Rewriting the transcript to heal diseases - 29/01/2026

Therapy involving the umlauts of the genetic alphabet

tRNAs are essential components of the protein synthesis machinery that also act as molecular switches in gene regulation and consequently in disease processes such as cancer. The Heidelberg-based start-up Umlaut.bio is developing novel therapeutics that specifically target tRNAs to intervene at the molecular origin of disease.

A research group led by the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim has confirmed for the first time within the German National Cohort an association between cigarette consumption and depression. The findings show that depression occurs more frequently over the lifetime of current and former smokers than among those who have never smoked.

Researchers at the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have developed a digital tool that significantly accelerates and improves clinical decisions in molecular precision oncology. The Knowledge Connector enables the structured and standardized evaluation of very extensive molecular tumor profiles and makes them available for personalized therapy decisions faster than before.

Exciva GmbH, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutic compounds for the treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions, today announces the closing of a €51 million ($59m) Series B financing round. Gimv and EQT Life Sciences co-led the round. Additional participants included new investors Fountain Healthcare Partners, LifeArc Ventures, Carma Fund and Modi Ventures, as well as existing investors Andera Partners and LBBW.

In a joint study conducted by the DZHK sites in Heidelberg, Munich and Göttingen, researchers are deciphering how the spatial organisation of the genome in the heart determines genetic disease risks.