Press release - 04/03/2021 Induced pluripotent stem cells reveal causes of disease Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) are suitable for discovering the genes that underly complex and also rare genetic diseases. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), together with international partners, have studied genotype-phenotype relationships in iPSCs using data from approximately one thousand donors.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/induced-pluripotent-stem-cells-reveal-causes-disease
Lab-on-a-chip - 11/11/2020 Microfluidic platform for the best possible cancer therapy Every tumour and every patient is different, and there are individual reactions to drugs as well as the problem of resistance. Patient-specific cancer treatments require innovative and cost-effective approaches. The TheraMe! consortium has developed a novel instrument: a combination of microfluidic experiments and mathematical modelling for use in cancer precision medicine to prevent incorrect therapy options.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/microfluidic-platform-best-possible-cancer-therapy
TGU Varimol - 24/07/2020 Click chemistry for new medical procedures Using a simple molecular click process, biochemists have been able to connect ring-shaped molecules with each other and couple therapeutically active substances to these molecules. Drugs can thus be specifically delivered to diseased cells and used for imaging processes or biosensors. The Stuttgart-based start-up Varimol is using this new technology to provide its customers with tailored applications that are as simple to use as a kit.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/click-chemistry-new-medical-procedures
Bioinspired technologies - 03/04/2020 Diagnostics with molecular scissors – is this also possible for on-site COVID-19 tests? The CRISPR-Cas gene-editing technology is one of the most important developments in molecular biology in recent years. It utilises molecular scissors with which nucleic acids can be cut and edited almost arbitrarily. Researchers in Freiburg, Germany have now successfully used the technology for diagnostic purposes. They are currently working intensively on expanding the system to enable it to detect genome sequences of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/Diagnostics-with-molecular-scissors-is-this-also-possible-for-on-site-COVID-19-tests
Article - 09/10/2019 Epigenomics from the Cyber Valley Cyber Valley Stuttgart-Tübingen is a European hotspot for artificial intelligence and home to many renowned experts and scientists. They are now joined by Gabriele Schweikert, who heads up the Computational Epigenomics research group in the Cyber Valley’s Division of Computational Biology. Schweikert is interested in exploring epigenetic mechanisms using machine learning methods.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/epigenomik-aus-dem-cyber-valley
New edition - 24/05/2019 Tumour metastasis Cancer is usually not curable when metastases have formed in the body. Metastases are often resistant to drugs that have successfully eliminated the primary tumour. The basic features of the complex process of metastasis are now known, but many details still remain elusive. Intensive research activities are focusing on new therapeutic concepts aimed at developing effective anti-metastatic therapies.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/tumour-metastasis
Article - 16/04/2019 Tumour monitoring using liquid biopsy Liquid biopsy, the analysis of cancer biomarkers and circulating tumour cells in body fluids such as blood, is revolutionising the diagnosis and monitoring of cancer. It has also been possible to expand circulating tumour cells from the blood under laboratory conditions. It is expected that in the future, liquid biopsy will be able to precisely characterise tumour cells at every stage of a cancer.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/tumour-monitoring-using-liquid-biopsy
Dossier - 06/03/2018 Big data - the big promise of the new digitised world Big data is a widely used buzzword in today's information era. The use of big data in the digital world presents both an opportunity and a risk. Mass data is now used and analysed in almost all areas of life. Even the healthcare sector is undergoing extensive digitisation.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/big-data-the-big-promise-of-the-new-digitised-world
Dossier - 14/06/2016 CRISPR/Cas – genome editing is becoming increasingly popular The number of publications and patents that involve the CRISPR/Cas system has been increasing exponentially since the technique was first described a few years ago. The increase in funding for projects involving CRISPR/Cas also demonstrates how powerful this new method is. The targeted modification of genomes (also called gene or genome editing) using CRISPR/Cas is extraordinarily accurate and also has the potential to cure hereditary diseases. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/crisprcas-genome-editing-is-becoming-increasingly-popular
Dossier - 09/02/2015 Chemical tools for biological applications The boundaries between traditional scientific disciplines are becoming less and less distinct. Interdisciplinary cooperation is often required to study complex processes and biomolecular issues. Interdisciplinary cooperation is central to chemical biology. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/chemical-tools-for-biological-applications
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. The family of retroviruses is particularly known for its most notorious representative i. e. the human immunodeficiency virus HIV. However retroviruses are not only of interest for researchers looking for effective cures for viral infections their characteristic properties also make them promising laboratory and gene therapy tools.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/retroviruses-from-infectious-agent-to-therapeutic-assistant
Dossier - 27/08/2012 Evo-devo - the synthesis of developmental biology and evolution Evo-devo research has led to completely new ideas concerning the evolution of animals. The huge variety of animals is the result of changes in the activity of a limited number of master genes that control early embryonic development. These master genes have been highly conserved throughout evolution, which is why their analysis allows conclusions to be drawn concerning the evolution of multicellular animals and their different body plans.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/evo-devo-the-synthesis-of-developmental-biology-and-evolution