Healthcare industry

Article - 11/06/2019

New pathogens in beef and cow's milk contributing to the risk of cancer

A team of researchers led by Nobel laureate Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h.c. mult. Harald zur Hausen has discovered a new type of infectious agent in dairy and meat products produced from European cattle that increases the risk for colon and breast cancer. These so-called Bovine Meat and Milk Factors (BMMFs) are small DNA molecules that are similar in sequence to both bacterial plasmids and certain viruses.

Article - 05/03/2019

Vaccination against oncogenic Epstein-Barr viruses

Almost all humans are infected with Epstein-Barr viruses (EBV), which are linked to the development of benign diseases such as infectious mononucleosis as well as several cancers. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center have developed a new strategy for creating a vaccine that targets different EBV virus life phases and has the potential to provide effective protection against EBV infection.

Expert interview - 16/01/2019

Cybersecurity is an important issue for the pharmaceutical industry

In an increasingly interconnected world, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors need to be aware of cybersecurity threats in manufacturing. We talked about these threats with Holger Mettler who is in charge of computer system validation and cybersecurity at Exyte (formerly M + W), a global enterprise that designs, engineers and constructs complex manufacturing facilities and buildings for the life sciences industry.

Cancer immunotherapy - 06/09/2018

The immunogenicity of tumours and the development of new cancer medicines

Microsatellite-unstable cancers are characterised by a large number of mutations within short repetitive DNA sequence regions, and can form novel peptides that the human immune system recognises as neoantigens. These cancers represent a starting point for the development of vaccines to prevent them appearing at an early stage of development. Microsatellite instability is particularly frequent in colon and cervical cancers.

Extends ongoing collaboration with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with award of two new grants. CureVac AG, a fully-integrated biopharmaceutical company pioneering the field of mRNA-based drugs, today announced the awarding of two new grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Article - 07/12/2017

GoSilico: a formula for the industrial purification of biomolecules

“Stop experimenting – GoSilico” is the motto of a young start-up company from Karlsruhe. The founding team of GoSilico GmbH is causing a furore with a simulation software that would make many laboratory experiments obsolete. The chromatographic separation of biomolecules from organisms, samples and cell cultures can be reliably simulated after just a few starter experiments. This saves time, work, material and costs in pharmaceutical development.

The next generation of Antiviral Therapies: Co-Led by Stichting Participatie Atriva and High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), Atriva Therapeutics GmbH has received a second tranche of its running seed financing in total of € 3 Mn from Dutch, German and Canadian investors, after lead compound ATR-002 (Atriva’s antiviral MEK-Inhibitor against Influenza) has passed an important preclinical milestone paving the way to clinical development stage.

Article - 15/09/2017

Zika virus infections and their consequences

Infections caused by mosquito-borne Zika viruses during pregnancy can lead to severe brain defects in babies. The European Union has provided funding of around ten million euros for an international research programme on Zika virus infections in which the University Hospital of Heidelberg plays a key role.

Article - 22/08/2017

Transgenic mice in influenza research – risk assessment and vaccine development

A research team from Freiburg is developing a method for identifying human influenza viruses of animal origin. This could potentially improve measures taken to prevent imminent pandemics. The researchers are working with genetically modified mice. Transgenic mice also play a role in the development of a ’universal’ influenza vaccine.

Article - 26/06/2017

Hope for mRNA vaccines despite damper

The pressure is on to develop novel vaccines based on messenger RNA and aimed at combating cancer and protecting against pandemics. Although mRNA vaccination as a cancer monotherapy has suffered a setback this year, the industry is nevertheless confident that it will succeed because of existing proof that mRNA vaccines stimulate the body's immune defence.

Article - 01/06/2017

New TBE transmission pathways discovered

Researchers have discovered two new TBE transmission pathways: the first related to the consumption of raw milk and raw milk cheese that can cause encephalitis, and the second is another tick species that can pass on the TBE virus, thus increasing the risk of contracting the disease even in winter.

