Value-based healthcare - 11/01/2023 High-quality healthcare pays off High-quality medical treatment is not only worthwhile for ill persons. The Division of Health Economics at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, headed up by Prof. Dr. Michael Schlander, together with researchers from Dresden, has carried out a cost-effectiveness analysis that shows that certified colon cancer centres provide not only better but also more cost-effective care than other clinics.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/high-quality-healthcare-pays
Bioinspired technologies - 03/04/2020 Diagnostics with molecular scissors – is this also possible for on-site COVID-19 tests? The CRISPR-Cas gene-editing technology is one of the most important developments in molecular biology in recent years. It utilises molecular scissors with which nucleic acids can be cut and edited almost arbitrarily. Researchers in Freiburg, Germany have now successfully used the technology for diagnostic purposes. They are currently working intensively on expanding the system to enable it to detect genome sequences of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/Diagnostics-with-molecular-scissors-is-this-also-possible-for-on-site-COVID-19-tests
Press release - 06/02/2023 Fewer side effects thanks to personalised medicine Patients have 30 percent fewer serious side effects when medication doses are tailored to their genetic profile. This is what an international research consortium has found out, including the Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology at the Bosch Health Campus. With an individual DNA medication pass, as used in the study, treatments can be made more effective and safer in the future.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/weniger-nebenwirkungen-dank-personalisierter-medizin
Article - 29/01/2019 Targeted RNA editing with the body’s own enzyme activity Completely new possibilities for research and gene therapy became available following the development of the CRISPR/Cas method for targeted modification of the genome. However, treatment with molecular scissors is not without risk as potential errors are stored in the genome forever. Scientists from Tübingen have developed an alternative method in which the intervention takes place at the RNA level using the body's own enzymes and is thus…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/targeted-rna-editing-with-the-bodys-own-enzyme-activity
Article - 07/02/2019 Artificial intelligence in ophthalmology Retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are now treatable. However, it is hard to predict individual disease progression. A group of researchers at the University Eye Centre in Freiburg are currently developing a new system which is hoped will allay fears and improve therapy planning. The system uses artificial intelligence to predict therapeutic outcome from image and patient data. Initial results are already available.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/artificial-intelligence-in-ophthalmology
Press release - 25/01/2021 Protein anchors as a newly discovered key molecule in cancer spread and epilepsy Certain anchor proteins inhibit a key metabolic driver that plays an important role in cancer and developmental brain disorders. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the University of Innsbruck, together with a Europe-wide research network, discovered this molecular mechanism, which could open up new opportunities for personalized therapies for cancer and neuronal diseases. They published their results in the journal Cell.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/protein-anchors-newly-discovered-key-molecule-cancer-spread-and-epilepsy
Article - 17/02/2021 Whole blood model enables development of early warning system for sepsis Sepsis is a life-threatening disease that can be treated all the more successfully the faster therapy is initiated. It is not just the infection itself that is so dangerous, but a dysregulated response of the immune system. Physicians at Ulm University Hospital have now developed an animal-free test system that can be used to research the disease and develop innovative diagnostic tools to quickly assess a patient's sepsis risk and optimise…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/whole-blood-model-enables-development-early-warning-system-sepsis
Article - 31/05/2021 Tracking down tumour-associated pain in pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer comes along quietly: unnoticed for a long time, it often triggers excruciating pain as the tumour progresses. This pain is associated with cancer cells invading pancreatic nerves. Dr. Michael Hirth from Mannheim University Hospital has shed some light on the complex communication between cancer cells and nerve cells. His findings could eventually be used for personalised pain therapies.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/tracking-down-tumour-associated-pain-pancreatic-cancer
Tumour organoids facilitate drug discovery - 20/07/2023 Drug screening for children with cancer using patient-specific miniature tumours Standard drugs often don’t work in children and adolescents with recurrent cancer. Researchers from the Hopp Children's Tumour Centre (KITZ) and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg have been looking to open up new therapy options for those affected, and have cultivated individual miniature tumours from biopsy samples to test the effectiveness of a variety of drugs within a few weeks.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/drug-screening-children-cancer-using-patient-specific-miniature-tumours
Dossier - 30/06/2014 Addiction new concepts for resolving old problems https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/addiction-new-concepts-for-resolving-old-problems
The Baden-Württemberg healthcare industry The pharmaceutical industry https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/location/pharma
Neurosciences - 28/02/2024 Mesh microelectrode arrays: research with brain organoids on a new level How does the brain work? Brain organoids are derived from pluripotent stem cells and regarded as valuable model systems that can depict some aspects of neurological functioning. Dr. Peter Jones from NMI together with Dr. Thomas Rauen from the MPI for Molecular Biomedicine in Münster, has taken organoid research to a new level. His novel mesh microelectrode array (Mesh-MEA) greatly improves the growth and electrophysiological analysis of tissue.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/mesh-microelectrode-arrays-research-brain-organoids-new-level
