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.

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.

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.

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.

Controllable microcatheters - 20/02/2025

Robot-assisted control of surgical instruments using magnetic resonance imaging

Catheter-based examinations and surgical procedures are severely limited by the restricted controllability of conventional instruments and harmful radiation exposure to both patients and medical staff caused by prolonged exposure to radiation during fluoroscopy. EndoSurge, a Stuttgart-based start-up, has developed innovative robotic microcatheters that can be precisely controlled using the magnetic field of an MRI device.

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.

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.

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.

Glycolysis is an important sugar degradation pathway that cancer cells in particular depend on. Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have now shown that liver cancer cells in mice and humans depend on a key enzyme of glycolysis, Aldolase A. When it is switched off, glycolysis reverses from an energy-producing to an energy-consuming process.

Young patients suffering from two aggressive sarcoma types can now participate in the innovative PAMSARC therapy study at the NCT Heidelberg. The study uses molecular biological methods and tests the extent to which a new drug can improve the poor prognosis for these tumours.

Dr. Petr Chlanda, virologist and research group leader at the Heidelberg Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University, has been awarded more than 720,000 euros in funding from the European Union for his research into new therapies against viruses. His work is part of the interdisciplinary, international DEFENDER project, which is developing innovative approaches to combat emerging and re-emerging viruses.

Tumor cells circulating in the blood are the "germ cells" of breast cancer metastases. They are rare and could not be propagated in the culture dish until now, which made research into therapy resistance difficult. A team from the DKFZ, the Heidelberg Stem Cell Institute HI-STEM and the NCT Heidelberg has now succeeded for the first time in cultivating stable tumor organoids directly from blood samples of breast cancer patients.

Antibodies can improve the rehabilitation of people with acute spinal cord injury. Researchers at 13 clinics in Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Spain have investigated this with promising results. For the first time, it was possible to identify patient groups that displayed a clinically relevant treatment effect. A follow-up study will start in December 2024.

UKCA product marking - 18/12/2024

New medical device marking requirements and regulations in Great Britain

Since Brexit, additional regulations for medical devices have come into effect in Great Britain, i.e. England, Wales and Scotland. Although the transition periods have been extended, medical device manufacturers should familiarise themselves with the new conformity marking requirements. EU medical device regulations will continue to apply in Northern Ireland.

The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz-Prize 2025 goes to Prof. Dr Robert Zeiser for his outstanding research in haematology and immunology. Zeiser’s research at the University of Freiburg and the Medical Center – University of Freiburg have led, among other things, to new types of cancer therapy that has increased survival rates and the patients’ quality of life.

The NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have signed a groundbreaking cooperation agreement. This partnership combines the expertise of both institutions in the fields of production and characterization of materials for biological systems and energy storage as well as the application of statistical methods in medicine.

NMI spin-off develops theranostics - 02/12/2024

immuneAdvice develops diagnostics to predict the efficacy of immunotherapies

Certain types of cancer are already being effectively treated using immunotherapies, though success rates can vary significantly between patients. Researchers from the Natural and Medical Sciences Institute (NMI) in Reutlingen, along with colleagues at the University of Tübingen, are working on a diagnostic approach to accompany therapy, which would rapidly assess whether the treatment is effective or requires adjustment.

Vicinity Bio: Optimisation of cancer diagnostics - 27/11/2024

Comprehensive histological diagnostics through high-dimensional imaging and artificial intelligence

Microscopic examination of tissue samples is essential, particularly in tumour diagnostics. The Tübingen-based company Vicinity Bio leverages cutting-edge imaging technologies combined with machine learning to generate comprehensive datasets of individual cells from tissue sections. This approach not only helps identify more targeted therapies but also enhances our understanding of cellular functions and processes within tissues and tumours.

On 25 November, the German Research Foundation (DFG) announced the continued funding of two existing Collaborative Research Centres (CRC) at the University of Freiburg’s Faculty of Medicine. In CRC 1453 Nephrogenetics (NephGen), doctors and researchers are using genetic information to search for mechanisms underlying kidney diseases.

Chromosomal instability plays a role in the progression of cancer: it shapes the properties of tumor cells and drives the development of therapy resistance. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the Heidelberg Stem Cell Institute HI-STEM* and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) used state-of-the-art single-cell analysis methods to analyze the cellular heterogeneity of a specific form of acute myeloid leukemia.

An important enzyme helps the body produce selenium proteins – this discovery could open up new strategies for treating cancer in children. This has been published by scientists from the University of Würzburg, the University Sao Paolo, the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Heidelberg Stem Cell Institute HI-STEM*.

PURA syndrome is a rare developmental disorder of the brain for which there is currently no cure. The patient association PURA Syndrome Germany was founded last year. Since then, the affected families have been collecting donations with great dedication – and have decided to donate the majority of this money to research into the syndrome at Ulm University.

Advancing quantum technology into real-world applications - 06/11/2024

QSens: BMBF future cluster brings quantum sensors of the future into medicine

The BMBF-funded future cluster ‘QSens – Quantum Sensors of the Future’ is developing ultra-sensitive sensors that could open up new options in medicine, enabling faster drug research, more accurate diagnostics and improved rehabilitation. The universities of Stuttgart and Ulm are actively working with 17 industry partners to put these cutting-edge innovations to immediate practical use.

They are underestimated genetic control elements: it is known that changes in the genome can trigger diabetes. But now researchers at the University Hospital Ulm and the INSERM Cochin Institute in Paris have shown that a previously under-researched region of the genome also plays a crucial role in the development of this disease.