Project REVeyeVE - 06/02/2025

Targeted, virus-free gene therapy for the eye using degradable nanopropellers

Eye diseases that result in blindness in young people are primarily caused by genetic mutations. An interdisciplinary team of researchers from the Universities of Tübingen and Heidelberg is developing an innovative gene therapy method using biodegradable, magnetic nanopropellers. These innovative nanopropellers can effectively deliver intact genes into the affected cells, offering a potential solution for treating genetic disorders of this kind.

Like all viruses, the Ebola virus is dependent on host cells in order to replicate. Researchers at Heidelberg University Hospital, in collaboration with colleagues from the Friedrich Loeffler Institute, have been able to show for the first time using state-of-the-art imaging techniques how the replication compartments of the Ebola virus change during replication in infected cells.

Winfried Kretschmann, the Minister President of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, visited the Max Planck Institutes for Biology Tübingen and Biological Cybernetics. During his tour, he commended the outstanding basic research in the natural sciences. He was particularly impressed by the innovative research projects spanning developmental and evolutionary biology, as well as neuroscience.

University of Tübingen research team observes biochemical process in living cells – indications of new approach to preventing heart attacks and strokes

If the development of blood vessels in the placenta is impaired, fetal growth retardation may result. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Mannheim Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University discovered that the correct development of functioning blood vessels in the mouse placenta is controlled epigenetically: One of the enzymes that modify gene activity using methyl groups is responsible.

A new family of protein-based antagonists has been created by researchers that efficiently block the granulocyte-colony stimulating factor receptor (G-CSFR), which is essential for the development of leukaemia and other inflammatory illnesses. This groundbreaking work paves the way for targeted therapies that could revolutionise treatment options for patients suffering from these conditions.

Dossier: Innovative animal-free research in Baden-Württemberg - 05/12/2024

Mini-organs and multi-organ chips - where lab mice may soon retire

Farewell to animal testing? Life sciences researchers in BW are pioneering innovative methods to replace animal experiments, reduce the number of animals used and refine the procedures and conditions under which animals are kept. These are the guiding principles of the 3Rs principle. Developing cutting-edge models and establishing a robust 3R network, not only shapes the future of research but also improves the quality of scientific outcomes.

Advancing quantum technology into real-world applications - 06/11/2024

QSens: BMBF future cluster brings quantum sensors of the future into medicine

The BMBF-funded future cluster ‘QSens – Quantum Sensors of the Future’ is developing ultra-sensitive sensors that could open up new options in medicine, enabling faster drug research, more accurate diagnostics and improved rehabilitation. The universities of Stuttgart and Ulm are actively working with 17 industry partners to put these cutting-edge innovations to immediate practical use.

Five transnational and cross-institutional doctoral networks at Heidelberg University are being funded as part of the “Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions”. They work together on current scientific topics with high innovation potential. Ruperto Carola coordinates an MSCA Doctoral Network on artificial intelligence in physics, two networks in medicine, life sciences and engineering.

A new molecular engineering technique can precisely influence the development of organoids. Microbeads made of specifically folded DNA are used to release growth factors or other signal molecules inside the tissue structures. This gives rise to considerably more complex organoids that imitate the respective tissues much better and have a more realistic cell mix than before.

With mice, researchers showed that experimentally induced lack of blood flow in the brain epigenetically reprograms astrocytes into brain stem cells, which in turn can give rise to nerve progenitor cells. This discovery shows that astrocytes could potentially be used in regenerative medicine to replace damaged nerve cells.

Synthetic immunology is the topic of an article in the “Perspectives” section of the journal “Nature Nanotechnology”. Herein, Heidelberg researchers describe a so-called bottom-up approach that uses the toolbox of nanotechnology and synthetic biology to construct systems from molecular building blocks and specifically equip them with immune functions.