Article - 13/01/2016 New approach for treating depression Depression is the most common mental health condition; it must be taken seriously and requires treatment. Exactly how and where therapies work is still unclear. Prof. Dr. Dietrich van Calker and Prof. Dr. Knut Biber from Freiburg University Medical Center have been looking into mechanisms of action and have discovered a molecule that appears to be implicated in numerous neuropsychiatric disorders and the effect of various anti-depression…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/new-approach-for-treating-depression
Article - 07/01/2016 New protein helps B cells generate an effective immune response The human immune system plays a key role for human health. Dr. Gina Fiala, a scientist in Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schamel’s team in the Department of Immunology at Freiburg University, has discovered Kidins220/ARMS in B cells. Kidins220/ARMS is part of the adaptive immune system where it plays a key role in the maturation of B cells.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/kidins220-hilft-b-zellen-bei-der-immunabwehr
Article - 03/09/2015 Pattern formation: How undifferentiated cell clusters develop orderly structures Dr. Patrick Müller explores cellular signalling pathways that turn undifferentiated cell clusters into orderly structures as embryos develop. Supported by an ERC grant, the Max Planck researcher from Tübingen uses a broad range of methods from the fields of genetics, biophysics, mathematics and the computer sciences for his investigations. Regenerative medicine is one field that particularly stands to benefit from Müller’s findings. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/pattern-formation-how-undifferentiated-cell-clusters-develop-orderly-structures
Press release - 26/08/2015 Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH - new alliances and launch of Immatics US, Inc. MorphoSys and Immatics Biotechnologies Enter Strategic Alliance in Immuno-oncology. Furthermore Immatics and MD Anderson announce launch of Immatics US, Inc., to develop multiple T-cell and TCR-based adoptive cellular therapies.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/immatics-biotechnologies-gmbh-new-alliances-and-launch-of-immatics-us-inc
Article - 26/05/2015 Novel effect of B-Raf inhibitors against bowel cancer discovered Colorectal carcinoma is the most frequent type of bowel cancer and the second most common tumour disease in men and women in Germany. A particularly aggressive form occurs when a mutation is present in the proto-oncogene BRAF. As part of the Collaborative Research Centre 850 at the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research at the University of Freiburg, Dr. Ricarda Herr and Dr. Tilman Brummer are trying to find out how a mutated BRAF gene…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/novel-effect-of-b-raf-inhibitors-against-bowel-cancer-discovered
Article - 27/04/2015 Newly discovered gene mutation favour obesity Professor Martin Wabitsch from Ulm University Hospital has been studying the genetic causes of obesity for quite some time. The discovery of another cause of this complex condition that has key clinical consequences was recently published in the renowned New England Journal of Medicine. Despite the internationally acknowledged success of this research and in contrast to the view of the World Health Organisation and scientific organisations, the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/newly-discovered-gene-mutation-favour-obesity
Article - 16/03/2015 The critical balance between liver fibrosis and liver regeneration When the liver has been damaged, a receptor protein of the hepatic stellate cells called endosialin controls the balance between liver repair and scar formation. A team of researchers from Heidelberg and Mannheim has shown that endosialin is a positive regulator of fibrogenesis and a negative regulator of hepatocyte proliferation. Endosialin therefore seems to be a promising therapeutic drug target in non-neoplastic settings. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-critical-balance-between-liver-fibrosis-and-liver-regeneration
Dossier - 09/03/2015 Advances in the study and treatment of liver diseases Liver diseases are often underestimated despite being quite common and potentially having serious and even life-threatening consequences, especially in chronic cases. The most common causes of liver diseases are hepatitis viruses, excessive alcohol consumption, and obesity; congenital or autoimmune liver diseases are quite rare. Thanks to advances in medical research, diseases such as hepatitis B and C can be treated effectively. Fewer advances…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/advances-in-the-study-and-treatment-of-liver-diseases
