Press release - 17/01/2023 Blood stem cells: not in charge in an emergency! After infections or blood loss, the body must compensate for the loss of blood cells as quickly as possible. This has long been considered the task of the hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow. But scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have now discovered in mice that a certain population of progenitor cells takes over this task: This accelerates the regeneration of the blood cells.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/blood-stem-cells-not-charge-emergency
Press release - 05/10/2022 Second Stem Cell Type Discovered in Mouse Brain In the brain of adult mammals neural stem cells ensure that new nerve cells, i.e. neurons, are constantly formed. This process, known as adult neurogenesis, helps mice maintain their sense of smell. A research team led by Dr Francesca Ciccolini at the Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN) of Heidelberg University recently discovered a second stem cell population in the mouse brain. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/zweiter-stammzelltyp-im-maeusehirn-entdeckt
Press release - 15/07/2021 Mechanism for differentiation of specific immune cell types discovered Under certain conditions, our immune system can efficiently fight off infectious diseases and cancer. T cells, especially the gamma delta T cell type, play an important role in this. The issue is that this cell type is extremely infrequent in the human body. Researchers at the University Hospital Tübingen, the University of Heidelberg and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) have now succeeded in finding the cause for the formation of…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/mechanism-differentiation-specific-immune-cell-types-discovered
Press release - 04/03/2021 Induced pluripotent stem cells reveal causes of disease Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) are suitable for discovering the genes that underly complex and also rare genetic diseases. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), together with international partners, have studied genotype-phenotype relationships in iPSCs using data from approximately one thousand donors.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/induced-pluripotent-stem-cells-reveal-causes-disease
Organ failure due to fatty liver - 24/09/2020 HepaRegeniX develops an active substance for liver regeneration When the liver stops regenerating on its own, it might be possible in future for doctors to intervene with a chemical agent. Tübingen-based HepaRegeniX GmbH is developing a promising candidate with the aim of improving the treatment of both acute and chronic liver failure. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/heparegenix-develops-active-substance-liver-regeneration
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 - 26/01/2017 Freiburg researchers transform skin cells into renal cells A team of researchers from Freiburg has used direct programming to successfully produce kidney-like cells very similar to natural renal tubular cells in terms of appearance and function. These cells are thus a promising alternative to kidney cells isolated from animals and cells differentiated from embryonic stem cells. The reprogrammed kidney cells can be used, for example, for pharmacological and toxicological tests and investigating the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/freiburg-researchers-transform-skin-cells-into-renal-cells
Article - 29/08/2016 Cellendes and EU partners develop cell therapy for treating type 1 diabetes Cells derived from suitable donor stem cells that can do the work defective insulin-producing cells can no longer do are the central focus of a European cell therapy project involving Reutlingen-based Cellendes GmbH as one of the partners. Cellendes develops a biomaterial that facilitates the mass production of cells and could potentially be approved for therapeutic use in humans. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/cellendes-und-eu-partner-entwickeln-zelltherapie-fuer-diabetes-typ-1
Article - 04/07/2016 Epigenetic modifications for the treatment of oesophageal cancer Oesophageal cancer is a rare but highly aggressive type of cancer with a rather poor prognosis. Dr. Theresa Ahrens, a researcher in a group led by Prof. Dr. Silke Laßmann and Prof. Dr. Martin Werner at the Institute of Clinical Pathology at the Freiburg University Medical Centre, has tested a variety of epigenetic drugs that can interfere with the development of oesophageal cancer. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/modifikation-epigenetic-modifications-for-the-treatment-of-oesophageal-cancer-als-therapie-bei-speiseroehrenkrebs
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
Dossier - 18/04/2016 Epigenetics – heritable traits without changing the DNA sequence Epigenetics, i.e. the inheritance of traits that does not involve a change in the DNA sequence, was once a controversial subject that has since become a central focus of biological research. Epigenetic inheritance is now studied by numerous national and international research programmes. Many cellular regulatory and differentiation processes are controlled by epigenetic mechanisms that take place on different levels, including the DNA, histone,…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/epigenetics-heritable-traits-without-changing-the-dna-sequence
Article - 21/03/2016 Shock wave therapy gives hope to many men Although the approval of vasodilatory drugs made available an effective medicine for treating erectile dysfunction, not all men respond to this type of treatment. MTS Medical UG from Konstanz has developed a therapeutic device that means that these men can now get help too. What's more, the device has no adverse health effects.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/shock-wave-therapy-gives-hope-to-many-men
Article - 17/12/2015 Inhibition of bromodomain affects stem cell differentiation DNA methylation and histone modification are epigenetic mechanisms that affect gene transcription. Moreover, protein complexes can regulate gene expression by modifying chromatin structure and function. Dr. Thomas Günther and his team from the Center for Clinical Research at the Freiburg University Medical Center are studying the effect of the inhibitor PFI-3 on the BAF complex. This protein complex modifies chromatin structure and controls the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/nhibition-of-bromodomain-affects-stem-cell-differentiation