From 24 till 30 April 2017 is "European Immunization Week" – the BIOPRO provides information about this topic. Influenza pandemics are dangerous and can claim many lives. Children and the elderly in particular run a high risk of developing influenza-related complications, because their immune system is often weakened by the virus. In Germany, annual vaccination against seasonal influenza has therefore been recommended for these target…

Article - 31/03/2017

A novel mechanism of cancer development

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections occur in almost all adults worldwide and are a high risk factor for some types of cancer. Researchers from Heidelberg have now come up with a novel mechanism that promotes carcinogenesis involving an EBV protein rather than the genome of the virus. The EBV protein BNRF1 induces the excessive amplification of the centrosomes of the spindle apparatus, and leads to chromosomal instability and inaccurate…

The next generation of Antiviral Therapies: Led by Stichting Participatie Atriva together with High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), Atriva Therapeutics GmbH has received seed financing from Dutch and German private investors to advance Atriva’s antiviral MEK-Inhibitors (Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitor) against Influenza into the clinical development stage.

Konstanz, Germany, November 29, 2016 and Osaka, Japan, November 30, 2016 – Takeda Pharmaceuticals Company Limited, (“Takeda”) today announced that it will invest more than 100 Million Euros to build a new manufacturing plant for its dengue vaccine candidate in Singen, Germany.

Article - 20/09/2016

CRISPR-Cas has more surprises in store

Since 2012, a DFG-funded research group called FOR1680 has been studying CRISPR-Cas, an immune system that unicellular bacteria and arachaea use to protect themselves against attacks from viruses and plasmids. Prof. Dr. Anita Marchfelder, a molecular biologist at Ulm University and coordinator of the FOR1680 research group, and many other researchers were surprised to find that prokaryotes incorporate the genetic material of enemies as a kind of…

Article - 22/08/2016

Ad-O-Lytics – a new biotech start-up from Ulm

A few years ago, Florian Kreppel developed a therapeutic approach that combined genetic vaccines with molecular address labels. It worked quite well, but the resulting product did not have the anticipated immunising properties and was put on the backburner. Now Kreppel's group of researchers is nearing completion of another project. The researchers plan to use a patented virotherapeutic platform technology for cancer treatment to establish a…

Article - 18/08/2016

Chronic viral infections of the liver

Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are two of the most common infectious diseases in the world. They often take a chronic course and carry a high risk of progressing to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. A new transregional collaborative research centre involving scientists from Heidelberg and Freiburg is looking into how hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses, which have different symptoms and treatments, are able to evade the immune system and allow…

Article - 08/08/2016

First achromatopsia gene therapy clinical trial in Germany is going well

Around 3000 people suffer from achromatopsia in Germany. Achromatopsia is an inherited visual disorder characterised by the absence of full colour vision. The disease is caused by a genetic defect that makes the retina's cone photoreceptors, needed for daylight and colour vision, non-functional. There is currently no cure for achromatopsia. Scientists from Tübingen University Hospital and their colleagues from Munich and New York have now…

Article - 27/07/2016

“Open science“ – a successful recipe for combating viruses

Danger identified, danger averted – the better the dynamic changes of the viral genome are understood, the better the spread of the pathogens can be predicted, thus enabling more efficient countermeasures to be taken. A team of researchers from Tübingen and Seattle is developing an open source online platform that maps the evolution of viruses and identifies dangerous developments.

Company profile - 27/06/2016

Atriva Therapeutics GmbH: new ways to treat influenza

Influenza viruses constantly change and mutate. This makes treatment difficult and vaccination rather touch and go. But what about targeting virus-manipulated cell events rather than using the virus itself as drug target? Atriva Therapeutics GmbH, a start-up company from Tübingen, shows how this works.

Article - 02/05/2016

Hepatitis C: a new starting point for vaccine development

With approximately 150,000 infected people in Germany, hepatitis C is a common disease for which therapies, but no vaccine, are available. Dr. Tobias Böttler from the Freiburg University Medical Center and his team are exploring the body’s immune response to the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and have found valuable information that could be used for vaccine development.

