Press release - 11/01/2021 CureVac’s COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate, CVnCoV, Demonstrated Efficient Protection of Non-Human Primates During SARS-CoV-2 Challenge Infection CureVac N.V., a global biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of transformative medicines based on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), today announced the publication of preclinical data demonstrating the induction of robust antibody and T cell responses of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, CVnCoV, in non-human primates. https://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/press-release/curevacs-covid-19-vaccine-candidate-cvncov-demonstrated-efficient-protection-non-human-primates-during-sars-cov-2-challenge-infe
New method for analysing blood samples - 26/11/2020 Personalised therapy monitoring for malignant melanomas Immunotherapy has greatly improved the survival chances of patients with malignant melanoma. A study has now begun at the Department of Dermatology at the University Hospital of Tübingen to develop a way to monitor the course of treatment as effectively as possible. It involves personalised monitoring using liquid biopsies in addition to conventional PET/CT examinations. This analysis procedure of blood samples could enable closer monitoring of…https://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/news/personalised-therapy-monitoring-malignant-melanomas
Inside the fight against COVID-19 - 28/10/2020 A new immunotherapeutic agent for treating severe COVID-19 cases Apogenix, a Heidelberg-based biopharmaceutical company specialising in innovative immunotherapeutics, has initiated a Phase II clinical trial with asunercept, the company’s lead drug candidate for treating severe cases of COVID-19. The fusion protein blocks the CD95-ligand-mediated death of epithelial cells in the lung and thus prevents damage to the organ.https://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/news/new-immunotherapeutic-agent-treating-severe-covid-19-cases
Biochip systems - 02/09/2020 Miniature organs with great potential Dr. Peter Loskill and his team at the Fraunhofer Institute in Stuttgart and the University Hospital of Tübingen are developing what is known as an "organ-on-a-chip" (OoC). An OoC is a microfluidic system that simulates small functional units of organ tissue. OoCs can be used in different ways: in basic and pharmaceutical research as well as in clinical research and application, where they might render many animal experiments…https://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/news/miniature-organs-great-potential
Affimed GmbH - 01/07/2020 "Innate cell engager" fighting against cancer In the fight against tumour cells, d Affimed GmbH from Heidelberg relies entirely on the weapons of the innate immune system. Affimed has developed special innate cell engagers, which are bispecific antibodies that recognise tumour cells and bring them together with natural killer cells and macrophages of the innate immune system, which then kill the tumour cells. Clinical trials using the AFM13 molecule are ongoing.https://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/news/innate-cell-engager-fighting-against-cancer
Multiple sclerosis - 12/03/2020 Direct application of biopharmaceuticals through the nose into the brain There is currently no cure for multiple sclerosis, the most common neurological autoimmune disease in humans. Biopharmaceuticals that can delay the course of the disease or diminish its effects are often prevented from being fully effective by the blood-brain barrier. A European consortium led by the Fraunhofer IGB, Stuttgart is developing a new technology that can transport an innovative active ingredient directly to the central nervous system.https://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/news/Direct-application-of-biopharmaceuticals-through-the-nose-into-the-brain
Article - 11/06/2019 New pathogens in beef and cow's milk contributing to the risk of cancer A team of researchers led by Nobel laureate Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h.c. mult. Harald zur Hausen has discovered a new type of infectious agent in dairy and meat products produced from European cattle that increases the risk for colon and breast cancer. These so-called Bovine Meat and Milk Factors (BMMFs) are small DNA molecules that are similar in sequence to both bacterial plasmids and certain viruses.https://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/news/new-pathogens-in-beef-and-cows-milk-contributing-to-the-risk-of-cancer
Expert interview - 13/05/2019 Innovation management in the life sciences – Inova DE provides insights Personalized medicine, medical technology, digital health and artificial intelligence are revolutionizing diagnostics and product development. Analyses are becoming faster and more precise, and data volumes can now be networked and used effectively. The goal of improving people's quality of life is within reach, and this will also strengthen Germany’s future viability. However, not every good idea can be turned into a marketable commodity.…https://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/news/innovation-management-in-the-life-sciences-inova-de-provides-insights
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://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/news/tumour-monitoring-using-liquid-biopsy
Expert interview on NTDs – part 1 - 11/04/2019 Neglected tropical diseases – Carsten Köhler: impulses from Baden-Württemberg More than one billion people worldwide suffer from neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). NTDs are mostly poverty-related infectious diseases that prevail in tropical countries due to lack of research and measures to detect, prevent and control them. Dr. Dr. Carsten Köhler reports on the political, economic and scientific contributions Germany and Baden-Württemberg can make to successfully change this situation.https://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/news/vernachlaessigte-tropenkrankheiten-carsten-koehler-impulse-aus-baden-wuerttemberg
