Microfluidics in medical technology - 24/03/2021 Ultra-compact: valves with shape memory actuators Karlsruhe-based company memetis shows that this is possible. Intelligent components for controlling fluids open up huge potential in the medical technology and biotechnology sectors - from vaccine development and cell line analysis to drug research and point-of-care solutions.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/ultra-compact-valves-shape-memory-actuators
Press release - 02/11/2020 CureVac Reports Positive Interim Phase 1 Data for its COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate, CVnCoV CureVac N.V. (Nasdaq: CVAC), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of transformative medicines based on messenger ribonucleic acid (“mRNA”), today announced positive interim data from its ongoing Phase 1 dose-escalation study evaluating the safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of CVnCoV, its investigational SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/curevac-reports-positive-interim-phase-1-data-its-covid-19-vaccine-candidate-cvncov
Press release - 08/10/2020 New class of highly effective inhibitors protects against neurodegeneration Heidelberg neurobiologists decode central mechanism of degenerative processes in the brains of mouse models and develop new principle for therapeutic agents.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/new-class-highly-effective-inhibitors-protects-against-neurodegeneration
Article - 03/04/2019 HKK Bionics empowers hand gripping functions A spin-off from the Ulm University of Applied Sciences is aiming to provide people whose hands have been paralysed due to accident or illness with a new kind of orthopaedic aid. Dominik Hepp and Tobias Knobloch are currently starting serial production of a hand orthosis prototype. The two medical engineers from Ulm, who founded HKK Bionics GmbH in 2017, plan to commence final tests in 2019.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/hkk-bionics-empowers-hand-gripping-functions
Article - 21/02/2019 Using neuromedical artificial intelligence responsibly Brain-computer interfaces are the latest developments in the neurotechnology field. They are used to record brain activity, which is then decoded with artificial intelligence techniques and converted into control signals for robots or computers. While this brings hope to severely paralysed people, it also implies risks due to the interest of companies like Google and Facebook in this type of data.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/using-neuromedical-artificial-intelligence-responsibly
Article - 21/08/2018 Parkinson's disease: vitamin B3 has a positive effect on nerve cells Parkinson's disease is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases in the world. There are around 4.1 million sufferers worldwide. It is characterised by motor impairments that result from the death of certain nerve cells in the brain. Researchers at the University of Tübingen have now discovered that vitamin B3 has a positive effect on damaged nerve cells and can boost their energy metabolism.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/parkinsons-disease-vitamin-b3-has-a-positive-effect-on-nerve-cells
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 - 16/05/2018 Telemedical neurology council helps speed up stroke treatment Stroke units save lives because specialist treatment is absolutely crucial for stroke patients. However, not all clinics have neurological specialists available 24/7, so telemedicine provides a good solution to the problem. Studies show that telemedical consultations can considerably improve the treatment of stroke patients.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/telemedical-neurology-council-helps-speed-up-stroke-treatment
Article - 13/11/2017 An artificial heart valve with the potential to grow About 30,000 artificial heart valves are implanted in Germany every year. The durability of these heart valves presents a major challenge, requiring them to be exchanged time and again, especially in young patients. Researchers from the Stuttgart Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB have developed a new artificial heart valve material on which cells that are naturally present in a patient’s blood can form new…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/an-artificial-heart-valve-with-the-potential-to-grow
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
Company profile - 14/07/2016 neuroloop GmbH: how the manipulation of neuronal information can lower blood pressure Millions of people worldwide suffer from high blood pressure. However, taking medicines to control high blood pressure does not work for everyone. Dr. Dennis Plachta and Prof. Dr. Thomas Stieglitz from IMTEK have now developed a neurostimulator to control blood pressure. Together with Dr. Michael Lauk, an experienced company founder, the two researchers set up a company called neuroloop, which is funded by Aesculap AG and aims to turn the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/neuroloop-gmbh-how-the-manipulation-of-neuronal-information-can-lower-blood-pressure
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 - 12/05/2016 Novel method for predicting the spatial structure of biomolecules Biomolecules can only fulfil their functions in the cell when they fold into a characteristic native three-dimensional structure. Knowing this structure is not only of paramount importance for basic research, but also for medicine and pharmacology. Scientists from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have therefore developed a simple method to predict the three-dimensional structure of biomolecules from the analysis of readily available…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/novel-method-for-predicting-the-spatial-structure-of-biomolecules
Article - 02/05/2016 Biopolymers – raw materials for innovative medical products Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are biodegradable biopolymers that are becoming increasingly important. Bioplastics are now used not only in everyday objects such as plastic bags and yogurt pots but also increasingly in the field of medicine, which is why intensive research into medical devices made from biodegradable polymers such as PHA has been going on for quite some time. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/biopolymers-raw-materials-for-innovative-medical-products
