Press release - 21/09/2022 ERC funding: How to deliver gene therapies to a specific target site? With its "Proof of Concept" grants, the European Research Council ERC supports scientists in further developing the commercial potential of their research results. Nina Papavasiliou from the DKFZ is now receiving the prestigious grant for the second time: she wants to advance the development of a "molecular delivery service" that ensures that therapeutic genes reach the right address in the body in a targeted manner.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/erc-funding-how-deliver-gene-therapies-specific-target-site
Viral zoonoses - 24/01/2022 Development of inhibitors that help stop viral zoonoses Emerging viral infections such as COVID-19 or Zika disease pose an increasing threat to humans. At the Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology (IPMB) at Heidelberg University, Prof. Dr. Christian Klein's research group is developing inhibitors against already known viruses in the hope that these can also be used against new virus variants.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/development-inhibitors-help-stop-viral-zoonoses
Booster for neutrophil granulocytes - 27/10/2021 Acetate supports immune cells to fight against sepsis Blood poisoning is the most dangerous complication of bacterial infections and often leads to death. Researchers at the Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine at the University of Tübingen have now identified acetate as a potent agent for stimulating innate immune system cells, supporting their ability to destroy bacteria.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/acetate-supports-immune-cells-fight-against-sepsis
Press release - 13/10/2021 Tackling the collateral damage from antibiotics EMBL scientists pave the way for reducing the harmful side effects antibiotics have on gut bacteria. Antibiotics help us to treat bacterial infections and save millions of lives each year. But they can also harm the helpful microbes residing in our gut, weakening one of our body’s first lines of defence against pathogens and compromising the multiple beneficial effects our microbiota has for our health.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/tackling-collateral-damage-antibiotics
Press release - 20/06/2023 Tuberculosis Therapy: Smallest Particles Will Deliver the Drug to the Lungs in Future KIT and Research Center Borstel Present Nanoparticles with a High Antibiotic Concentration for Inhalation – Nanocarriers of Antibiotics Can Reduce Resistances and Enhance Compatibility.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/tuberculosis-therapy-smallest-particles-will-deliver-drug-lungs-future
Press release - 19/04/2024 Electrified bacteria PhD student at Furtwangen University develops method for faster determination of antibiotic resistance. The increase in antibiotic-resistant pathogens and the associated treatment, which is a major problem in public healthcare facilities, is the subject of a research project at Furtwangen University.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/bakterien-unter-strom
Mosses for pharmaceutical production - 16/09/2020 Factor H as a therapeutic option for viral diseases - including COVID-19 The search for drug candidates for COVID-19 diseases is well underway. Factor H, which is part of the innate immune system, might also be a future therapeutic option. The Freiburg-based biotech company eleva has developed a technology for producing this human protein in moss cells. The active ingredient, which might also have a regulatory effect in other diseases, is currently undergoing preclinical testing.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/factor-h-therapeutic-option-viral-diseases-including-covid-19
Press release - 04/08/2022 Inflammation accelerates aging of the hematopoietic system In mice, inflammation in early to mid-life leads to a permanent decline in functional blood stem cells, according to a recent publication by scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Stem Cell Institute HI-STEM*. The ability of the blood stem cells to regenerate was suppressed for at least one year after challenge with inflammation.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/inflammation-accelerates-aging-hematopoietic-system
Press release - 19/10/2022 Molecular structure of one of the most important receptors in the immune system unraveled Researchers from Freiburg and Harvard publish the three-dimensional structure of the B cell antigen receptor, shedding new light on its composition.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/molecular-structure-one-most-important-receptors-immune-system-unraveled
Computer-assisted genome mining - 04/12/2023 Natural product genomics opens up new avenues in the search for antibiotics Antibiotic-resistant pathogens are increasingly endangering our health. Since most of the drugs currently in use are based on secondary metabolites produced by bacteria or fungi, the research group of Prof. Dr. Nadine Ziemert in Tübingen is developing bioinformatic tools to specifically search the genome of these organisms for previously unknown antimicrobial agents.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/natural-product-genomics-opens-new-avenues-search-antibiotics
Press release - 01/09/2022 Personalised antibiotic treatment strategies for tuberculosis patients Tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with an estimated 1.4 million deaths and ten million people infected annually. Resistant and multidrug-resistant (MDR) variants of the tuberculosis pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis pose a major threat to tuberculosis control and global health.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/personalisierte-antibiotika-behandlungsstrategie-bei-tuberkulose-erkrankten
Press release - 18/10/2023 SARS-CoV-2: Alert immune system in the respiratory tract protects children from severe courses of the disease Why are severe courses of SARS-CoV-2 infection less common in children and adolescents than in adults? Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) have now discovered that the immune system in the upper respiratory tract is much more alert and active in children before infection than in adults and is therefore better equipped to fight the virus.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/sars-cov-2-aktiveres-immunsystem-den-atemwegen-schuetzt-kinder-vor-schweren-verlaeufen
Press release - 12/04/2022 Technology transfer award for PCR rapid test device for infection diagnostics Spindiag GmbH, together with the University of Freiburg and the Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft für angewandte Forschung e.V., was awarded the Technology Transfer Prize 2020 from the German Physical Society (DPG) on April 09, 2022 for the development of the PCR-based rapid test system Rhonda.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/technology-transfer-award-pcr-rapid-test-device-infection-diagnostics