Article - 03/04/2019 HKK Bionics empowers hand gripping functions A spin-off from the Ulm University of Applied Sciences is aiming to provide people whose hands have been paralysed due to accident or illness with a new kind of orthopaedic aid. Dominik Hepp and Tobias Knobloch are currently starting serial production of a hand orthosis prototype. The two medical engineers from Ulm, who founded HKK Bionics GmbH in 2017, plan to commence final tests in 2019.https://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/news/hkk-bionics-empowers-hand-gripping-functions
Article - 22/03/2019 Personalised therapies for treating metastasing breast cancer Breast cancer is characterised by broad genetic diversity. Successful treatment is made even more difficult by the fact that, in advanced breast cancer, the properties of metastases often differ significantly from the primary tumour. The Heidelberg CATCH study is now collecting genetic profiles from patients' metastasis tissue samples, which can be used to tailor therapy to individual requirements.https://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/news/personalisierte-therapieansaetze-bei-metastasiertem-brustkrebs
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://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/news/scientists-to-combat-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-in-wastewater
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://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/dossier/crisprcas-genome-editing-is-becoming-increasingly-popular
Dossier - 18/04/2016 Epigenetics – heritable traits without changing the DNA sequence Epigenetics, i.e. the inheritance of traits that does not involve a change in the DNA sequence, was once a controversial subject that has since become a central focus of biological research. Epigenetic inheritance is now studied by numerous national and international research programmes. Many cellular regulatory and differentiation processes are controlled by epigenetic mechanisms that take place on different levels.https://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/dossier/epigenetics-heritable-traits-without-changing-the-dna-sequence
Dossier - 09/03/2015 Advances in the study and treatment of liver diseases Liver diseases are often underestimated despite being quite common and potentially having serious and even life-threatening consequences, especially in chronic cases. The most common causes of liver diseases are hepatitis viruses, excessive alcohol consumption, and obesity; congenital or autoimmune liver diseases are quite rare. Thanks to advances in medical research, diseases such as hepatitis B and C can be treated effectively. https://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/dossier/advances-in-the-study-and-treatment-of-liver-diseases
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://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/dossier/chemical-tools-for-biological-applications
Dossier - 02/06/2014 Bioanalysis techniques for the characterization of biological material Science constantly provides researchers with new challenges biologists and bioanalysts have to deal with and which come from sources as varied as the ever increasing number of resistant pathogenic bacterial strains or the famine conditions in Third-World countries. In the search for scientific truths bioanalysis is the development optimization and application of the entire range of analytical methods available. However we need to keep in mind…https://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/dossier/bioanalysis-techniques-for-the-characterization-of-biological-material
Dossier - 28/04/2014 Data mining new opportunities for medicine and public health Research and healthcare activities produce huge quantities of data that need to be presented in an understandable structure. This requires computer-assisted extraction of relevant data and the use of statistical methods. This process, known as data mining, enables the discovery of patterns in large data sets. Data mining methods are of particular importance in fields that use high-throughput, visualisation methods and telemedical applications.https://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/dossier/data-mining-new-opportunities-for-medicine-and-public-health
Dossier - 10/03/2014 Cancer therapy and cancer diagnostics Thanks to improved diagnostics and therapy, today’s cancer patients can live considerably longer than patients several years ago. Nevertheless, some cancers, especially the strongly metastatic ones, are difficult to treat. Therapies targeting immune cells or cancer stem cells could potentially improve the current situation. https://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/dossier/cancer-therapy-and-cancer-diagnostics
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 the two Americans 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…https://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/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://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/dossier/progress-expands-bioethical-boundaries
Dossier - 01/07/2013 Electrophysiology from cardiac pacemakers to drug discovery Electrochemical reactions are involved in many processes in the human organism. Electrophysiology is the study of the central processes of electrical and chemical interaction and communication between neurons and muscle cells, including the transmission and processing of signals in the nerves and the subsequent contraction of the muscles. For example, electrophysiology studies examine the rhythm which which our heart pumps blood through the body.https://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/dossier/electrophysiology-from-cardiac-pacemakers-to-drug-discovery
Dossier - 21/05/2013 No new drugs to be placed on the market without clinical trials New pharmaceuticals are subject to approval by drug authorities. Here clinical trials are performed to ensure the quality efficacy and safety of a medicinal product. Clinical development is a time-consuming and costly process and takes on average ten to fifteen years before a pharmaceutical company can apply for the approval of the drug. The costs including failures can amount to approximately one billion US dollars per drug.https://biopro-v9-test-gi.xanium.io/en/article/dossier/no-new-drugs-to-be-placed-on-the-market-without-clinical-trials
