Mosses for pharmaceutical production - 16/09/2020 Factor H as a therapeutic option for viral diseases - including COVID-19 The search for drug candidates for COVID-19 diseases is well underway. Factor H, which is part of the innate immune system, might also be a future therapeutic option. The Freiburg-based biotech company eleva has developed a technology for producing this human protein in moss cells. The active ingredient, which might also have a regulatory effect in other diseases, is currently undergoing preclinical testing.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/factor-h-therapeutic-option-viral-diseases-including-covid-19
Press release - 28/01/2010 Kenta and Rentschler to develop antibodies against hospital-acquired infections The young Swiss company Kenta Biotech will work with the Laupheim-based contract manufacturer Rentschler to develop a fully human monoclonal antibody against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/kenta-and-rentschler-to-develop-antibodies-against-hospital-acquired-infections
Press release - 16/03/2009 ZKRD: Germans are generous haematopoietic stem cell donors German citizens made as many as 4.166 haematopoietic stem cell donations in 2008. The cells were donated in order to help patients suffering from leukaemia as well as other malignant blood or immune system diseases. “Haematopoietic stem cell donations are often the only chance of a cure for many of these sufferers,” explained Dr. Dr. Carlheinz Müller, Managing Director of the Central German Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ZKRD). https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/zkrd-germans-are-generous-haematopoietic-stem-cell-donors
Press release - 05/11/2014 Orphan drug status for Synovo's immune modulator SYD003 The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have granted orphan drug designation to Synovo's investigational compound SYD003, a first in class tumour-targeted immune modulator.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/orphan-drug-status-for-synovo-s-immune-modulator-syd003
Peptide-based COVID-19 vaccine - 21/04/2022 CoVac-1: T-cell activator against COVID-19 Current vaccines against COVID-19 aim at forming neutralising antibodies that prevent the virus from penetrating the host cells. Since people with impaired B-cell immune responses – which can also occur in cancer or autoimmune diseases – are not able to do this, researchers at the University of Tübingen have developed the peptide-based T-cell activator CoVac-1, which promises broad and long-term immunity.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/covac-1-t-cell-activator-against-covid-19
Article - 22/08/2016 Ad-O-Lytics – a new biotech start-up from Ulm A few years ago, Florian Kreppel developed a therapeutic approach that combined genetic vaccines with molecular address labels. It worked quite well, but the resulting product did not have the anticipated immunising properties and was put on the backburner. Now Kreppel's group of researchers is nearing completion of another project. The researchers plan to use a patented virotherapeutic platform technology for cancer treatment to establish a…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/ad-o-lytics-a-new-biotech-start-up-from-ulm
Article - 22/10/2012 The crème de la crème of contact allergy tests goes in vitro As of 2013 all cosmetic products containing a chemical with inherent skin sensitisation potential must be tested without the traditional animal testing. Prof. Dr. Stefan Martin from the Department of Dermatology at the University of Freiburg Medical Centre and his partners have been looking for alternatives to animal testing and have come up with the most specific in vitro test there has ever been. The researchers involved in the project have…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-cr-me-de-la-cr-me-of-contact-allergy-tests-goes-in-vitro
Article - 20/12/2010 Michael Reth – Immunobiological discoveries that meet resistance Dr Michael Reth professor at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and the University of Freiburg and some of his colleagues have recently uncovered the mechanism that foreign substances use to activate B cells of the immune system. The researchers were using synthetic biology methods long before this particular branch of science existed in its present form. Their results require a paradigm change and a revision of the reference books.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/michael-reth-immunobiological-discoveries-that-meet-resistance
Dossier - 06/12/2019 Microbiome: human health is closely connected with our microbial communities People have 1.3 times more microorganisms than body cells. This microbial community influences how we digest our food, how active our immune system is, as well as whether we tend to be more anxious or curious. A number of diseases have also been shown to be associated with a disturbed microbiome. Researchers still have a long way to go before the knowledge acquired can be used for developing therapies.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/microbiome-human-health-closely-connected-with-microbial-communities
Article - 01/08/2010 Manfred Kist – 25 years of fascination for a stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori is a genus of bacteria that inhabits the human stomach. The bacteria can cause duodenal and gastric ulcers and are also linked to the development of gastric cancer. Prof. Dr. Manfred Kist from the Freiburg University Medical Centre has spent around 25 years of his scientific career on investigating H. pylori a bent rod-shaped bacterium.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/manfred-kist-25-years-of-fascination-for-a-stomach-bacterium
Article - 15/10/2012 Vegetables help fend off bacteria in the intestines Their discovery in the human intestines came as quite a surprise up until a few years ago LTi lymphoid tissue inducer - cells were only known to be involved in the embryonic development of the immune system. A team of researchers led by Prof. Dr. Andreas Diefenbach from the University of Freiburg Medical Centre has since been able to show the protective role played by LTi cells in fortifying the intestinal wall as a reaction to nutrients found…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/vegetables-help-fend-off-bacteria-in-the-intestines
Infection control - 07/01/2021 Gene accordions as potential markers for pathogenic properties Bacteria must react to changes in the environment in order to survive. This is partly done by adapting genetic material, for example by multiplying and shortening individual genome segments. The research group led by Dr. Simon Heilbronner from the Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine at the University of Tübingen has shown that these so-called gene accordions are frequently found in the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/gene-accordions-potential-markers-pathogenic-properties
