Overview Diagnostics The latest articles, press releases and dossiers on diagnostics in Baden-Württemberghttps://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/diagnostics
Article - 16/03/2015 Heike Brötz-Oesterhelt - searching for novel antibiotics in bacteria Microbial metabolic products can be used in the fight against dangerous pathogens such as multidrug-resistant bacteria. Since summer 2014, microbiologist Prof. Dr. Heike Brötz-Oesterhelt has been investigating the mechanisms of action of bacterial substances at the University of Tübingen with the aim of paving the way for new antibiotics. Interesting candidates have already been identified.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/heike-broetz-oesterhelt-searching-for-novel-antibiotics-in-bacteria
Article - 09/03/2015 Malaria: when an antimalarial drug is no longer fit for purpose Malaria can be treated with atovaquone a drug that inhibits a particular enzyme in Plasmodia. However the parasites are becoming increasingly resistant to the drug. Carola Hunte and Dominic Birth from the Institute for Biochemistry at the University of Freiburg have shown how atovaquone binds to the protein and what happens at the molecular level in resistant plasmodia. Their research provides an impetus for structure-based drug design aimed at…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/malaria-when-an-antimalarial-drug-is-no-longer-fit-for-purpose
Article - 26/01/2015 Pooling efforts against infectious diseases in Germany Over 150 scientists at various locations throughout Germany work together as part of the German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF). The centre focuses on the development of new diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic methods for treating infectious diseases. Scientists from the University and University Hospital of Tübingen and the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology are also part of the project. The researchers from Tübingen are…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/pooling-efforts-against-infectious-diseases-in-germany
Article - 22/12/2014 Fighting hepatitis viruses with their own weapons Virologist Prof. Dr. Stephan Urban from the University of Heidelberg has been awarded the DZIF Prize for Translational Infection Research for the discovery and development of a promising peptide drug for the treatment of hepatitis B virus infections. The peptide prevents viruses from entering the liver cells, and is also effective against hepatitis D infection. Hepatitis D is the deadliest of all viral liver diseases and no specific antiviral…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/fighting-hepatitis-viruses-with-their-own-weapons
Article - 15/12/2014 From HIV structure to new AIDS therapies The building blocks of the viral protein capsid are rearranged as HI viruses mature into infectious AIDS-causing agents. Researchers from Heidelberg have made these structural changes visible on the molecular level. The findings could potentially be used for developing much-needed new AIDS therapeutics.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/from-hiv-structure-to-new-aids-therapies
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 - 03/11/2014 Dementia and the prion principle Prions are misfolded proteins that are associated with diseases such as BSE, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and scrapie. What makes prions particularly dangerous is their ability to induce properly folded proteins to convert into misfolded prion forms. This principle seems to be more widespread than previously thought. Dr. Mathias Jucker from the University of Tübingen and his American colleague Lary Walker from Emory University have put forward a…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/dementia-and-the-prion-principle
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
Article - 06/07/2014 Behaviour-changing signalling molecules as alternative to antibiotics Bacteria display group behaviours when they form biofilms or cause infections. These group behaviours protect them against adverse environmental conditions. Thomas Böttcher from the University of Konstanz studies the signalling molecules that control this behaviour. His work involves identifying and characterising natural substances that can prevent bacteria from forming biofilms and from swarming. The substances’ medically relevant effect makes…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/behaviour-changing-signalling-molecules-as-alternative-to-antibiotics
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
Dossier - 16/06/2014 Biotechnology as a tool for the production of food Biotechnology opens up numerous opportunities for the food industry. The targeted use of biotechnological methods can, amongst other things, help reduce the quantity and number of unhealthy ingredients in foods as well as degrade allergenic substances. Genomic research and targeted breeding also greatly facilitate progress in agriculture. Food biotechnology therefore contributes significantly to saving resources, optimising harvest yields and…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/biotechnology-as-a-tool-for-the-production-of-food
Article - 10/06/2014 Ribosome assembly as target for innovative antibiotics Although bacterial ribosomes are a popular target of common antibiotics, there are no drugs that specifically target ribosome assembly. To date, there is simply no screening method that would be suitable for assaying inhibitors of ribosomal subunit assembly. Prof. Dr. Elke Deuerling and Dr. Rainer Nikolay from the University of Konstanz have now achieved a breakthrough. They have developed a method that enables the high-throughput identification…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/ribosome-assembly-as-target-for-innovative-antibiotics
Dossier - 02/06/2014 Bioanalysis – techniques for the characterization of biological material Science constantly provides researchers with new challenges biologists and bioanalysts have to deal with and which come from sources as varied as the ever increasing number of resistant pathogenic bacterial strains or the famine conditions in Third-World countries. In the search for scientific truths bioanalysis is the development optimization and application of the entire range of analytical methods available. However we need to keep in mind…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/bioanalysis-techniques-for-the-characterization-of-biological-material