Article - 11/04/2016

Glycovirology: carbohydrate molecules against infections

Many viruses enter cells by way of carbohydrate molecules known as glycans to which they bind during the initial steps of infection. However, it is still largely unknown how glycan-mediated infection proceeds. This is about to change with a working group that has been set up by the DFG at the University of Tübingen and five other universities. The group will focus on glycovirology, a new scientific area that aims to understand the…

Article - 15/02/2016

Bacteria – a treasure box for genetic engineers

Bacteria have developed a versatile defence system to protect themselves against viral infections. One of these defence tools, known as CRISPR/Cas9 system, is currently hogging the headlines as it promises to revolutionise the way genetic material can be modified. Prof. Rolf Backofen from the Institute of Bioinformatics at the University of Freiburg has managed to classify the defence system of all bacterial species sequenced to date. This will…

The European Research Council (ERC) has announced today the 302 winners of its 2015 Consolidator Grant competition. These excellent mid-career scientists are awarded a total of €585 million, as part of the European Union Research and Innovation programme Horizon 2020. With grants worth up to €2 million each, they will be able to consolidate their research teams and to develop their innovative ideas.

Article - 24/11/2015

Researchers from Tübingen set out to thwart viral survival strategies

Around two thirds of people carry the JC polyomavirus, a normally harmless virus that, in immunocompromised patients, can evade the body’s defences and cause a fatal brain infection. An international research network has now found a way to activate the immune system and attack the virus.

Vaccine development - 02/11/2015

A new vaccine could prevent influenza epidemics

Influenza pandemics are dangerous and can claim many lives. Children and the elderly in particular run a high risk of developing influenza-related complications, because their immune system is often weakened by the virus. In Germany, annual vaccination against seasonal influenza has therefore been recommended for these target groups for quite a few years now. However, producing vaccines is costly and time-consuming. Researchers at the University…

Article - 24/09/2015

New test system for detection of HPV-related oral cavity cancers

The number of people suffering from oral or oropharyngeal cancer is rising steadily. The major cause of these cancers is human papillomaviruses (HPV) that colonise the oral cavity, where they are difficult to detect. QIAGEN Lake Constance GmbH from Stockach, in cooperation with Abviris Deutschland GmbH, has developed a new test system to improve the detection of oral HPV. This new system enables rapid and reliable quantitative detection of…

Pharmaceutical research and life sciences profit from unique biosensor technology - 18/09/2015

Biametrics GmbH concludes financing round with 3.1 Million Euro

Biametrics GmbH today announced the completion of their most recent financing round with €3.1 Million. Partners of the A Series Investment were LBBW Venture GmbH, MBG Mittelständische Beteiligungsgesellschaft BW, and KfW Bankengruppe. Together with seed investors HTGF and Seedfonds BW, they are aiming to accelerate the expansion of Biametrics’ bioanalytical business activities to an international level. The fresh capital will facilitate the…

Article - 20/07/2015

Liver cell carcinoma: reducing tumour burden – increasing life expectancy

Liver cell carcinoma or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most malignant human cancers. The disease arises from chronic damage to the liver, usually caused by virus- or alcohol-related liver cirrhoses. Liver tumours are considered difficult to treat, but there is evidence that they actually trigger an immune response in the body. Prof. Dr. Robert Thimme from Freiburg University Medical Centre is seeking to understand this effect and…

Article - 06/07/2015

Blood stem cells deliver drugs to brain tumours

The brain is the central switchboard in our body. Professor Ghazaleh Tabatabai’s work focuses specifically on the brain and the fight against uncontrolled proliferation of brain tumours. In May 2014, she was appointed professor in the newly established Interdisciplinary Division of Neuro-Oncology at the University of Tübingen and head of the Clinical and Experimental Neuro-Oncology research group at the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain…

Article - 29/06/2015

How can influenza virus prediction be improved?

