Photoimmunotherapy - 09/04/2026

Switching off tumours with light: how photons can be used to target prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in Germany. Relapses and the harsh side effects of traditional treatments remain a major challenge, even with advanced surgical techniques. At the University of Freiburg, Dr. Wolf is pioneering the development of photoimmunotherapy. Photoimmunotherapy combines light, antibodies and a specialised dye to precisely target tumour cells - simultaneously 'waking up' the immune system.

How does sugar affect relaxation exercises? A new study carried out by researchers from the University of Konstanz provides revealing insights into the connection between blood glucose and the autonomic nervous system: The intake of sugar counteracts relaxation.

Women who have experienced a stroke or heart attack are at a higher risk of mortality than men. Fraunhofer researchers want to improve gender-specific aftercare with a customized assistance system – thus helping to prevent further heart disease.

Creating scope for innovative projects from various disciplines: That is the aim of the research incubators at Ulm University. The aim is to initiate developments and ideas that could become relevant research areas for the University. In the current call for proposals, the jury has selected two interdisciplinary projects on quantum chemistry and digital, sensor-based diabetes research.

Proof-of-concept study of organoid technology - 26/03/2026

Can organoids improve the treatment of pancreatic cancer?

A clinical trial called UNITEPANC is exploring whether organoid-based approaches can improve the treatment of pancreatic cancer. BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg spoke with the study’s principal investigator and pancreatic cancer specialist, Prof. Dr. Thomas Seufferlein of University Hospital Ulm, to discuss the disease more broadly along with the specific aims of the trial. The interview was conducted by Walter Pytlik on behalf of BIOPRO.

For the first time, researchers have succeeded in mapping the organization of immune cells in human lymph nodes. The study was led by scientists from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf University Hospital, the DKFZ, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), and the Max Delbrück Center (MDC) in Berlin. They were able to demonstrate why the architecture of healthy lymph nodes is altered in malignant lymphomas.

In ovarian cancer, immunotherapies using checkpoint inhibitors have so far been effective in only a small number of patients. Researchers at the HI-TRON Mainz* have now discovered that lipid metabolism processes in the tumor microenvironment play a decisive role in how well such therapies work. The findings open up new avenues for using immunotherapies in a more targeted manner, increasing their effectiveness, and overcoming resistance.

How can artificial intelligence support medical imaging diagnostics in the future and significantly improve patient care? Researchers led by Lena Maier-Hein (German Cancer Research Center, DKFZ, and NCT Heidelberg) have developed an innovative concept to address this question. The Carl Zeiss-Stiftung is funding the MEDAL* project with a total of three million euros.

The Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute for Clinical Pharmacology (IKP) at the Bosch Health Campus in Stuttgart is leading Europe’s first EU project to systematically integrate pharmacogenomics into molecular tumor boards (MTB). The goal of PGxMTB is to systematically incorporate patients’ genetic factors into treatment decisions, thereby making cancer therapies safer and more effective.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) belong to a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases with overlapping symptoms. Many patients have a common hallmark: A protein called TDP-43 clumps together in the neurons of the brain to form tiny lumps. Researchers at DZNE and Ulm University Hospital, together with international experts, have now discovered that these pathological changes primarily affect certain cells.

A certain blood protein regarded as an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease also appears to play a role in other disorders. Researchers at DZNE and the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH) at the University of Tübingen have found that elevated levels of phosphorylated tau protein (pTau) also occur in two lesser-known conditions that primarily affect the heart and kidneys.

Immunotherapies have greatly improved the treatment of metastatic melanoma, but they can cause serious side effects. A study led by researchers from Heidelberg University's Medical Faculty, the Heidelberg University Hospital, and the NCT in Heidelberg now shows that autoantibodies detected in the blood before the start of therapy could help to better assess the individual risk of side effects in patients.

The introduction of mammography screening programs in Europe has significantly changed breast cancer diagnoses, accompanied by a decline in breast cancer mortality rates. This is shown by the most comprehensive analyses of population-based data on breast cancer in 21 European countries to date, led by the DKFZ. The most striking finding: after the introduction of screening, significantly more early-stage, less advanced tumors were detected.

An international team led by Professor Tobias M. Böckers from Ulm University Medical Centre has been awarded up to 1.7 million euros to develop a novel therapy for a rare, syndromic form of autism. The research project focuses on a gene whose loss of function can manifest itself in severe impairments in language, behaviour and everyday functions of those affected.

Technology impulse for the Lake Constance region: The new Single Cell Centre at the University of Konstanz offers technology and expertise to study cells individually and at high resolution – for applications in medical diagnostics, medication development and basic research at universities.

Chemotherapy is often a central component of treatment for advanced colorectal cancer. However, not every therapy is equally effective for every patient. Researchers from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the HI-STEM* stem cell institute, and the biotech company Xilis in Utrecht, Netherlands, have now developed a new method for selecting the most effective drug before treatment begins.

New findings indicate that a shingles vaccination could not only reduce the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia, but also reduce disease progression among those living with dementia.

In a published scientific study, researchers have succeeded in accurately diagnosing common types of brain tumors in children and adolescents based on tumor-derived genetic material in cerebrospinal fluid. Until now, these so-called liquid biopsies were not capable enough for such reliable diagnostics. The international research team has therefore optimized a sequencing technique and developed an AI-based computational method. In a later step,…

nanodiag BW has received approval from the BMFTR for a further three-year implementation phase under the Clusters4Future initiative. With the approval of €15 million, the innovation network will be able to continue its work on nanopore-based diagnostic methods seamlessly from April 2026 onwards. The Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism is supporting the cluster management through accompanying measures.

Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD), and Mannheim University Medical Center (UMM) are presenting a method that enables artificial intelligence (AI) to learn how to transfer medical image data from animals to humans. This “xeno-learning” could help make surgical procedures safer and more precise in the future – without relying on human training data.

Researchers at the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have developed a digital tool that significantly accelerates and improves clinical decisions in molecular precision oncology. The Knowledge Connector enables the structured and standardized evaluation of very extensive molecular tumor profiles and makes them available for personalized therapy decisions faster than before.

Recreating tumour tissue in the laboratory as realistically as possible and developing new approaches for personalised cancer medicine: A total of 20 doctoral students in the life sciences and ten Medicine students will be researching this in the new "Organoid-Based mOdelling of Solid Tumours" research training group. They want to gain a better understanding of cancer and better predict the course of the disease and the effect of…

The European Commission has today proposed an ambitious package of measures to improve the health of EU citizens, while ensuring the long-term resilience and competitiveness of the health sector.

Hummingbird Diagnostics GmbH, a pioneer in harnessing blood-based small RNAs for early disease detection and characterization, today announced the publication of a new study in Nature Communications Medicine introducing an Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT)-based method for detecting small RNA modifications in blood.

When gene mutations are found in the tumor of cancer patients, it is often unclear whether they promote tumor growth or whether a targeted therapy could be effective. A research team led by the Medical Center - University of Freiburg has now compiled a catalog in which over 11,000 gene variants of a central gene family were examined and evaluated for their role in tumor growth.