Article - 28/04/2014 New ways to interfere with bacterial strategies Bacteria themselves provide the key to their destruction. New insights into the growth and interaction between different pathogens are used in microbial genetics to develop new methods and active substances for combatting multidrug-resistant bacterial strains.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/new-ways-to-interfere-with-bacterial-strategies
Article - 22/04/2014 Sugar code and hygiene in the fight against multi-resistant pathogens Horizontal gene transfer between bacteria is a major reason for the spread of bacterial antibiotic resistance. It is the transfer of bacterial DNA from one bacterium to another, even distantly related species, by bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria. Microbiologists from the University of Tübingen are investigating these mechanisms with the aim of finding new strategies that would effectively combat bacteria such as methicillin-resistant…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/sugar-code-and-hygiene-in-the-fight-against-multi-resistant-pathogens
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 - 24/03/2014 Hain Lifescience GmbH: modern test systems help to heal Hain Lifescience GmbH is a biotechnology company that develops, manufactures and distributes molecular genetic test systems and instruments. The company was established by brothers David and Tobias Hain in 1988 and employs over 100 people at its headquarters in the city of Nehren in the district of Tübingen. Hain Lifescience also has four subsidiaries abroad. The company focusses on the development of test systems for the early and rapid…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/hain-lifescience-gmbh-modern-test-systems-help-to-heal
Article - 10/03/2014 P450-catalysed glycopeptide biosynthesis Specific cytochrome P450 enzymes are essential for the biosynthesis of glycopeptide antibiotics such as vancomycin that are used as a last resort for the treatment of life-threatening bacterial infections. However, an increasing number of bacteria are developing resistances to these antibiotics as well. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute in Heidelberg are investigating the structure and function of these enzyme-antibiotics complexes in…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/p450-catalysed-glycopeptide-biosynthesis
Article - 17/02/2014 Soil bacteria explored as source of new antibiotics Two scientists from the Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine IMIT at the University of Tübingen PD Dr. Evi Stegmann and Dr. Yvonne Mast are exploring the biosynthesis of antibiotic substances with the aim of modifying them to make them suitable for application in the fight against multidrug-resistant bacteria.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/soil-bacteria-explored-as-source-of-new-antibiotics
Dossier - 10/02/2014 Multiresistant pathogens – a self-inflicted threat? Most bacterial infections have lost their capacity to cause terror thanks to antibiotics. However, the increase in antibiotic resistances is making the fight against bacterial pathogens rather difficult, and the widespread overuse and inappropriate use of antibiotics continues to fuel the increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Strict surveillance strategies and hygiene rules have been in place for some years with the aim of ensuring the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/multiresistant-pathogens-a-self-inflicted-threat
Article - 25/01/2014 Call for responsible antibiotics prescription Heidelberg University Hospital and the University Medical Centre in Mannheim are working hard to counteract the increase of antibiotic resistance. Strategies include a European-wide system for infection surveillance, the training of health professionals in the responsible use of antibiotics and the search for novel antibiotic substances in unconventional organisms.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/call-for-responsible-antibiotics-prescription
Article - 20/01/2014 Curetis AG: Miniaturised laboratory for the simple, rapid and reliable diagnosis of serious infections Acute pneumonia usually leaves doctors with no choice the situation can quickly become life threatening requiring doctors to act quickly. Instead of waiting for laboratory results they often prescribe an antibiotic that is effective against numerous bacterial species in the hope that it will also work against the bacterium that has caused the inflammation in the lung tissue. Curetis AG from Holzgerlingen close to Stuttgart has developed a…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/curetis-ag-miniaturised-laboratory-for-the-simple-rapid-and-reliable-diagnosis-of-serious-infections
Article - 29/11/2013 QIAGEN Lake Constance: a “disk player” for rapid diagnoses The diagnosis of infectious diseases frequently not only depends on the reliable identification of the pathogenic species that has caused them, but also on obtaining rapid results in order to immediately initiate appropriate therapy or further diagnostic measures. Tests are normally carried out in central laboratories, samples need to be sent to the laboratories and the results are rarely immediate. As part of the BMBF-funded project “ResCheck”,…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/qiagen-lake-constance-a-disk-player-for-rapid-diagnoses
Article - 28/10/2013 Peptides as drugs – researchers from Ulm hope to unearth the treasures of the human body The human body harbours unsuspected resources. It also produces customised drugs such as peptides. Although this sounds like a far too bold hypothesis, it is not. Researchers from Ulm consider the approach so promising that they have now established the Ulm Centre for Peptide Pharmaceuticals (UPEP).https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/peptides-as-drugs-researchers-from-ulm-hope-to-unearth-the-treasures-of-the-human-body