Press release - 24/02/2021 Supposedly "silent" mutation with serious consequences So-called silent mutations have no effect on the composition of a protein. They are therefore not considered to promote cancer. However, scientists from the German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), partner site Essen, now describe in a case of kidney cancer an overlooked silent mutation with a major impact on prognosis.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de:443/en/article/press-release/supposedly-silent-mutation-serious-consequences
Press release - 24/02/2021 Disease progression in childhood cancer: Lengthening of telomeres promotes relapse Neuroblastoma can spread relentlessly or shrink spontaneously. Scientists from the Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the University of Heidelberg and the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg have shown that some malignant neuroblastomas employ a trick to avoid cell death: they use a special mechanism to lengthen the telomeres at the end of their chromosomes. https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de:443/en/article/press-release/disease-progression-childhood-cancer-lengthening-telomeres-promotes-relapse
Press release - 17/02/2021 A new piece of the HIV infection puzzle explored Researchers from EMBL and Heidelberg University Hospital combine high-resolution imaging to observe the infection process in cell nuclei, opening the door for new therapeutics.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de:443/en/article/press-release/new-piece-hiv-infection-puzzle-explored
Press release - 09/02/2021 New rapid test to detect coronavirus antibodies developed An international research team involving the universities of Paraná and Tübingen has developed a rapid test that can reliably identify Covid-19 antibodies in the blood within minutes. As the researchers report in the journal ACS Sensors, the new process is based on a simple measuring principle making it easy to carry out without expensive instruments, and is therefore suitable for use at mobile testing centers or by laboratories.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de:443/en/article/press-release/new-rapid-test-detect-coronavirus-antibodies-developed
Press release - 28/01/2021 Carl Zeiss Foundation funds Interdisciplinary practice Study at Heidelberg University with the sum of approximately of 4.5 Million Euros Can interconnected digital assistance systems enhance the quality of life of people in older age? Scientists in an interdisciplinary research project at Heidelberg University are exploring this question in a representative practice study. The participating researchers want to investigate how well these technical aids can be used and what benefit they achieve.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de:443/en/article/press-release/carl-zeiss-foundation-funds-interdisciplinary-practice-study-heidelberg-university-sum-approximately-45-million-euros
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 - 11/01/2021 CureVac’s COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate, CVnCoV, Demonstrated Efficient Protection of Non-Human Primates During SARS-CoV-2 Challenge Infection CureVac N.V., a global biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of transformative medicines based on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), today announced the publication of preclinical data demonstrating the induction of robust antibody and T cell responses of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, CVnCoV, in non-human primates. https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/curevacs-covid-19-vaccine-candidate-cvncov-demonstrated-efficient-protection-non-human-primates-during-sars-cov-2-challenge-infe
Press release - 22/12/2020 Voluntary or compulsory? New evidence on motivation for anti-Covid-19 policies A study by the University of Konstanz shows that voluntary motivation to comply with anti-Covid-19 policies is relatively high in Germany, but can be undermined by enforcement - The consequence of this finding differs depending on the policy.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/voluntary-or-compulsory-new-evidence-motivation-anti-covid-19-policies
Press release - 09/12/2020 Combatting cancer with biological circuits The Freiburg engineer and biologist Prof. Dr. Barbara Di Ventura receives a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC), one of the most prestigious prizes for European researchers, for her project "InCanTeSiMo - Intelligent cancer therapy with synthetic biology methods". Di Ventura will use the 2 Million Euros to develop a novel cancer treatment based on molecular methods from synthetic biology.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/combatting-cancer-biological-circuits
Press release - 07/12/2020 One for all AI-based evaluation of medical imaging data usually requires a specially developed algorithm for each task. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have now presented a new method for configuring self-learning algorithms for a large number of different imaging datasets – without the need for specialist knowledge or very significant computing power.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/one-all
Press release - 01/12/2020 Novel vaccine trial to activate T-cell responses against SARS-CoV-2 A Phase I clinical trial using a self-developed vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 was initiated today at the University Hospital of Tübingen. In contrast to the currently evaluated vaccine candidates against COVID-19, the vaccine CoVAC1, developed by the Department of Immunology (Director Prof. Hans-Georg Rammensee) at the University of Tübingen, aims specifically at the induction of a T-cell-mediated immune response against SARS-COV-2.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/Novel-vaccine-trial-to-activate-T-cell-responses-against-SARS-CoV-2
