Individuals with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease show altered blood levels indicating damaged neuronal contacts as early as 11 years before the expected onset of dementia symptoms. This is evident in the levels of the protein “beta-synuclein”. An international team report these findings in the journal “Alzheimer’s & Dementia”. The biomarker studied here could potentially help to detect neurodegeneration at an early stage.

Contact with pets reduces the risk of developing stress-related disorders in adult life in urban children. This is the conclusion of a study conducted by the Section for Molecular Psychosomatic Medicine at Ulm University Hospital together with other researchers from Germany and the USA. Living with animals is said to alleviate inflammatory stress reactions.

The Medical Faculty Heidelberg of Heidelberg University and Mannheim University of Applied Sciences are combining their expertise in infectious disease research, mass spectrometry, and bioinformatics to overcome resistance in malaria vectors. The project is supported by funding from the Gates Foundation.

Metastatic breast cancer requires complex and lengthy treatment, the side effects of which affect the quality of life of patients. These often include sexual problems. In a large international randomized exercise intervention trial, researchers have now shown that women who received a nine-month supervised exercise program reported significantly fewer symptoms than women who did not participate in the training program.

Germany's most important award for young scientists honors the development of immunotherapies against malignant brain tumors.

Researchers from the universities in Konstanz and Vienna discover a new class of antibiotic that selectively targets Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacterium that causes gonorrhoea. These substances trigger a self-destruction program, which also operates in multi-resistant variants of the pathogen. The novel findings are published in the current issue of Nature Microbiology.

84 percent of Germans consciously consider their diet. For the majority, nutrition is a central topic, but many perceive the public debate as divisive and patronising. According to the latest nutrition study by the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the More in Common, citizens want policies that promote healthy, regional, and affordable food – without regulations or bans. At the same time, they are calling for more say in shaping the food system.

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.

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.

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).

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.

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems developed a single-cell green microalgae coated with magnetic material. This miniature robot was put to the test: would the microalgae with its magnetic coating be able to swim through narrow spaces and, additionally, in a viscous fluid that mimics those found in the human body? Would the tiny robot be able to fight its way through these difficult conditions?

University of Tübingen research team shortens the search for attackers that can wipe out multiresistant pathogens – with the aim of treating infections without antibiotics

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.

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.

Donating blood saves lives – but what long-term effects does this practice have on our bodies? Researchers from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the HI-STEM stem cell institute* and the German Red Cross Blood Donor Service, among others, have now discovered that frequent blood donations cause genetic adaptations in blood stem cells that promote the regeneration of blood cells.

A recent study by the Hector Institute for Translational Brain Research at the CIMH provides the first cellular insights into how psilocin promotes the growth and networking of human nerve cells.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.