into-weightlessness-a-start-up-enables-commercial-research-experiments-in-space
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 The mechanism underlying the export of biomolecules from cells remains unknown. Prof. Dr. Friedrich Götz and his team 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 enigmatic excretion of such enzymes is due to a completely new mechanism and are thus planning to carry out further…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. Dr. Tobias Dick and his team of researchers at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg have now developed a biosensor that facilitates real-time…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 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