Press release - 11/12/2023 Heidelberg center for personalized medicine achieves the highest quality standards The German Cancer Society has certified the Center for Personalized Medicine (ZPM) at Heidelberg University Hospital. At the ZPM Heidelberg, patients with advanced and rare cancers and, in future, people with severe chronic inflammatory diseases will receive a molecular genetic analysis. The detailed information can open up new treatment options for those affected.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/zentrum-fuer-personalisierte-medizin-heidelberg-erfuellt-hoechste-qualitaetsstandards
Press release - 21/06/2024 New tool maps microbial diversity with unprecedented details Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen developed the groundbreaking tool SynTracker. SynTracker expands traditional microbial analysis by considering genomic structural variation to complement existing SNP-based methods. This innovation reveals more precision and depths of microbial strain diversity and evolution.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/new-tool-maps-microbial-diversity-unprecedented-details
Press release - 15/11/2022 Silicone Sponge Captures Unknown Bacteria From human intestines to the bottom of the sea: Microorganisms populate nearly any habitat, no matter how hostile it is. Their great variety of survival strategies is of huge potential in biotechnology. Most of these organisms, however, are unknown, because they cannot be cultivated.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/silikonschwamm-spuert-unbekannte-bakterien-auf
Press release - 24/04/2023 Hidden RNA repair mechanism discovered in humans Konstanz researchers discover the function of a previously unexplored protein: In three characteristic steps, "C12orf29" links the ends of RNA strands. Proteins that perform this kind of RNA ligation were previously unknown in humans. The results of the study suggest that it is important for RNA repair during cellular stress.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/hidden-rna-repair-mechanism-discovered-humans
Press release - 25/10/2023 Epigenetically acting drugs could support cancer immunotherapy Epigenetically active drugs enable the cell to read parts of the genome that were previously blocked and inaccessible. This leads to the formation of new mRNA transcripts and also new proteins, as scientists from the German Cancer Research Center and the University Hospital Tübingen have now published. These "therapy-induced epitopes" could help the immune system recognize cancer cells.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/epigenetisch-wirkende-medikamente-koennten-krebs-immuntherapie-unterstuetzen
Press release - 25/10/2023 Epigenetically acting drugs could support cancer immunotherapy Epigenetically active drugs enable the cell to read parts of the genome that were previously blocked and inaccessible. This leads to the formation of new mRNA transcripts and also new proteins, as scientists from the German Cancer Research Center and the University Hospital Tübingen have now published. These "therapy-induced epitopes" could help the immune system recognize cancer cells.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/epigenetically-acting-drugs-could-support-cancer-immunotherapy
Press release - 30/11/2023 Taking antibiotics back in time University of Tübingen researchers reverse the evolution of a class of antibiotics to gain insights for the development of new drugs.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/taking-antibiotics-back-time
Press release - 16/11/2021 Cystic fibrosis & COPD: Mucus reprograms immune cells and promotes airway inflammation Scientists of the Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC) and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have discovered a new link between excessive airway mucus and chronic airway inflammation that is characteristic of cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The researchers showed that mucus in the airways reprograms certain cells of the immune system.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/cystic-fibrosis-copd-mucus-reprograms-immune-cells-and-promotes-airway-inflammation
Press release - 16/05/2024 Colorectal cancer: tracking down subtypes Colorectal cancer differs from patient to patient. That is why scientists are looking for characteristic tumors markers that allow to make predictions about the likely response to certain therapies and the individual prognosis. The aim is to identify colorectal cancer subtypes so that these can then be treated in a customized manner. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/colorectal-cancer-tracking-down-subtypes
Press release - 04/07/2024 Antibody can improve immune cell therapy against leukemia Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD) have shown that the combination of therapeutic immune cells, known as CAR T cells, and a bispecific antibody could improve the treatment of leukaemia. In the culture dish and in mice, they tested CAR-T cells directed against the B-cell marker CD19 in combination with bispecific antibodies that bind to the B-cell-specific protein CD20. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/antibody-can-improve-immune-cell-therapy-against-leukemia
Press release - 02/07/2024 Artificial intelligence helps physicians make precise heart diagnoses Researchers from the University of Heidelberg have published a study on more than 60,000 patients in the renowned journal Lancet Digital Health, demonstrating the potential of AI in cardiac medicine.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/artificial-intelligence-helps-physicians-make-precise-heart-diagnoses