Press release - 09/03/2015 Gilead Sciences aquires FXR-program of Phenex Pharmaceuticals AG Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Foster City, CA, U.S.A.) and Phenex Pharmaceuticals AG (Ludwigshafen/Heidelberg, Germany), a privately-held biotechnology company, announced the signing of a definitive agreement under which Gilead will acquire Phenex’s Farnesoid X Receptor (FXR) program comprising small molecule FXR agonists for the treatment of liver diseases including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/gilead-sciences-aquires-fxr-program-of-phenex-pharmaceuticals-ag
Article - 22/12/2014 The immune system – both weak and overreactive in the absence of CTLA4 The ability to recognise a pathogen and combat it effectively is certainly one of the most complex and sophisticated processes the human body has evolved. People with an immunodeficiency or autoimmune disease may have a genetic defect in one of the genes involved in the immune response. Working with immunologists from London scientists Desire Schubert and Prof. Dr. Bodo Grimbacher from the Centre for Chronic Immunodeficiency CCI at the Freiburg…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-immune-system-both-weak-and-overreactive-in-the-absence-of-ctla4
Article - 28/11/2014 Martin Plenio - turning Ulm’s quantum biology into a technology forge Quantum biology has the potential to become the next big research coup. Professor Martin Plenio, 46, director of the Institute of Theoretical Physics at Ulm University and one of the world’s leading quantum technologists, is right at the forefront. He has been Alexander von Humboldt Professor since 2009, and holds a part-time professorship at Imperial College London, where he was formerly chair of quantum physics.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/martin-plenio-turning-ulm-s-quantum-biology-into-a-technology-forge
Article - 24/11/2014 Lipid zipper triggers bacterial invasion Millions of people die each year from infections both in developing and industrial countries. There is still no effective treatment for a large number of diseases caused by pathogens. In order to treat infectious diseases effectively, we need to understand the mechanisms that bacteria use to infect human cells. The cytoskeleton of the host cell usually plays a key role in this process. Researchers at the University of Freiburg have discovered a…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/lipid-zipper-triggers-bacterial-invasion
Article - 17/11/2014 About synapses and learning You can’t teach an old dog new tricks – the old proverb is not totally true. It is now known that the modulation of synaptic functions, including the formation of new neurons, still takes place in old age, although to a lesser extent than in childhood. The human brain stores memories in the form of neural activity patterns. Structural plasticity appears to be the basis for all learning processes. Physician Thomas Hainmüller and Prof. Dr. Marlene…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/about-synapses-and-learning
Article - 10/11/2014 Alzheimer: amyloid-beta triggers mitochondrial dysfunction Neurons are very sensitive to disturbances and many different functions are no longer able to work efficiently when the power supply is impaired. Prof. Dr. Chris Meisinger and his team at the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Freiburg have found that amyloid-beta peptides block important enzymes in the mitochondria resulting in mitochondrial dysfunction.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/alzheimer-amyloid-beta-triggers-mitochondrial-dysfunction
Article - 13/10/2014 Concepts for breaking the smoking habit Giving up smoking would mean an estimated 30 percent reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 90 percent reduction in cases of lung cancer, and that’s just in men. There are many arguments for giving up smoking. However, despite being highly motivated, many smokers fail to do so. Professional help is therefore available in the form of behavioural- and pharmacotherapy. The relevant guidelines in Germany have just been amended and now recommend a…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/concepts-for-breaking-the-smoking-habit
Article - 18/08/2014 VAXIMM: Vaccines that impede cancer growth VAXIMM GmbH, a young biotechnology company from Mannheim, Germany, specialises in the development of vaccines for cancer treatment. The company’s first product candidate, VXM01, is a live oral vaccine that targets the VEGFR-2 receptor and hence the blood supply of tumours. VXM01 is currently undergoing clinical testing in pancreatic cancer patients.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/vaximm-vaccines-that-impede-cancer-growth
Press release - 15/07/2014 amcure Receives EUR 5 Million Funding for the Development of New Tumour Therapeutic Agents amcure GmbH, a spin-off from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), has closed a Series A financing deal amounting to a total of EUR 5 million. The funding comes from a consortium headed by LBBW Venture Capital, with participations from KfW, MBG Mittelständische Beteiligungsgesellschaft Baden-Wuerttemberg, S-Kap Beteiligungen Pforzheim, BioM AG as well as private investors. The company also receives subsidies from the German Ministry of…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/amcure-receives-eur-5-million-funding-for-the-development-of-new-tumour-therapeutic-agents