Every February, the World Health Organisation (WHO) publishes recommendations on the composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the upcoming influenza season. The WHO’s decision is based on observations and laboratory tests as well as experience and intuition. The particular type of influenza virus that is likely to be circulating in a given season has previously been mainly a matter of speculation. Richard Neher from the Max Planck…

Article - 26/05/2015

Does too much beef and cow’s milk cause cancer?

The large number of breast and colon cancer cases might be due to viruses that are taken up with beef and dairy products. This is the provocative thesis of Nobel Laureate Harald zur Hausen who previously linked HPV with cervical cancer. In addition to epidemiological evidence, zur Hausen and his team have also provided experimental evidence to substantiate his thesis.

Article - 26/05/2015

Christiane Wobus does norovirus research in two completely different environments

Prof. Dr. Christiane Wobus researches mouse-specific noroviruses. The virologist is seeking to clarify the interaction between viral particles upon contact with host cells. The scientist normally lives in the USA, but has returned to Germany for a 12-month period thanks to a Humboldt Fellowship. She will be working at the Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry at Tübingen in Germany where, amongst other things, she highly rates the cooperation…

Article - 18/05/2015

Parvoviruses can destroy brain tumours

Parvoviruses such as H-1PV have been shown to selectively attack and destroy human cancer cells. However, they are unable to replicate in healthy human cells. A preliminary clinical trial is currently being carried out to assess the suitability of parvoviruses for treating malignant brain cancer. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have now discovered the cause of the selective effect of H-1PV. The finding helps identify…

Article - 22/04/2015

AIDS viruses play hide and seek

AIDS-causing HI viruses preferentially integrate into transcriptionally active genes of the host cell genome. These gene regions are located in the immediate vicinity of the nuclear pores. A team of researchers from Heidelberg University Hospital and colleagues from Italy have now shown that the integration of the viruses is controlled by components of the nuclear pores. These findings are an important step towards gaining a detailed…

Article - 09/03/2015

Treating cancer by activating the immune system

Vaccines that prevent infection with cancer-causing viruses are already available. Moreover, the development of therapeutic vaccines for the treatment of a number of other cancers is well under way. These vaccines not only prevent the development of cancer, but also treat early stages of cancer. Antigen-armed antibodies have long been used in vaccines against infectious diseases, and can now also be used for treating cancer.

Article - 02/02/2015

Rentschler Biotechnologie invests in new production plant

The Laupheim-based contract manufacturer Rentschler Biotechnologie GmbH is greatly expanding its production capacities. The company is investing €24 million in the construction of two 3,000 litre stainless steel bioreactors, which should be operational in early 2017 and will more than double the production capacities for cell culture-derived proteins. Rentschler also announced recently that it was adding a new 2,000 litre single-use bioreactor…

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…

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.

Article - 20/10/2014

Michael Schindler: HI virus and host interactions

Prof. Dr. Michael Schindler explores the interaction between viruses and their human host cells on the molecular level. His specific interest is HI virus infections and the mechanisms the virus uses to attack the human immune system. Schindler’s eventual aim is to identify a new target for the therapy of HIV infections. In April 2014, Schindler was appointed head of the Department of Molecular Virology of Human Infectious Diseases at the…

Article - 18/08/2014

The use of human genes as medical products

In contrast to medications used for treating disease, gene therapy does not use chemical agents to alleviate or cure disease symptoms. Instead, it involves the introduction of a normal copy of a mutated gene to restore the function of a protein. Gene therapy could also be described as a way of restoring the body’s self-healing process. It is an extremely smart idea that enables the sustainable treatment of diseases which cannot usually be…

Article - 11/08/2014

dsl-Labor: developing PCR tests for medical diagnostics

PCR has become a common application in medical diagnostics, in areas ranging from the detection of microbes to genetic testing. The demand for new tests is huge, given that there is a seemingly endless list of applications for which PCR can be used. dsl-Labor für Molekulargenetische Diagnostik specialises in the development of PCR tests and also gives advice and training to medical laboratory personnel. Veterinarians are among the company’s major…

Article - 07/04/2014

Christina Wege: from plant viruses to biomaterials

Plant viruses can be engineered in many ways for use by and in humans. Amongst other things, they can be used as scaffold structures for bioactive molecules, which might help improve implants. Prof. Dr. Christina Wege from the University of Stuttgart is studying these and many more options for the use of harmless viruses for human application.