Article - 04/11/2015 DNA capture molecules wanted for cells Artificial blood vessels made of special polymers are no longer a pipedream. However, one problem that needs to be solved is that the artificial vessels have to be compatible with tissue. One solution could be to dupe the body into thinking that the artificial vessels are real by coating their inside walls with the patient’s own cells. Researchers from Reutlingen have developed a microfluidic chip that identifies molecules that can capture the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/dna-capture-molecules-wanted-for-cells
Article - 17/03/2014 Hox gene found to influence germline stem cell niche Prof. Dr. Ingrid Lohmann and her team at the Centre for Organismal Studies COS at the University of Heidelberg are studying the effect of Hox proteins on the early development of Drosophila using genomic genetic molecular and biochemical methods along with complex computer analyses and simulations. They have cast light on a basic regulatory mechanism of stem cell differentiation. They were able to show that the Hox transcription factor Abd-B is…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/hox-gene-found-to-influence-germline-stem-cell-niche
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 - 11/03/2013 MicroRNAs – the saviours of stem cells Life means almost permanent renewal. Layers of skin and the blood cells of animals are replenished on a life-long basis while plants can even grow whole new leaves flowers and branches. All this is due to stem cells the all-rounders of the cell kingdom. In plants and animals stem cells have the potential to give rise to many types of cells thereby giving plants the ability to grow throughout their life cycle. But how does a cell know that it is a…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/micrornas-the-saviours-of-stem-cells
Article - 24/09/2012 MTS: Shock wave technology for the therapy of diabetic foot ulcer Almost 15 percent of an estimated seven million diabetes mellitus patients in Germany suffer from diabetic foot syndrome DFS. It is associated with damage to the foot nerves and blood vessels as well as the presence of chronic wounds which in thousands of cases every year precede lower leg amputations. The Konstanz-based company MTS Medical has developed a shock wave therapy system that has the potential to considerably reduce the number of…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/mts-shock-wave-technology-for-the-therapy-of-diabetic-foot-ulcer
Article - 24/10/2011 Cadherins and Wnt signals – cell adhesion or growth and dispersion? The proteins of the cadherin family form a kind of molecular zip that binds cells closely together thereby preventing cancer cells from migrating for example. Prof. Dr. Doris Wedlich and her team from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT were involved in the discovery that cadherins are not only involved in cell adhesion but also have other functions.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/cadherins-and-wnt-signals-cell-adhesion-or-growth-and-dispersion
Article - 07/02/2011 The discovery of the individual as business model The move towards personalised medicine has made considerable progress, in particular in the field of oncology, where it is leading to the close integration of diagnostics and therapy as well as to the development of profitable new business models, some of which have controversial exclusive legal claims.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-discovery-of-the-individual-as-business-model
Press release - 11/03/2010 Cellzome Announces Second Alliance with GlaxoSmithKline Cellzome today announced that it has formed a second strategic alliance with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). This new collaboration gives GSK exclusive access to Cellzome’s proprietary Episphere™ technology in the emerging field of epigenetics as applied to immunoinflammatory disease. Epigenetic mechanisms play a key role in controlling immune cell differentiation and inflammatory gene expression during an excessive inflammatory response. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/cellzome-announces-second-alliance-with-glaxosmithkline
Article - 08/12/2009 Sentinels against microbial invaders Dendritic cells are sentinels of the innate immune system that activate the adaptive immune system when infectious microorganisms enter the body. Prof. Dr. Klaus Heeg and his team from the Department of Infectiology at the University of Heidelberg are focusing on the complex signalling pathways that link the innate and adaptive immune systems.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/sentinels-against-microbial-invaders
Article - 22/09/2009 More than just waste removers Cells need to get rid of misfolded proteins as quickly as possible, something that for a long time has appeared to be the major function of the enzyme ubiquitin and other similarly structured proteins. It has since become clear that ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins also interfere considerably with the signalling networks of cells. Dr. Klaus-Peter Knobeloch and his colleagues at the Freiburg Neurocentre are investigating the molecular…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/more-than-just-waste-removers
Press release - 13/08/2009 Molecular mechanisms of embryonic development and cell differentiation An interdisciplinary group of researchers from Heidelberg and Karlsruhe is dealing with special proteins involved in important processes in early embryogenesis and cell differentiation in humans and animals. The consortium focuses on the topic: “Mechanisms, functions and evolution of Wnt signalling pathways” and brings together eight teams of researchers from the University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg University Hospital, the German Cancer Research…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/molecular-mechanisms-of-embryonic-development-and-cell-differentiation
Article - 27/04/2009 Interaction mechanisms between tumours and blood vessels In recognition of the growing importance of angiogenesis research in the field of oncology the German Research Foundation has established two new research consortia as part of its Angiogenesis research priority programme one project focuses on the mechanisms of vascular differentiation and the second on the interaction between tumour cells and cells of the vascular wall which are prerequisites for tumour growth and metastasis.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/interaction-mechanisms-between-tumours-and-blood-vessels