Viral cancer therapy - 26/10/2022 Therapeutic viruses against tumours and metastases Viruses can overcome cell barriers and transfer information to their host cells. They know how to make their host cell’s infrastructure work for them. This makes them excellent biotechnological tools, which a research group from the Fraunhofer IGB in Stuttgart is using to its advantage. The team is developing a therapeutic virus that not only recognises and fights tumours, but also has the potential to reach metastases.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/therapeutic-viruses-against-tumours-and-metastases
Vaccine development - 25/05/2021 Vaccines - a beacon of hope in the fight against pandemics Having long been considered less lucrative for the big pharmaceutical companies, vaccine development is taking off in an unforeseen way in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial support is flooding in and all kinds of vaccine development strategies are being deployed. Among the winners in the competition for effective coronavirus vaccines are vaccines based on RNA technology.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/vaccines-beacon-hope-fight-against-pandemics
Press release - 10/04/2024 Growth through medical technology: Bosch and Randox invest heavily in the Vivalytic analysis platform With its Vivalytic analysis platform, Bosch has set itself the goal of making fast and highly precise diagnostics accessible at the point of care – and aims to use molecular diagnostics to become a leading provider in the market by 2030. To achieve this, Bosch has now agreed on a strategic partnership with Randox Laboratories Ltd., a leading diagnostic and medical technology company.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/growth-through-medical-technology-bosch-and-randox-invest-heavily-vivalytic-analysis-platform
Signal mechanisms in inflammatory processes - 18/05/2021 Newly discovered substances activate the inflammasome in macrophages Low-grade chronic inflammation caused by components of the innate immune system may increase the risk of developing a variety of diseases in the long term. In their search for the signalling mechanisms underlying these inflammatory processes, Prof. Dr. Olaf Groß' research group at the Freiburg University Medical Centre discovered new active substances with immunostimulatory properties that may open up additional possibilities in cancer…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/newly-discovered-substances-activate-inflammasome-macrophages
Article - 24/01/2019 Scientists to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria in wastewater In Germany, around 1,500 tonnes of antibiotics per year are administered to humans and animals. As a result, more and more bacteria are developing resistance to common antibiotics. As part of HyReKA, a cooperative project funded by the BMBF, scientists led by Professor Thomas Schwartz from the KIT are investigating how antibiotic-resistant pathogens spread and how they can be prevented from doing so.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/scientists-to-combat-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-in-wastewater
Press release - 01/03/2023 Pseudomonas aeruginosa Bacteria produce a molecule that paralyzes immune system cells Bacteria of the species Pseudomonas aeruginosa are antibiotic-resistant hospital germs that can enter blood, lungs and other tissues through wounds and cause life-threatening infections. In a joint project, researchers from the Universities of Freiburg and Strasbourg in France have discovered a mechanism that likely contributes to the severity of P. aeruginosa infections.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/pseudomonas-aeruginosa-bakterien-stellen-ein-molekuel-her-das-zellen-des-immunsystems-laehmt
Press release - 15/01/2024 Maturation instead of cell death: Defective signalling pathways disrupt immune cell development Researchers at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Freiburg discover key factor in the development of immune cells. New approaches for the treatment of ALPS.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/maturation-instead-cell-death-defective-signalling-pathways-disrupt-immune-cell-development
Article - 26/07/2019 New test assay leads to discovery of new influenza virus infection route Researchers from the University of Freiburg have recently discovered a completely new mechanism that influenza viruses use to infect cells. This discovery was partly made possible by a so-called emulsion coupling assay - an extremely sensitive, digital detection method developed by Actome GmbH in collaboration with scientists from the Freiburg University of Applied Sciences and Hahn-Schickard. The assay is used to count individual molecules and…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/alternativer-infektionsweg-fuer-grippeviren-durch-neues-testverfahren-entdeckt
CeGat GmbH - 06/08/2020 CeGaT: Specific coronavirus antibody test for all Have I perhaps already had COVID-19 in the past? This is a question many of us have been asking. Reliable tests that would provide the answer have simply not been available until now. However, the Tübingen-based biotech company CeGaT is now offering a coronavirus antibody test to anyone who wants one, thus answering this question with the highest probability currently possible. Response to the offer has been huge in the few weeks since the test…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/cegat-specific-coronavirus-antibody-test-all
Press release - 26/10/2023 Innovative research aims to improve wound healing and cancer therapy Jun.-Prof. Dr. Priscilla Briquez, junior professor at the Department of General and Visceral Surgery at the Freiburg University Medical Center and member of the Medical Faculty at the University of Freiburg, has received a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant from the European Commission. Her DRESSCODE project will receive a total of 1.5 million euros funding for five years.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/innovative-forschung-soll-wundheilung-und-krebstherapie-verbessern
Press release - 24/04/2024 CureVac Announces Start of Combined Phase 1/2 Study in Avian Influenza (H5N1); Development in Collaboration with GSK Phase 1 part of combined Phase 1/2 study initiated as part of pandemic preparedness against highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) virus, considered to be potential future pandemic threat. Study will assess monovalent vaccine candidate, encoding an influenza A H5-antigen using proprietary second-generation mRNA backbone. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/curevac-announces-start-combined-phase-12-study-avian-influenza-h5n1-development-collaboration-gsk
Expert interview on NTDs – part 2 - 29/05/2019 Neglected tropical diseases - Gisela Schneider: the burden of disease "Leaving no one behind". The motto of the 2030 Agenda with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which was signed by the United Nations (UN) in 2015 makes clear that combatting poverty and its consequences is an essential part of sustainable development. The fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) is defined as a major aim of the Agenda’s sustainable development goals. The World Health Organisation (WHO) regards twenty…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/neglected-tropical-diseases-gisela-schneider-the-burden-of-disease