Article - 24/03/2014

Vaccine against papillomaviruses protects from skin cancer

Papillomaviruses are thought to cause non-melanoma skin cancer in people exposed to UV radiation, especially those who have suppressed immune systems. Researchers from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Charité University Hospital in Berlin have developed a vaccine that protects mice against such skin tumours. The vaccine is even effective in mice that have previously been infected with papillomaviruses and that have suppressed…

Article - 08/07/2013

Christine Goffinet: independent and successful AIDS researchers

Christine Goffinet, 36, from the Institute of Molecular Virology at the University of Ulm has already received numerous awards for her research on AIDS. She was recently awarded a scholarship for postdoctoral lecture qualification under the Margarete von Wrangell Habilitation Programme. However, before she became a virologist, Goffinet chose a career path that was quite different from the standard career path seen on many scientific CVs.

Article - 17/05/2013

Dengue fever, the neglected infectious disease

Dengue fever is the most common infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes. The disease is spreading in Europe and Germany, an upward trend that is due to increased long-distance travel. There are no specific drugs or vaccine for dengue, which is why an international research network has been established to improve the management of the disease. The consortium is coordinated by the Department of Tropical Medicine at Heidelberg University.

Article - 08/04/2013

HI-Virus maturation by budding

The Heidelberg virologist Hans-Georg Kräusslich and his team are exploring the molecular architecture and morphogenesis of the HI-Virus and the processes occurring at the plasma membrane of the host cell that lead to the release of new viruses and new infections. The budding and maturation processes of HIV particles and the lipid composition of their envelope could be used as targets for the development of new drugs to combat AIDS.

Dossier - 01/04/2013

Retroviruses: from infectious agent to therapeutic assistant

Viruses are infectious particles that use the machinery and metabolism of a host cell to replicate. Despite some similarities with accepted forms of life viruses are not considered as such. The family of retroviruses is particularly known for its most notorious representative i. e. the human immunodeficiency virus HIV which leads to AIDS and for which no cure or effective vaccine is currently available. However retroviruses are not only of…

Article - 18/02/2013

AIDS researchers from Ulm to shed light on the success of the HIV-1 M group

Frank Kirchhoff AIDS researcher at the University of Ulm has come up with a plausible explanation for the pandemic spread of the human immunodeficiency virus 1 HIV-1 M group and its ability to adapt to the human immune system. In a recent study with colleagues from Germany and abroad Kirchhoff used molecular biology methods to investigate the group and compare it with the relatively rare HIV-1 N group. Kirchhoff hopes that the molecular…

Article - 31/12/2012

Diagnosis of myocardial infarction: a drop of blood is all that is required

Can myocardial infarction be diagnosed with a single drop of blood? The answer is yes: a new application of the ESEQuant Lateral Flow System developed by QIAGEN now makes this possible. The system, which is able to identify a broad range of bacterial and viral pathogens, including HIV, influenza virus and Chlamydia, was originally developed at the company’s site in Stockach. It has recently been adapted for use in the diagnosis of myocardial…

Article - 18/12/2012

Gene therapy medicinal products: the first gene therapy product has been approved – where does the future lie?

