NMI spin-off develops theranostics - 02/12/2024

immuneAdvice develops diagnostics to predict the efficacy of immunotherapies

Certain types of cancer are already being effectively treated using immunotherapies, though success rates can vary significantly between patients. Researchers from the Natural and Medical Sciences Institute (NMI) in Reutlingen, along with colleagues at the University of Tübingen, are working on a diagnostic approach to accompany therapy, which would rapidly assess whether the treatment is effective or requires adjustment.

Cell division, cell differentiation, cell repair and cell death play fundamental roles in the human organism, its development, health and reproduction. Cellular transformation processes are governed by two regulatory mechanisms: chromatin modifications and cell signaling networks. The EpiSignal Research Training Group sheds light on the hitherto little-researched interplay between these two complex systems.

Researchers at the Medical Center – University of Freiburg and the University’s CIBSS Cluster of Excellence discover how mitochondria not only produce energy but also influence inflammation.

Chromosomal instability plays a role in the progression of cancer: it shapes the properties of tumor cells and drives the development of therapy resistance. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the Heidelberg Stem Cell Institute HI-STEM* and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) used state-of-the-art single-cell analysis methods to analyze the cellular heterogeneity of a specific form of acute myeloid leukemia.

The reproducible and precise production of complex organoid models to simulate human organ malfunctions is the focus of an interdisciplinary research project at Heidelberg University. A research team from the life and engineering sciences is looking to combine the engineering of molecular systems with machine learning and automated production methods.

An important enzyme helps the body produce selenium proteins – this discovery could open up new strategies for treating cancer in children. This has been published by scientists from the University of Würzburg, the University Sao Paolo, the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Heidelberg Stem Cell Institute HI-STEM*.

PURA syndrome is a rare developmental disorder of the brain for which there is currently no cure. The patient association PURA Syndrome Germany was founded last year. Since then, the affected families have been collecting donations with great dedication – and have decided to donate the majority of this money to research into the syndrome at Ulm University.

Making existing cancer therapy more efficient while significantly reducing the side effects on healthy tissue - this is the aim of a project at Aalen University. It is being funded with one million euros from the Carl Zeiss Foundation. The biophysicist and his team are developing innovative nanoparticles made of gold. The particles use radiotherapy and chemotherapy simultaneously and kill the cancer cells in a targeted manner.

Heidelberg scientist Dr Venera Weinhardt has received an ERC Synergy Grant for a pioneering biomedical research project. The European Research Council (ERC) is granting this funding to advance soft X-ray microscopy. This imaging technique along with other innovations will be used to investigate the hepatitis E virus.

They are underestimated genetic control elements: it is known that changes in the genome can trigger diabetes. But now researchers at the University Hospital Ulm and the INSERM Cochin Institute in Paris have shown that a previously under-researched region of the genome also plays a crucial role in the development of this disease.

At the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, a three-dimensional skin model has now been set up for the first time that directly displays the skin's reaction to substances: The reporter skin. Thanks to the built-in reporter, the cellular response can be measured precisely and quickly – using a living model.

Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases - 25/09/2024

Proinflammatory regulatory T lymphocytes as a therapeutic target in Crohn's disease

Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases are very stressful for those affected and increase the risk of bowel cancer. PD Dr. Robyn Laura Kosinsky from the Bosch Health Campus in Stuttgart, together with researchers from the USA, identified disfunctional regulatory T cells as important drivers of inflammation in Crohn's disease. They also found that with the help of an epigenetically active drug, it was possible to restore the cells’ original…