Article - 16/06/2014 Methadone – the last step to becoming an anti-cancer drug It all began several years ago with a surprising discovery in the laboratory. Claudia Friesen, a chemist at Ulm University, discovered that leukaemia cells that were exposed to methadone died within a relatively short period of time. Seven years on and many papers later, what was once a rather exotic substance is now undergoing clinical testing in cancer patients.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/methadone-the-last-step-to-becoming-an-anti-cancer-drug
Article - 19/05/2014 Alcoholism: the molecular basis of addiction and deprivation Scientists at the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim use rats and mice to study the genetic basis and neurobiological mechanisms of alcohol addiction, the changes that occur during alcohol deprivation and the factors that favour a relapse. In translational research, the results from animal experiments are reviewed using alcohol-dependent patients in order to turn them quickly into preventive strategies and therapies.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/alcoholism-the-molecular-basis-of-addiction-and-deprivation
Article - 14/04/2014 New insights into apoptotic signalling networks Apoptosis, i.e. programmed cell death, is a precisely regulated process that leads to the elimination of surplus or damaged cells. The proteins of the Bcl-2 family play a key role in apoptosis. However, their complex interactions are not yet known in detail. A group of researchers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland is now trying to get to the bottom of this issue. Coordinated by the University of Konstanz, the researchers are jointly…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/new-insights-into-apoptotic-signalling-networks
Article - 31/03/2014 Lsd1 – a gatekeeper for differentiation onset of embryonic mouse stem cells Epigenetics is an emerging field of research that studies heritable changes in gene expression that are not caused by changes in the underlying DNA sequence. Prof. Dr. Roland Schüle, Director of Central Clinical Research at the Freiburg University Medical Centre, and his team are specifically focused on epigenetic modifiers that regulate the timely development of placental mouse tissue. Schüle and his team have discovered in mouse embryos that a…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/lsd1-a-gatekeeper-for-differentiation-onset-of-embryonic-mouse-stem-cells
Article - 31/03/2014 The growing significance of peptide therapeutics The therapeutic use of peptides lags behind that of proteins. And there are good reasons for this. However, it seems that this is beginning to change and that peptide therapeutics are growing in significance. As a matter of fact, peptides have become rather popular candidates for drugs. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-growing-significance-of-peptide-therapeutics
Article - 17/03/2014 Bacterial toxins manipulate proteins that serve as signalling switches in the host cell The enterobacterial species Photorhabdus asymbiotica und luminescens live in symbiosis with predatory nematodes that infest insect larvae and feed on their victims. The bacteria wait in the worms gut until their symbiotic partner has crept into the larvae then they are released and kill the insect with an ingenious toxin cocktail. Researchers in the team led by Professor Aktories and Dr. Thomas Jank recently discovered a mechanism of one of the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/bacterial-toxins-manipulate-proteins-that-serve-as-signalling-switches-in-the-host-cell
Article - 03/03/2014 Taking a drug taxi across the blood-brain barrier The central nervous system CNS which integrates the information it receives from all parts of the body is perhaps the most sensitive organ we have. As toxic compounds are able to disturb brain function enormously the brain is separated from circulating blood by a highly selective permeability barrier known as the blood-brain barrier. However the downside of this protection is that 98 percent of all drugs targeting the CNS cannot pass the barrier.…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/taking-a-drug-taxi-across-the-blood-brain-barrier
Article - 13/01/2014 Mechanisms of membrane protein insertion Prof. Dr. Irmgard Sinning, biochemist and structural biologist at the University of Heidelberg, will be awarded the 2014 Leibniz Prize from the German Research Foundation (DFG) for her work on the structure and function of complexes that transport different membrane proteins to the correct cellular compartments in the appropriate target membranes. Her research is primarily focussed on the co-translational SRP pathway mediated by signal…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/mechanisms-of-membrane-protein-insertion