Press release - 26/11/2020 New mechanism of action: A small-molecule degrades a cancer-promoting protein by gluing it into filaments “Molecular glue degraders” are a new class of cancer drugs, which “glue” cancer growth-promoting proteins directly to the molecular machinery of a cell’s disposal system, leading to the subsequent degradation of the cancer-driving proteins and anti-tumor activity. Scientists from Heidelberg and USA have now deciphered another mechanism whereby a small molecule can degrade a cancer protein. https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/new-mechanism-action-small-molecule-degrades-cancer-promoting-protein-gluing-it-filaments
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
Press release - 17/11/2020 The Long Road to Dementia The chain reaction which leads to toxic protein deposits in Alzheimer’s disease starts even earlier than assumed. Researchers from Tübingen show how this process could be stopped early on.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/long-road-dementia
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 - 02/11/2020 Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia: International classification model allows for customized treatment Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is a rare blood cancer of early childhood. Previous research activities have shown that JMML patients can be divided into three groups based on certain genetic markers, DNA methylation. Depending on the subgroup, statements can be made about the course of the disease. https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/juvenile-myelomonocytic-leukemia-international-classification-model-allows-customized-treatment
Inside the fight against COVID-19 - 28/10/2020 A new immunotherapeutic agent for treating severe COVID-19 cases Apogenix, a Heidelberg-based biopharmaceutical company specialising in innovative immunotherapeutics, has initiated a Phase II clinical trial with asunercept, the company’s lead drug candidate for treating severe cases of COVID-19. The fusion protein blocks the CD95-ligand-mediated death of epithelial cells in the lung and thus prevents damage to the organ.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/new-immunotherapeutic-agent-treating-severe-covid-19-cases
Press release - 26/10/2020 How to prevent the spread of tumor cells via the lymph vessels What role do the lymphatic vessels play in the metastasis of cancer cells? Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center and the Mannheim Medical Faculty of the University of Heidelberg developed a method to investigate this question in mice. The aim of the work was to identify new ways to block the dangerous colonization and spread of tumor cells. https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/how-prevent-spread-tumor-cells-lymph-vessels
Press release - 23/10/2020 CureVac Reports Positive Preclinical 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 data from preclinical studies of its investigational SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate, CVnCoV, in mice and hamsters.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/curevac-reports-positive-preclinical-data-its-covid-19-vaccine-candidate-cvncov
Press release - 20/10/2020 EIB backs Atriva Therapeutics with €24 million for the development of a potential COVID-19 treatment The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Atriva Therapeutics GmbH, a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of host-targeting antiviral therapies, concluded a €24 million financing agreement today to facilitate the company’s development and clinical testing of a novel therapy treating severe respiratory infections with RNA viruses. RNA viruses cause diseases such as influenza, SARS and COVID-19. https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/eib-backs-atriva-therapeutics-eur24-million-development-potential-covid-19-treatment
Press release - 15/10/2020 Pancreatic cancer: Subtypes with different aggressiveness discovered Tumors of the pancreas are particularly feared. They are usually discovered late and mortality is high. Until now, no targeted and personalized therapies exist. Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine* (HI-STEM) have now succeeded for the first time in defining two differently aggressive molecular subtypes of pancreatic carcinoma.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/pancreatic-cancer-subtypes-different-aggressiveness-discovered
Press release - 15/10/2020 Common Vulnerabilities of Coronaviruses International study in which Freiburg scientists are participating maps molecular targets for possible therapy for MERS, SARS-CoV1, and SARS-CoV2.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/common-vulnerabilities-coronaviruses
Press release - 05/10/2020 Solar-battery effect enables a new light-driven organic microswimmer to operate in the dark An interdisciplinary team of scientists at the Max Planck Institutes for Intelligent Systems and Solid State Research has developed a biocompatible microswimmer made of carbon nitride, which they can propel forward through light. The particle can also store solar energy similar to miniature solar cells equipped with batteries, and can thus also swim in the dark using the stored energy. https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/solar-battery-effect-enables-new-light-driven-organic-microswimmer-operate-dark
Biochip systems - 02/09/2020 Miniature organs with great potential Dr. Peter Loskill and his team at the Fraunhofer Institute in Stuttgart and the University Hospital of Tübingen are developing what is known as an "organ-on-a-chip" (OoC). An OoC is a microfluidic system that simulates small functional units of organ tissue. OoCs can be used in different ways: in basic and pharmaceutical research as well as in clinical research and application, where they might render many animal experiments…https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/miniature-organs-great-potential
Press release - 12/08/2020 New technology provides insight into the development of immune cells The entire range of our blood and immune cells are derived from hematopoietic stem cells. Yet which genes influence how they develop into the different cell types? Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have now developed a new technology to answer this question.https:////www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/new-technology-provides-insight-development-immune-cells