A high-fat, high-sugar diet damages the liver in the long term. Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have now identified a characteristic change in the molecular signaling pathways of liver cells in mice that were exposed to such a diet for weeks. It fuels the division activity of hepatocytes and correlates with the risk of patients suffering liver failure after liver surgery.

Immatics N.V. (NASDAQ: IMTX, “Immatics”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company active in the discovery and development of T cell-redirecting cancer immunotherapies, announced today the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 15,925,000 ordinary shares at a public offering price of $11.00 per share.

Artificial intelligence (AI) can help dermatologists to detect skin cancer. However, many dermatologists distrust the algorithms' decisions, which they cannot comprehend. Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center have now developed an AI-based support system for skin cancer diagnostics that explains its decisions.

Researchers at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Freiburg discover key factor in the development of immune cells. New approaches for the treatment of ALPS.

Health Data Futures project - 11/01/2024

Creating a network of trust

In the three-nation project "Health Data Futures", stakeholders and experts from Germany, France and Switzerland have launched a series of patient-centred innovations. Using various future scenarios, the project partners may be able to come up with even more scenarios.

The family-owned MedTech company KARL STORZ announces the acquisition of the innovative software manufacturer Innersight Labs Ltd. (ISL) headquartered in London. In addition to state-of-the-art endoscopes, high-end medical devices, and integrated solutions for the operating room, KARL STORZ is also continuing to expand in innovative software solutions.

Certain brain tumors in small children contain cells that develop very similarly to normal brain cells and others that have already developed malignantly, depending on where they are located within the tumor.

More than 65,000 men fall ill with prostate cancer each year in Germany. Twelve thousand of them develop a treatment-resistant form which eventually ends in death. Now, a team of researchers from the Medical Faculty at the University of Freiburg has developed an active substance that might in future represent a new treatment option.

University of Tübingen neuroscientists discover new functions of head-direction cells suggesting they may contribute to episodic memory formation.

Inflammation of the heart muscle, also known as myocarditis, is a serious consequence of a viral infection. This can impede the heart’s ability to pump blood in the long term. In a current study, researchers of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Freiburg have discovered a new approach for treating myocarditis.

Mutations of the tumor suppressor p53 not only have a growth-promoting effect on the cancer cells themselves, but also influence the cells in the tumor's microenvironment. Scientists at the Weizmann Institute in Israel and at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have now shown that p53-mutated mouse breast cancer cells reprogram fat cells.

For the first time, the active substance epifadin has been isolated at the University of Tübingen – Epifadin is produced by specific bacteria in the nose and on the skin of humans, has an antibiotic effect, and is the first example of a previously unknown antimicrobial compound class.

All-enzyme hydrogels in action - 13/12/2023

Biocatalytic foams enable the sustainable synthesis of complex molecules

Conventional chemical synthesis processes consume large amounts of energy and environmentally harmful solvents. Prof. Dr. Christof Niemeyer’s team at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology has generated porous, solid foams from crosslinked enzymes that allow the production of high-quality compounds under significantly more environmentally friendly conditions. The novel biocatalysts are also extremely resistant and have a long shelf life.

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.

Professor Dr. Rohini Kuner from the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University receives the Leibniz Prize of the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Computer-assisted genome mining - 04/12/2023

Natural product genomics opens up new avenues in the search for antibiotics

Antibiotic-resistant pathogens are increasingly endangering our health. Since most of the drugs currently in use are based on secondary metabolites produced by bacteria or fungi, the research group of Prof. Dr. Nadine Ziemert in Tübingen is developing bioinformatic tools to specifically search the genome of these organisms for previously unknown antimicrobial agents.

University of Tübingen researchers reverse the evolution of a class of antibiotics to gain insights for the development of new drugs.

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.

The progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) can usually be slowed down with medication, but a cure is currently not possible. It is now established that Epstein-Barr viruses are involved in the development of MS. However, it is not known how the pathogens trigger the disease. The European Union is now funding the international research consortium BEHIND-MS as part of its HORIZON Europe program.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest types of cancers in humans. Chemotherapies attack not only the tumor cells but also healthy cells throughout the body. Innovative nanoparticles could be a new approach to treat cancer more precisely. The approach was developed by a research team from the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Multidisciplinary Sciences, the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG), and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

Augmented reality for visual orientation - 15/11/2023

Fall prevention with the help of balance-enhancing AR glasses

As we age, our eyesight deteriorates and we have increasing difficulties with orientation. This can lead to balance problems and fatal falls. A team led by Dr. Lorenz Assländer from the University of Konstanz is currently developing a prototype of augmented reality (AR) glasses that use superimposed patterns to facilitate visual orientation in space, thereby helping to improve balance control and prevent falls.