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Münster researchers have discovered a possible new treatment for regulating inflammation

Researchers at the Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence have decoded a mechanism found at the beginning of almost every inflammatory response. Their study provides a new approach to develop novel treatment options for many inflammatory disorders with many fewer side effects compared to current drugs.

eHealth and mHealth - smart helpers for people with depression

Smartphones have become our everyday companions. A lot of people are critical of this: On the one hand, they connect us to everything and everybody, on the other hand, we lack time and concentration for personal contacts and our surroundings because of them. Still, smartphones and other wearables are a great asset for medicine, as they help people to stay healthy or to manage a chronic illness, for example. Read in our Topic of the month what this can look like for people with depression.

News from the editors of MEDICA-tradefair.com

Image: left: mouse waiting for a reward for a short time; right: mouse waiting for a long time ; Copyright: OIST

Wait for it: Serotonin and confidence at the root of patience

Serotonin keeps mice hanging on if they are sure of getting rewards, but not sure when.

Image: S100A8/S100A9 protein complex (grey/beige) binds to the TLR4 receptor (rainbow-coloured) and MD2 (red); Copyright: Vogl et al./ J. Clin. Invest.

Münster researchers have discovered a possible new treatment for regulating inflammation

Image: illustration of an eye ball affected by diabetic retinopathy; Copyright: panthermedia.net/megija

New pharmacological treatment against diabetic eye diseases is tested

The so called "diabetic retinopathy" and the "diabetic macular edema" are two of the most frequent ocular diseases in patients with diabetes, and both feature pathologic changes of blood vessel functions in the retina. Experimental data and measurements in patients suggest that these changes in blood vessel functions may originate from a lack of vasoinhibin hormones in the retina.

Tuberculosis: clinical trials on a newly developed drug initiated

The first antibiotic against tuberculosis that has been developed in Germany is now ready for clinical testing. BTZ043, as the newly developed drug substance is called, is also effective against multidrug-resistant pathogens which are increasingly challenging successful treatment worldwide.

Image: scientist in the laboratory; Copyright: 2018 KAUST

The long and the short of DNA replication

An unexpectedtwo-step mechanism occurs when cells copy DNA.

Image: collection of antibiotics; Copyright: panthermedia.net/montenegro1

Nature's defence mechanisms can reduce the use of antibiotics

Researchers at DTU have identified natural peptides that fight bacteria, thereby reducing the need for antibiotics.

Image: Emerging platelets (white arrows) are buded off by their progenitor cells, the megakaryocytes; Copyright: Rudolf Virchow Center of the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg

Targeting platelets

A new Collaborative Research Center will start in July with a total funding of nearly 14 million euros, headed by the German Institute for Experimental Biomedicine in Würzburg. The aim is to decode the complex and insufficiently understood functions of platelets, the so-called thrombocytes.

Image: plastic heart with a stethoscope; Copyright: panthermedia.net/shidlovski

'Multiomics' and the mouse heart - New insights into the development of heart disease therapeutics

The heart of a neonatal mouse is capable of self-repair after tissue damage. However, this ability disappears during the first week of life. Researchers at the University of Helsinki investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying myocardial regenerative ability.

Image: measles virus under the microscope; Copyright: Cynthia S. Goldsmith; William Bellini / CDC

Transmission of measles virus: Interaction with two cell receptors is required

Researchers at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut have reproduced measles virus transmission in an animal model. They were able to show that an efficient interaction with two cellular receptors plays a decisive role in the efficient transmission of the virus.

Image: mountain tops covered in snow; Copyright: Dr. Daniela Flueck, University of British Columbia Okanagan

Scientists discover why heart function is reduced at high altitude

For over a century, we have known that high altitude reduces the amount of blood the heart pumps around the body with each beat. New research published in The Journal of Physiology has unearthed why this is the case and the findings will be important for people who live, travel and exercise at high altitudes.

Ventricular fibrillation – Using ultrasound to detect its causes

Ventricular fibrillation is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the heart muscle exhibits a rapid, erratic beat and the heart will no longer pump blood. The cause might be a circulatory system disease or heart attack. Researchers in Göttingen are now developing an ultrasound technique to get to the bottom of ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrhythmias and facilitate better treatment options.