Press release - 06/04/2023 Alternative glucose breakdown ensures the survival of cancer cells A key enzyme in sugar metabolism is inactivated particularly easily and efficiently by oxidative stress. Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) have now shown that with this oxidation, cells switch to an alternative sugar breakdown pathway and can thus escape oxidative stress. Cancer cells in particular benefit from this mechanism, which can also protect them from therapy-related damage.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/alternative-glucose-breakdown-ensures-survival-cancer-cells
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
Press release - 04/05/2023 Gamma delta T cells can fight aggressive breast cancer Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive and deadly form of breast cancer with limited treatment options. Tumor growth and relapse of TNBC are driven by breast cancer stem cells, and improved therapies that can eliminate those hardy cells are urgently needed. Researchers from the University of Frieburg discovered that coordinated differentiation and changes in the metabolism of breast cancer stem cells make them invisible for…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/gamma-delta-t-cells-can-fight-aggressive-breast-cancer
Press release - 07/12/2021 Moderate immune response is more effective against leukemia The development of immunotherapies against blood cancer could be more successful if T cells are activated moderately rather than excessively. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center have now been able to show this in mice: If the researchers blocked a cytokine that slows down the immune system, the T cells became exhausted and failed in the fight against leukemia.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/moderate-immune-response-more-effective-against-leukemia
Press release - 20/12/2022 New approach prevents rejection of transplanted organs Inhibition of a protein complex in cells of the immune system prevents rejection of transplanted organs – this has been shown in a study by immunologists from the University of Konstanz, the Biotechnology Institute Thurgau (BITg) and Chongqing Cancer University Hospital.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/new-approach-prevents-rejection-transplanted-organs
Press release - 11/12/2023 Heidelberg center for personalized medicine achieves the highest quality standards The German Cancer Society has certified the Center for Personalized Medicine (ZPM) at Heidelberg University Hospital. At the ZPM Heidelberg, patients with advanced and rare cancers and, in future, people with severe chronic inflammatory diseases will receive a molecular genetic analysis. The detailed information can open up new treatment options for those affected.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/zentrum-fuer-personalisierte-medizin-heidelberg-erfuellt-hoechste-qualitaetsstandards
Dossier - 14/06/2016 CRISPR/Cas – genome editing is becoming increasingly popular https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/crisprcas-genome-editing-is-becoming-increasingly-popular
microRNA as a prognostic biomarker - 13/01/2022 Heart attack diagnosis: fast and unambiguous thanks to artificial intelligence People that arrive in emergency rooms with chest pain require swift action in order to rule out a heart attack or to initiate vital life-saving therapy. However, despite many advances, current tests are not yet optimal: they either take hours or produce false-positive results. Researchers at Heidelberg University Hospital are now using AI in an approach that takes microRNAs from a blood sample to specifically diagnose ‘acute coronary syndrome’.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/heart-attack-diagnosis-fast-and-unambiguous-thanks-artificial-intelligence
Press release - 16/11/2021 Cystic fibrosis & COPD: Mucus reprograms immune cells and promotes airway inflammation Scientists of the Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC) and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have discovered a new link between excessive airway mucus and chronic airway inflammation that is characteristic of cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The researchers showed that mucus in the airways reprograms certain cells of the immune system.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/cystic-fibrosis-copd-mucus-reprograms-immune-cells-and-promotes-airway-inflammation
Press release - 27/10/2021 Disordered brain activity in Rolandic epilepsy can be influenced by brief sounds during sleep Rolandic epilepsy is a common form of epilepsy in children which occurs primarily during sleep. Short sounds played during sleep can partially suppress the neuronal discharges characteristic of epilepsy. That’s according to a research team from the University of Tübingen and Tübingen University Hospitals. The team is headed by Dr. Hong-Viet Ngo and Professor Jan Born from the Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/disordered-brain-activity-rolandic-epilepsy-can-be-influenced-brief-sounds-during-sleep
Press release - 18/11/2021 Overcoming resistance to cancer treatment: bone and soft tissue tumors in adolescents as a model system Treatment resistance is a central problem in the treatment of cancer. Bone and soft tissue tumors – known as sarcomas – in adolescents and young adults often stop responding to treatment too. This is because cancer cells develop a large number of new characteristics as the disease progresses and often become resistant to drugs that were originally effective.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/overcoming-resistance-cancer-treatment-bone-and-soft-tissue-tumors-adolescents-model-system
Press release - 09/11/2022 New Molecular Microscopy Uncovers how Breast Cancer Spreads Researchers have created a tool that maps how breast cancer grows in previously unseen detail, and highlights how the cells around the tumour may be the key to controlling the spread of disease. The new technology can trace which populations of breast cancer cells are responsible for the spread of the disease, and for the first time highlights how the location of cancer cells could be as important as mutations in tumor growth The new study is…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/new-molecular-microscopy-uncovers-how-breast-cancer-spreads
Innovations in the field of endoscopy - 08/06/2020 Gastroscopies with pill cameras A pill camera to examine the gastrointestinal tract that can be swallowed without major difficulty, controlled intuitively from the outside and deliver images in real time - why would any doctor or patient say no? To non-experts, it sounds more like science fiction but such a device is actually already in development: since 2019, Tübingen-based Ovesco Endoscopy AG and three partners have been working together on this in a project called nuEndo.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/magenspiegelung-kamerapille