Is gene therapy close to broad clinical application? Following negative headlines at the end of the 1990s gene therapy had almost disappeared from the public radar to become an issue almost exclusively dealt with by research laboratories. Gene therapy has now reappeared in the public domain since the European Medicines Agency EMA gave the Dutch biotech company uniQure the go-ahead for the application of somatic gene therapy for the treatment of a…

Dossier - 05/11/2012

Cancer – basic research, successes and trends

Science is approaching cancer treatment by using new systems biology approaches and setting up large-scale multidisciplinary projects such as the International Cancer Genome Consortium. Progress in genome, epigenome and gene expression analyses of cancer cells, new insights into the regulation and interaction of cells gained in cooperation with stem cell research and virus research contributes to gaining a causal understanding of cancer. This…

Press release - 30/10/2012

DKFZ and Genetic Immunity Sign Collaboration Agreement to Develop HPV Therapeutic Vaccine

Genetic Immunity, Budapest, a leader in immunotherapy technology product development, and DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany) signed a collaborative agreement to develop a DNA-based vaccine for the treatment of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection that causes cervical cancer and other cancers of the anus, penis, vulva, vagina, and oropharynx. Present HPV vaccines (Cervarix, Gardasil) have no therapeutic effect on…

Article - 15/10/2012

gerbion®: hunting down pathogens

Detecting viruses, bacteria or parasites in human, animal, food and environmental samples is routine for the staff of gerbion GmbH & Co. KG. The company has been using virological, microbiological and serological methods for many years, but is now also using cutting-edge molecular biology methods for detecting pathogens. The founders of the Kornwestheim-based diagnostics company have concentrated on own research work and the development of…

Press release - 21/09/2012

Biomarkers for virus-induced cancer in the oropharynx

Patients with oropharyngeal cancers have a more favorable prognosis if their tumors are caused by human papillomaviruses. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) and Heidelberg University Hospital have now identified biomarkers which enable them to differentiate cancer cases taking a favorable course from those with an unfavorable one. It may be possible to treat the two disease types…

Article - 03/09/2012

Systems biology and hepatitis C research

The international research project SysPatho aims to advance the understanding of HCV (hepatitis C virus) infections using systems biology approaches. The goal of the project coordinated by Universität Heidelberg is to develop new mathematical and computational methods to reconstruct HCV-infected hepatocytes, which can be used to identify new drug targets and help treat this dangerous disease.

Press release - 20/08/2012

Viruses with integrated gene switch

Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) with colleagues from the University of Konstanz have developed “RNA switches” which allow them to specifically turn on and off genes in viruses. This will help to enhance regulation of gene therapy and viral therapy of cancer.

Press release - 17/08/2012

Max Planck scientist investigates the evolutionary model of Muller’s ratchet

Especially in small asexual populations unfavourable mutations can accumulate. This process is known as Mullers ratchet in evolutionary biology. The ratchet predicts that the genome deteriorates irreversibly leaving populations on a one-way street to extinction. In collaboration with colleagues from the US Richard Neher from the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology has shown mathematically how Mullers ratchet operates and he has…

Press release - 24/07/2012

Tailor-made viruses for enhanced cancer therapy

Parvoviruses specifically kill cancer cells and are already in the clinical trial stage for treating malignant brain tumors. However, as they can also infect normal cells - without doing any harm to them - a large portion of viruses is lost during therapy. Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) have now modified parvoviruses in such a way that they initially lose their ability to infect cells. In…

Press release - 17/07/2012

Schmallenberg virus: Identifying infected cows and sheep faster

The world's first commercial detection method for the Schmallenberg virus is now available for all laboratories. Kornwestheim-based AnDiaTec GmbH & Co. KG, specialists in detection methods for pathogens in the veterinary field, has just received approval for its product from the Friedrich-Löffler-Institut under the German Ordinance on Working with Animal Pathogens (Tierseuchengesetz). The virus, which has led, among other things, to…

Article - 12/03/2012

Q-bios provides client-specific biotechnology services

Q-bios GmbH, a spin-off from the Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, is a biotechnology company that provides services related to the production and purification of diagnostic and therapeutic proteins as well as the development and amplification of suitable cell lines. The company offers its services, which are based on state-of-the-art technologies, to clients from the biotechnology, diagnostic and pharmaceutical industries.

Press release - 02/11/2011

Using Viruses to Fight Brain Tumors

Parvoviruses can enter and kill cancer cells, but they do not cause disease in humans. Since 1992, scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) have been studying these viruses with the aim of developing a viral therapy against dangerous brain tumors that are almost impossible to treat.