Press release - 08/04/2020 “Access checker” remotely measures body temperature in addition to heart and breathing rate An innovative measurement method is helping to detect people infected with coronavirus from a safe distance. It detects fever, increased pulse rates and fast breathing without endangering the person conducting the testing. Fraunhofer IPA and Fraunhofer IAO are currently testing the procedure at the Robert Bosch Hospital in Stuttgart.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/access-checker-misst-koerpertemperatur-herz-und-atemfrequenz-aus-der-ferne
Article - 30/10/2018 Eucor – bringing the European Campus to life Enrolling at one university and being able to use the services of a total of five universities is unique in the European Research Area. A model project called Eucor - The European Campus offers students and young scientists this opportunity at universities in the Germany-France-Switzerland border triangle, which simultaneously acts as a borderless academic area for the sciences. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/eucor-bringing-the-european-campus-to-life
Press release - 23/06/2021 Blood stem cells make brain tumors more aggressive For the first time, scientists from the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) partner site in Essen/Düsseldorf have discovered stem cells of the hematopoietic system in glioblastomas, the most aggressive form of brain tumor. These hematopoietic stem cells promote division of the cancer cells and at the same time suppress the immune response against the tumor. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/blood-stem-cells-make-brain-tumors-more-aggressive
Article - 28/02/2011 Contact dermatitis – removing a leg from a tripod Contact dermatitis is one of the most frequent occupational skin reactions resulting from exposure to allergens. Chronic allergic reactions to environmental allergens might sometimes become job- or life-threatening. Prof. Dr. Stefan Martin and his group of researchers in the Allergy Research Group of the Department of Dermatology at the Freiburg University Medical Centre are investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying the disease. One of…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/contact-dermatitis-removing-a-leg-from-a-tripod
Article - 14/12/2009 Clever surveillance system keeps yeast in check The spectrum of human diseases (mycoses) caused by fungi ranges from trivial nail infections to life-threatening systemic infections. The latter are mainly caused by Candida albicans. The dermatologist Prof. Dr. med. Martin Schaller from Tübingen is investigating how this fungus, which is actually part of the normal microbial flora of humans, becomes a pathogen. At the same time, he is looking into the role the patient’s immune system plays in…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/clever-surveillance-system-keeps-yeast-in-check
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
Press release - 18/01/2021 How a protein variant could explain resistance to sleeping sickness drug A specific variant of the surface protein VSG of African trypanosomes, the causative agents of sleeping sickness, is associated with resistance to the important drug Suramin. Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center have now been able to find a possible explanation for the formation of resistance based on the crystal structure of this protein variant.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/how-protein-variant-could-explain-resistance-sleeping-sickness-drug
Press release - 05/03/2011 Research prize for the gene therapy of rare diseases The Eva Luise and Horst Köhler Foundation for People with Rare Diseases has awarded the 2011 Eva Luise Köhler Research Prize, which includes prize money of 50,000 euros, to an interdisciplinary team of researchers: Professor Dr. Christoph Klein, Department of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology at the Hannover Medical School (MHH), Professor Dr. Christopher Baum, Department of Experimental Haematology (MHH), Professor Dr. Christoph von Kalle,…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/research-prize-for-the-gene-therapy-of-rare-diseases
New method for analysing blood samples - 26/11/2020 Personalised therapy monitoring for malignant melanomas Immunotherapy has greatly improved the survival chances of patients with malignant melanoma. A study has now begun at the Department of Dermatology at the University Hospital of Tübingen to develop a way to monitor the course of treatment as effectively as possible. It involves personalised monitoring using liquid biopsies in addition to conventional PET/CT examinations. This analysis procedure of blood samples could enable closer monitoring of…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/personalised-therapy-monitoring-malignant-melanomas
KyooBe Tech GmbH - 08/10/2020 Next generation vaccine production For decades, conventional inactivated vaccines have been produced by killing pathogens with toxic chemicals. However, this process often changes the surface structure of the pathogens to such an extent that the immune system is only able to induce a weak response. KyooBe Tech GmbH is offering a method that uses low-energy electrons to inactivate pathogens. Vaccines produced this way are much higher quality, making them safer and more effective.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/next-generation-vaccine-production
Article - 16/02/2015 Therapeutic vaccines against brain tumours Therapeutic cancer vaccines have the potential to boost the immune system's ability to destroy tumour cells. Cancer researchers around the world are intensively studying the potential of this therapeutic concept and initial positive results have been obtained. Cancer researchers from Heidelberg have developed a vaccine that triggers an immune response against a protein that is mutated in brain cancer. The vaccine, which successfully arrested…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/therapeutic-vaccines-against-brain-tumours
Article - 06/07/2015 Using mosses to produce medicines Human disease can be treated with substances from traditional medicinal plants or with molecular pharming products. Molecular pharming uses genetic engineering techniques to insert genes into plants or animals that would otherwise not express these genes. These transgenics can then be used to produce therapeutic proteins such as antibodies. Dr. Eva Decker from the University of Freiburg and her team have now successfully produced a key protein of…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/using-mosses-to-produce-medicines
Press release - 12/10/2011 Autoimmune Diseases Affect Cancer Risk In a recently published study, scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) have calculated the interrelations between autoimmune diseases and cancer of the digestive tract. They discovered that many autoimmune diseases increase the cancer risk, while others, such as rheumatism, are associated with a significantly lower bowel cancer risk. These differing impacts on cancer risk may be attributable to the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/autoimmune-diseases-affect-cancer-risk