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
Article - 29/01/2019 Targeted RNA editing with the body’s own enzyme activity Completely new possibilities for research and gene therapy became available following the development of the CRISPR/Cas method for targeted modification of the genome. However, treatment with molecular scissors is not without risk as potential errors are stored in the genome forever. Scientists from Tübingen have developed an alternative method in which the intervention takes place at the RNA level using the body's own enzymes and is thus…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/targeted-rna-editing-with-the-bodys-own-enzyme-activity
Press release - 24/11/2022 SARS-CoV-2 detection in 30 minutes using gene scissors Researchers of the University of Freiburg introduce biosensor for the nucleic acid amplification-free detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/sars-cov-2-nachweis-30-minuten-mit-der-genschere
Press release - 29/11/2023 Tracing the Evolution of the Cerebellum Heidelberg scientists unveil genetic programmes controlling the development of cellular diversity in the cerebellum of humans and other mammals. The research results have now been published in the journal Nature.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/tracing-evolution-cerebellum
Press release - 21/08/2024 A molecular control hub maintains order How are proteins in our cells modified while they are still being synthesized? An international team of researchers from the University of Konstanz, Caltech, and ETH Zurich has deciphered the molecular mechanism of this vital process. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/molecular-control-hub-maintains-order
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
Press release - 15/03/2021 How novel pathogens may cause the development of colorectal cancer Do BMMFs, the novel infectious agents found in dairy products and bovine sera, play a role in the development of colorectal cancer? Scientists led by Harald zur Hausen detected the pathogens in colorectal cancer patients in close proximity to tumors. The researchers show that the BMMFs trigger local chronic inflammation, which can cause mutations via activated oxygen molecules and thus promote cancer development in the long term.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/how-novel-pathogens-may-cause-development-colorectal-cancer
Press release - 13/03/2023 AI and multispectral imaging facilitate keyhole surgery How can camera images be used during minimally invasive surgeries to assess whether the operated organ is sufficiently perfused with blood? Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Städtisches Klinikum Karlsruhe have now succeeded in automatic monitoring of ischemia during a kidney surgery using only the optical properties of the tissue and not relying on injection of contrast agent. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/ki-und-moderne-bildgebung-erleichtern-schluesselloch-chirurgie
Gene regulation - 20/07/2021 The many faces of the epigenetic regulator MOF Epigenetic modifications play a crucial role in coordinated gene transcription, and are required for a fertilised egg cell to be able to develop into an organism with different cell types. Dr. Asifa Akhtar from the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg has been studying the essential epigenetic regulator protein MOF for 20 years.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/die-vielen-gesichter-des-epigenetischen-regulators-mof
Press release - 23/06/2021 Blood stem cells make brain tumors more aggressive For the first time, scientists from the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) partner site in Essen/Düsseldorf have discovered stem cells of the hematopoietic system in glioblastomas, the most aggressive form of brain tumor. These hematopoietic stem cells promote division of the cancer cells and at the same time suppress the immune response against the tumor. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/blood-stem-cells-make-brain-tumors-more-aggressive
Press release - 04/09/2024 Epigenetic changes reprogram astrocytes into brain stem cells 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.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/epigenetic-changes-reprogram-astrocytes-brain-stem-cells
Dossier - 02/12/2013 RNA interference confidence is returning The 15-year history of RNA interference is not short on dramatic effects. It begins with the unexpected discovery and publication of the process of post-transcriptional gene silencing in 1998 for which Andrew Fire and Craig Mello were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine just eight years after their discovery. In 2001 Thomas Tuschl succeeded in switching off genes in human cells with small synthetic pieces of RNA siRNA.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/rna-interference-confidence-is-returning
Dossier - 05/08/2013 Progress expands bioethical boundaries Bioethics is a rich and continually evolving field. In the broadest sense, bioethics relates to the way human individuals treat any form of life. The issue of whether human beings have the right to do whatever they want goes way back. Rapid progress in genetic engineering and cell biology means that it is necessary to look at certain issues in a new way and recognise that not everything that is technically feasible should actually be carried out.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/progress-expands-bioethical-boundaries