Article - 17/10/2011

Papillomaviruses as cancer-causing agents and how they can be fought off

Studies presented at the recent International Papillomavirus Conference in Berlin demonstrate that vaccination can prevent infection with the types of HPV that cause the majority of cervical cancers. New improved vaccines to prevent HPV infections as well as therapeutic vaccines that are effective in people that are already infected are currently being developed. In addition, research has shown that other cancers can also be caused by infective…

The European Commission has decided to allocate an additional 12 million euro from the EU's Research Framework Programme to reinforce Europe's capacity for tackling pathogens like the virulent Escherichia coli (E.coli) bacteria that recently infected close to 4,000 people in Europe and killed 46. The project will also try to identify possible ways of eradicating diseases and draw lessons that may help prevent threats in the future.

Article - 29/07/2011

Labor Dr. Merk und Kollegen - Viruses under control

It is difficult to imagine how Ochsenhausen-based Labor Dr. Merk und Kollegen (LMK) would be able to develop, produce and test medical products for bacterial and viral contaminations without using cell cultures. The medium-sized company also produces viruses for testing and has stored more than 80 different viruses – enveloped and non-enveloped ones, animal and human pathogens – at -80˚C.

Article - 25/07/2011

Silke Brüderlein has “green fingers” for cell cultures

Many researchers in the biosciences work with cell cultures, but not all of them seem to understand them at a deeper level. The biologist Silke Brüderlein from the Institute of Pathology in Ulm is a specialist in cell culture and is well aware of the problems that might arise when working with cell cultures.

Article - 25/07/2011

Christian Thoma – the control of translation enables the rapid regulation of cellular processes

Heisenberg fellow PD Dr. Christian Thoma from the Freiburg University Medical Centre has been focusing on the regulation of translation for a number of years and has established a method that enables him to investigate translation on the molecular level. Thoma and his team have come a step closer to their goal of finding targets for the therapy of cancer and hepatitis C.

An international research project coordinated at Heidelberg University revolves around the development of new mathematical methods for investigating the interaction between virus and host cell as exemplified by the hepatitis C virus. The integrated “PathoSys” project assembles ten research groups of virologists, systems biologists, mathematicians, computer scientists, bioinformaticians and molecular biologists from Germany, France, Cyprus,…

Press release - 19/03/2011

Detailed insights into how HI viruses leave their host cells

Highly developed microscope technology makes it possible: researchers led by Dr. Barbara Müller of the Department of Infectiology at Heidelberg University and by Professor Don C. Lamb from the University of Munich, have for the first time ever been able to demonstrate in detail how specific proteins of human immune cells interact with HIV components to enable them to leave the infected cells.

Article - 14/02/2011

A molecule that enables local virus defence

Dr. Markus Mordstein has spent the last four years as a doctoral student at the University of Freiburg investigating the previously relatively unknown interferon lambda. He has been able to show that this molecule has similar protective functions to type I interferons and he has also found that it is far more selective in terms of the site where it exerts its effect.

Press release - 30/01/2011

Door opener for influenza viruses

An international group of researchers, including scientists from the University of Tübingen, has deciphered mechanisms that enable the initiation and also the inhibition of influenza virus infections. The importin alpha-7 variant plays a crucial role in the ability of influenza A viruses to infect humans.

Article - 03/12/2010

Review: Science meets Business Day 2010 (part I)

Germinating seeds biosensors in the human body deaf people learning to hear again and new approaches to combat the flu virus the lectures held at the Science meets Business Day which concluded this years BioValley Science Week once again highlighted the innovations brought about through the joint efforts of research and industrial players on the Upper Rhine.

Article - 03/12/2010

Review: Science meets Business Day 2010 (part II)

How can plant physiologists and seed developers work together to achieve an understanding of the processes happening in the germinating plant embryo in order to improve the seed quality of sugar beet? How can virologists find new ways to switch off the flu virus and develop a marketable vaccine in cooperation with industrial partners?