Press release - 28/03/2025 Quality Assurance in the Cell: Preventing Defective Protein Blueprints Two molecular control factors play a decisive role in what is known as splicing, the cutting and assembly of mature messenger RNA – a prerequisite for protein synthesis in the cell. The poorly characterized factors are crucial to ensuring that the molecular machine responsible for splicing is working correctly. A research team has deciphered how the two cellular quality inspectors work.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/quality-assurance-cell-preventing-defective-protein-blueprints
Press release - 21/03/2025 Risk-based assessment of AI in medicine A recent article by Prof. Dr. Martin Haimerl and Prof. Dr. Christoph Reich of Furtwangen University shows that machine learning (ML) in medicine is often evaluated without a comprehensive risk assessment. The authors investigated the extent to which current scientific papers include risk-based metrics in the evaluation of AI models for medical devices.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/risk-based-assessment-ai-medicine
Press release - 20/03/2025 Start-up prize for "EmbryoNet AI Technologies" Using artificial intelligence to revolutionize drug development is the aim of the start-up "EmbryoNet AI Technologies" led by Konstanz biologist Patrick Müller. Müller and his team have now been awarded the start-up prize by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) for their business concept.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/start-prize-embryonet-ai-technologies
Press release - 19/03/2025 Pocket-sized breath test for stomach bacteria Mini sensor analyses breath for infection with Helicobacter pylori Stomach ulcers, gastritis and even stomach cancer are often the result of an infection with Helicobacter pylori. If the bacterium remains unrecognised for a long time, this can have serious consequences. Researchers have now developed a miniaturisable sensor system for the mobile analysis of breath that is effective, fast and inexpensive. The research team uses a biological survival trick of the stomach germ to detect the bacterium. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/pocket-sized-breath-test-stomach-bacteria-mini-sensor-analyses-breath-infection-helicobacter-pylori
Press release - 18/03/2025 Maternal overweight as risk factor for childhood leukemia in daughters The weight of expectant mothers could play a role in the development of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in daughters – but not in sons. This has been shown by researchers at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ).https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/maternal-overweight-risk-factor-childhood-leukemia-daughters
Press release - 17/03/2025 New approach for T-cell immunotherapy against malignant brain tumors Researchers have developed a promising cellular immunotherapy for the treatment of glioblastomas: They equipped T cells with a receptor that recognizes a protein of the brain tumors that is responsible for the dangerous stem cell properties. The therapeutic T cells directed against this target structure were able to specifically destroy human brain tumors in laboratory experiments and in mice.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/new-approach-t-cell-immunotherapy-against-malignant-brain-tumors
Press release - 17/03/2025 RNA Origami: Artificial Cytoskeletons to Build Synthetic Cells With the goal of creating living cells from non-living components, scientists in the field of synthetic biology work with RNA origami. This tool uses RNA biomolecule to fold new building blocks, making protein synthesis superfluous. In pursuit of the artificial cell, a research team has cleared a crucial hurdle. Using the new RNA origami technique, they succeeded in producing nanotubes that fold into cytoskeleton-like structures.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/rna-origami-artificial-cytoskeletons-build-synthetic-cells
Press release - 14/03/2025 Tool identifies specific viruses to combat dangerous bacteria University of Tübingen research team shortens the search for attackers that can wipe out multiresistant pathogens – with the aim of treating infections without antibioticshttps://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/tool-identifies-specific-viruses-combat-dangerous-bacteria
Press release - 13/03/2025 Dieter Schwarz Foundation provides long-term funding for application-oriented basic research and innovative talent pool The Max Planck Society and the Dieter Schwarz Foundation (DSS) have embarked on a groundbreaking initiative. On March 13, 2025, they signed an agreement through which the foundation will support an innovative approach by the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg to translate basic research findings into practical applications. As part of this endeavour, two new departments of the institute will be established in Heilbronn. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/dieter-schwarz-foundation-provides-long-term-funding-application-oriented-basic-research-and-innovative-talent-pool
Microorganisms produce nutrients in bioreactors - 12/03/2025 CO2 and H2 as starting materials for proteins and vitamins Agricultural land needed to sustain the world's growing population is becoming increasingly scarce. To help address this challenge, researchers from the Environmental Biotechnology Group at the University of Tübingen have developed an innovative and sustainable power-to-vitamin technology. This breakthrough enables protein- and vitamin-rich foods to be produced with the help of microorganisms in a bioreactor using carbon dioxide and…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/co2-and-h2-starting-materials-proteins-and-vitamins
Press release - 12/03/2025 Hepatic stellate cells control liver function and regeneration Until now, doctors knew hepatic stellate cells mainly as drivers of liver fibrosis. The actual functions have hardly been studied to date. Researchers from the German Cancer Research Center, the Mannheim Medical Faculty and Columbia University have now published that hepatic stellate cells control liver metabolism as well as liver regeneration and size. The results of the study could contribute to new therapeutic approaches for liver diseases.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/hepatic-stellate-cells-control-liver-function-and-regeneration
Press release - 06/03/2025 NMI TT in Reutlingen and Düsseldorf University Women's Hospital develop high-precision method for analyzing individual circulating tumor cells Researchers have developed a new method that enables a more precise analysis of individual tumor cells circulating in the blood. This allows not only the previously possible genomic investigation of such tumor cells, but also the focused analysis of single-cell signaling pathways at the functional protein level. The combined analysis of the mutated genome and signaling proteins opens up new avenues for more targeted treatment methods.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/nmi-tt-reutlingen-and-duesseldorf-university-womens-hospital-develop-high-precision-method-analyzing-individual-circulating-tumo
Press release - 06/03/2025 Artificial Muscles for Tremor Suppression Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, the University of Tübingen and the University of Stuttgart under the Bionic Intelligence Tübingen Stuttgart (BITS) collaboration developed a biorobotic arm that can mirror human tremors. Artificial muscles on either side of the forearm contract and relax to suppress the involuntary shaking of the wrist and hand. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/artificial-muscles-tremor-suppression
