Healthcare industry

Scientists from the University Hospital of Heidelberg and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) have identified 20 new genes that are involved in the uptake of cholesterol into the cells. Twelve of these genes had previously been unknown. The findings are of great importance for the understanding of the regulation of cholesterol level and they make an important contribution to the treatment of coronary heart disease.

Article - 19/05/2009

What makes blood vessels sprout?

Calcified arteries or capillaries – this is often associated with blood stasis, reduced oxygen supply, and subsequent cardiac strain that compensates these deficiencies. Dr. Sebastian Grundmann from the Department of Cardiology and Angiology at the University Medical Centre Freiburg and his team are investigating how the growth of blood vessels is triggered, and potentially find ways to naturally deviate the site of congestion.

Press release - 30/04/2009

Will Ulm surgeons set new standard in bypass surgery?

A new computer-assisted navigation system, developed by an interdisciplinary team of researchers and doctors at the University of Ulm over the last three years, makes bypass surgery safer and more precise.

Press release - 20/04/2009

Help for coronary vessel constrictions – Tübingen cardiologists have developed an alternative to drug eluting stents

Prof. Christian Herdeg at the University Hospital of Tübingen has developed an alternative approach for intracoronary pharmacotherapy for the treatment of patients with constricted coronary vessels. Localised drug delivery using special catheters is far superior to the use of uncoated stents and is also a way of avoiding the disadvantages of coated i.e. drug eluting stents. On 16th April 2009 the new method was awarded a prize at a meeting of the…

Press release - 08/04/2009

Propeller gives new boost to the heart

Medtech company CardioBridge GmbH of Hechingen, Germany, has achieved a minor sensation. Initial use on humans of the Reitan catheter pump it has developed for minimally invasive treatment of patients with cardiac failure was a resounding success. CardioBridge is currently working on CE accreditation to ensure the pump can become a clinical standard as soon as possible for the benefit of patients.

Article - 07/04/2009

Sick hearts as instructors

In a joint project with heart surgeons from Freiburg pharmacologist Professor Dr. Lutz Hein and his team at the University of Freiburg are working to uncover the mystery of spontaneous self-healing in the case of chronic cardiac insufficiency. Initial results suggest the involvement of genetic mechanisms amongst other things.

Article - 31/03/2009

BERG medizinische Systeme: The Sonozentrum Freiburg – more than just baby cinema

The Freiburg-based company Berg medizinische Systeme e.K. offers ultrasound devices in the Sonozentrum Freiburg Sonography Centre which have a surprising number of different functions. Managing Director Manfred Berg and his team have a clear and passionate focus on their clients.

Article - 09/01/2009

Kay Diederichs – important insights in the fight against bacterial antibiotics resistance

Bacteria will always find ways to defend themselves against substances such as antibiotics, thus inhibiting their effect. Many bacteria have pump systems that they use to actively remove antibiotic drugs from the cell. Prof. Kay Diederichs at the University of Constance is working on the elucidation of these mechanisms in order to produce useful information for the development of bacterial pump inhibitors.

Rhodopsin mediates between the visual world and our brain. Biophysicists at Freiburg have used infrared spectroscopy to gain detailed insights into the rhodopsin centre to find out how the molecular side chains of the proteins have to interact in order for the brain to understand the visual environment.

It runs and runs and is extremely successful The SFB 592 established in 2001 and entitled Signalling mechanisms in embryogenesis and organogenesis investigates the biological functions of different signalling pathways. Since its foundation the scientists of the SFB have published many excellent papers in highly renowned journals. Their work has been of such a high standard that the German Research Foundation DFG has decided to fund the…

Scientists from the German Cancer Research Centre in Heidelberg have developed a software programme RepliExplore that enables the construction of individualised models for use in complicated surgical interventions.

Dossier - 29/10/2008

Signal transduction - exciting research with huge potential for the future

Signal transduction is one of the most innovative fields of research in the life sciences. Although the scientists are far from being able to understand and decipher everything the signal researchers nevertheless have a good deal of knowledge about the transduction of signals and the different signalling pathways.

The scientist Dr. Derk Frank from Heidelberg has discovered that calsarcin 1 protects the heart against pathological alterations caused by overstraining. Frank was awarded the 2008 Gotthard Schettler Prize for Cardiovascular Research.

For three days from 9 to 11 October more than 300 scientists from over 20 countries met at the Haus der Wirtschaft in Stuttgart to discuss the current state of research the latest product developments and therapies in regenerative medicine and stem cell research.

Press release - 02/09/2008

Elke Guenther: inspired by basic research and application-oriented

The biologist Prof. Dr. Elke Guenther is head of the Department of Electrophysiology at the NMI where her work involves safety pharmacology the development of biosensors and the characterisation of ion channels in the cell membranes in a broad range of different organ systems.

The medical importance of vitamin D calciferol is most likely even higher than suggested by recently published studies. A study which also involves the endocrinologist Bernhard Böhm from Ulm has attracted enormous attention as it suggests that vitamin D deficiency increases mortality.

The NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute in Reutlingen organised its biannual MEA conference from 8 to 11 July 2008. More than 200 developers and microelectrode array users from 18 countries came together in Reutlingen to present their latest developments and results.

The world is full of questions and is sometimes difficult to understand for children. In the lectures delivered at Tübingens Childrens University scientists explain science and mathematics history or business management in a simple way and in relation to everyday life.

Dossier - 03/07/2008

Molecular imaging - a close look inside the human body

Molecular imaging recognises the functional state of cells and molecules. It visualises biological processes on the cellular and molecular level and is thus able to detect pathological alterations a long time before disease symptoms become apparent. Molecular imaging offers new possibilities for improving diagnosis and enabling more targeted therapies than has previously been possible. Many experts regard molecular imaging as a paradigm shift in…

Cancer cells are dangerous foodies. They metabolise far greater amounts of sugar than healthy cells. Nuclear medicine experts make use of cancer cells craving for sugar since the advent of modern positron emission tomography PET. This has led to an improvement in the quality of cancer treatment.

The new drug screening and safety pharmacology laboratory at NMI Technologie Transfer GmbH NMI TT GmbH in Reutlingen with its standardised and special test systems complies fully with the requirements of safety pharmacology tests.

The German Research Foundation will continue to fund the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre Inflammatory Cardiomyopathy - Molecular Pathogenesis and Therapy for another four years with a total of 10 million euros. The Department of Cardiology of the University Hospital of Tübingen will also become part of the SFB.

The NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute in Reutlingen is a role model for how research findings can be turned into financially sustainable products and services. Prof. Hugo Hämmerle has been a key figure in this success story for over 20 years. In February 2008 he took over as Managing Director of the institute.

In conjunction with reference laboratories of the World Health Organization WHO medtech company Curetis AG is developing new technologies and products that identify the pathogens of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and their resistance. The solutions are impressive.

Almost half of the veins transplanted to restore blood flow in the heart become clogged again within ten years after surgery. Gene therapy pre-treatment of the vein fragments that prevents the muscle cells from entering the vascular wall might decrease the risk of this happening.