Article - 29/03/2016 The zebrafish can mend its own heart In adults, cells such as nerve or cardiac muscle cells have lost the ability to regenerate. This is why myocardial infarction is so dangerous – damaged cardiac muscle cells do not grow back and scar tissue forms in their place. Prof. Dr. Gilbert Weidinger and an international team of researchers have deciphered a mechanism responsible for the regeneration of the zebrafish heart.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-zebrafish-can-mend-its-own-heart
Article - 22/12/2014 Large-scale urology project: cell therapy for the treatment of stress incontinence The first and so far only clinical DFG research group on urology is being coordinated by a team from Tübingen. The team is developing a cell-based therapy for the regeneration of the urethral sphincter. Clinicians, life scientists and engineers are working together to try and find a causal therapy of stress incontinence. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/large-scale-urology-project-cell-therapy-for-the-treatment-of-stress-incontinence
Article - 15/12/2014 Heart muscle cell 1.0 and 2.0 – two epigenetic programmes in one cell All the cells in an organism have to adapt to changing requirements as they develop and grow - including muscle cells in the heart. Crucial to this process are the cells’ growth in size and epigenetic factors that play a role in modulating the expression of various genes. The role of epigenetics in cancer development has been the focus of research for quite some time. The question is, what role do epigenetic factors play in the development of the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/heart-muscle-cell-1-0-and-2-0-two-epigenetic-programmes-in-one-cell
Article - 18/11/2013 The HAE Accelerator – "compete to speed up your start-up" The HAE Accelerator is an international programme involving biomedical clusters in Cambridge (UK), Leuven (Belgium) and Heidelberg (Germany) that seeks to identify, train and put innovative start-up teams in the three countries in contact with international VC investors. Of the three business ideas that were awarded a HAE Investors’ Choice Award in September 2013, InoCard from Heidelberg came first with a new gene therapy for myocardial…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-hae-accelerator-compete-to-speed-up-your-start-up
Article - 19/08/2013 Brain mapping – ‘eavesdropping’ on the brain Although numerous scientists have spent decades exploring the brain and many things are already known the brain is still considered one of the greatest mysteries of science. While structural elements such as cell and axon distribution can only be mapped post mortem motor and sensory functions can only be studied in vivo i.e. using living organisms. Dr. Tonio Ball and his colleagues at the BrainLinks-BrainTools cluster of excellence at the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/brain-mapping-eavesdropping-on-the-brain
Article - 22/07/2013 Marcus Fändrich strengthens protein biochemistry at Ulm University After quite a long vacancy the directors post of the Institute for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at the University of Ulm has finally been filled. Marcus Fändrich and his team moved into the laboratories and offices of the new life sciences building on the Oberer Eselsberg Ulm University campus in November 2012. Fändrich fills a gap in the Ulm Bioregions biopharmaceutical education activities as he will not only be teaching biochemistry…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/marcus-faendrich-strengthens-protein-biochemistry-at-ulm-university
Dossier - 01/07/2013 Electrophysiology – from cardiac pacemakers to drug discovery Electrochemical reactions are involved in many processes in the human organism. Electrophysiology is the study of the central processes of electrical and chemical interaction and communication between neurons and muscle cells, including the transmission and processing of signals in the nerves and the subsequent contraction of the muscles. For example, electrophysiology studies examine the rhythm which which our heart pumps blood through the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/electrophysiology-from-cardiac-pacemakers-to-drug-discovery
Article - 03/06/2013 Laser light for the diagnosis of stroke Stroke is one of the most common causes of death in the Western world and in Germany the most common cause of moderate to severe disabilities. Besides effective prevention, the rapid and specific diagnosis of impaired blood circulation in the brain is key in the effective treatment of stroke patients. PD Dr. Thomas Gisler from the University of Konstanz has developed CereFLux, a method that allows the flow of blood in the human brain to be…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/laser-light-for-the-diagnosis-of-stroke
Article - 15/04/2013 Price pressure requires new product developments – the "Bioactive Plant Foods" network The Bioactive Plant Foods network which is coordinated by the Steinbeis-Europa-Zentrum in Stuttgart is focused on developing innovative products that have a positive effect on human health and placing them on the market. Research resolves around the health-promoting effect of amaranth a short-lived plant with catkin-like cymes of densely packed red flowers. More than 20 partners from industry science and marketing have been working together since…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/price-pressure-requires-new-product-developments-the-bioactive-plant-foods-network
Article - 25/03/2013 Ralf Baumeister – tinkering, constructing and switching off genes The focus of Ralf Baumeisters research a small nematode that is known as Caenorhabditis elegans is a rather simple organism. Nevertheless the worm can be used to study complicated behaviour including associated learning. This is how Prof. Dr. Ralf Baumeister from the Institute of Biology III at the University of Freiburg describes the animal that he works with on a daily basis. The worm has now got very little left to hide. And the genetic…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/ralf-baumeister-tinkering-constructing-and-switching-off-genes
Article - 18/03/2013 Protein depositions in the brain promote the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Being aware of ones own physical degradation as intellect and cognition remain completely intact this is what the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ALS also known as Lou Gehrigs disease means to sufferers. The disease is currently not curable as far too little is known as yet about its causes. However basic research is making progress and providing increasing insights into the causes of ALS. Dr. Günter Fritz and his colleagues from the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/protein-depositions-in-the-brain-promote-the-development-of-amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis-als