Press release - 05/03/2025 Frank Winkler receives the Brain Prize 2025 This year, the Brain Prize worth more than one million euros, honors pioneering work on nervous system-cancer interactions: Neurologist Frank Winkler, who researches at the Heidelberg University and at the German Cancer Research Center and treats patients with brain tumors at the Heidelberg University Hospital, discovered that nerve cells in the brain communicate with brain tumor cells. This causes the disease to progress.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/frank-winkler-receives-brain-prize-2025
Press release - 04/03/2025 Clusters of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease for Precision Medicine People with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and more so with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and MASLD-associated hepatic fibrosis can progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease, and cancers. Future research might be beneficial for implementing precision medicine in MASLD.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/clusters-metabolic-dysfunction-associated-steatotic-liver-disease-precision-medicine
Press release - 28/02/2025 Recognise developmental disorders early with AI: Automatically classifying movement patterns in babies Using a new combination of three sensors and artificial intelligence, researchers at Heidelberg Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and Heidelberg University Hospital are recognising patterns in babies' movements that show whether their nervous system is developing healthily.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/recognise-developmental-disorders-early-ai-automatically-classifying-movement-patterns-babies
Press release - 28/02/2025 Scientists discover the function of a mysterious HIV component A research team including scientists from Heidelberg University Hospital has gained new insights into HIV-1. Researchers have discovered the mechanism behind an important step in the life cycle of HIV. Working together with teams at Heidelberg and Yale Universities, they found that the enigmatic “spacer peptide 2”, one of the virus components, plays a key role in converting immature HIV-1 particles into infectious particles. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/scientists-discover-function-mysterious-hiv-component
Press release - 27/02/2025 EU Project: New Molecular Interventions against Virus Infections Targeted molecular interventions in the replication cycle and the immune recognition of viruses are intended to prevent viral entry into cells and virus replication. Scientists work on new approaches to combating highly dangerous viral diseases such as yellow fever or Lassa fever. The European Union is supporting the project over a period of five years to the tune of just under eight million euros.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/eu-project-new-molecular-interventions-against-virus-infections
Press release - 25/02/2025 Self-healing hearts How Zebrafish regenerate heart muscle cells Zebrafish can completely replace damaged heart muscle cells: The affected organ becomes fully functional again. Researchers at Ulm University have discovered that a specific cell-to-cell communication signal helps them to cope better with replication stress. This stress inhibits tissue regeneration in humans and mammals as they age. In Zebrafish a signalling protein ensures that the cells of the damaged organ continue to divide and thus multiply.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/self-healing-hearts-how-zebrafish-regenerate-heart-muscle-cells
Press release - 25/02/2025 Protein with contradictory properties: secret revealed A protein with contradictory properties: Despite its large negative surface charge, it has a strong tendency to take up electrons, which are also negatively charged. The researchers discovered positively charged calcium ions inside the protein very near the electrons, counteracting their charge. They see this as a natural way of handling opposing electrical charges and allowing the protein to optimally fulfill its biological function.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/protein-contradictory-properties-secret-revealed
Press release - 17/02/2025 Pancreatic cancer: blocked nerves as a possible new treatment strategy Pancreatic cancer is fueled by connections to the nervous system. This is reported by scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM)*. The team discovered that the tumor reprograms the neurons for its own benefit. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/pancreatic-cancer-blocked-nerves-possible-new-treatment-strategy
Press release - 12/02/2025 Therapeutic Designer Peptide to Combat Acute Heart Muscle Weakness Researchers of the Heidelberg University, Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD) and Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS) have developed a synthetic peptide based on the natural protein S100A1, a nearly universal “fuel” for weakened hearts. The researchers combined computer-aided methods with lab studies to investigate the therapeutic effect of the so called S100A1ct peptide molecule.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/therapeutic-designer-peptide-combat-acute-heart-muscle-weakness
Press release - 11/02/2025 New perspectives for personalized therapy of brain tumors Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and ShanghaiTech University have developed an innovative method for growing brain tumors of individual patients in the laboratory that mimic the original structure and the molecular property of the parental tumor as closely as possible. Drug tests in this model were found to correlate very well with actual patient responses, making it a valuable method for investigating therapies.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/new-perspectives-personalized-therapy-brain-tumors
Press release - 07/02/2025 Spliceosome: How cells avoid errors when manufacturing mRNA The spliceosome, ensures that the genetic information from the genome, after being transcribed into mRNA precursors, is correctly assembled into mature mRNA. Splicing is a basic requirement for producing proteins. Researchers at the Heidelberg University Biochemistry Center (BZH) have succeeded for the first time in depicting a faultily “blocked” spliceosome at high resolution and reconstructing how it is recognized and eliminated in the cell. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/spliceosome-how-cells-avoid-errors-when-manufacturing-mrna
Press release - 07/02/2025 Multiple myeloma: When cancer cells break out of the bone marrow, a dangerous diversity arises A research team from the Heidelberg Medical Faculty, the German Cancer Research Center, the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH) and the Max Delbrück Center has discovered new details about the spread of the incurable bone marrow cancer multiple myeloma in the body: When the cancer cells break out of the bone and multiply outside the bone marrow, a wide variety of tumor cells arise, accompanied by a significantly altered immune response. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/multiple-myeloma-when-cancer-cells-break-out-bone-marrow-dangerous-diversity-arises