Antibiotic resistance: technical tricks against pathogens
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Image: Nils Wagner, a man with brown hair in a T-shirt, sits at a computer screen on which codes are displayed; Copyright: Dennis Gankin / TUM

Dennis Gankin / TUM

Algorithm helps search for the cause of hereditary diseases

07/06/2023

A Munich research team has developed an algorithm that predicts the effects of genetic mutations on RNA formation six times more precisely than previous models.
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Image: Close up of test tubes in a laboratory; Copyright: leungchopan

leungchopan

AI helps create better, simpler hepatitis, COVID-19 tests

11/05/2023

University of Florida scientists have used artificial intelligence tools to simplify a test that works for both hepatitis C and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The simplified test happens in one small test tube in just a few minutes.
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Image: Baby mannequin connected to a ventilator in an incubator; Copyright: Messe Düsseldorf

Messe Düsseldorf

With stem cell model on the trail of congenital diaphragmatic hernia

09/05/2023

Researchers have designed a new stem cell model to study congenital diaphragmatic hernia in newborns with underdeveloped lungs. They were able to isolate stem cells from the fluid that is suctioned from the baby’s lungs and normally gets discarded and use them as a foundation for the model.
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Image: A man in a white shirt wearing glasses - Prof. Andreas Keller, sits in his office at the computer; Copyright: Saarland University/Oliver Dietze

Universität des Saarlandes/Oliver Dietze

Exploring the molecular mechanisms of ageing

09/05/2023

A team led by bioinformatics experts Andreas Keller and Fabian Kern from Saarland University together with researchers at Stanford University have gained new insights into manifestations of ageing at the molecular level.
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Image: Close-up of doctor pointing at human pelvic skeleton model in medical clinic.; Copyright: Okrasyuk

Okrasyuk

Map of spinal cord formation gives new knowledge on diseases of the nervous system

03/05/2023

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have mapped how cells in the human spinal cord are formed in the embryo and what genes control the process.
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Image: Screenshot from the DeMAG webserver. DeMAG predicts benign mutations in light blue and pathogenic ones in coral; Copyright: Agnes Toth-Petroczy, Nature Communications

Agnes Toth-Petroczy, Nature Communications

New tool facilitates clinical interpretation of genetic information

27/04/2023

Max Planck and Harvard research teams develop DeMAG, a new method shared as an open-source web server (demag.org) to help interpret mutations in disease genes and improve clinical decision-making.
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Image: Example image for the spatially resolved analysis of a gene on a section of kidney tissue; Copyright: Daniel Kokotek

Daniel Kokotek

New method makes rare cell types visible

13/04/2023

In cooperation with Helmholtz Munich, Professor Matthias Meier from the Centre for Biotechnology and Biomedicine at Leipzig University and his research group have developed a new, effective and comparatively inexpensive method to make rare cell types, cell communication types and disease patterns visible in tissue.
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Image: Close-up of a sample tray and analyzer in the laboratory; Copyright: Fraunhofer IPK / Larissa Klassen

Fraunhofer IPK / Larissa Klassen

New technologies for producing mRNA-based pharmaceuticals

24/03/2023

Together with partners from science and industry, Fraunhofer IPK is researching how mRNA therapeutics and other medication can be better produced and more effectively applied.
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Image: Close-up of a pregnancy belly, the woman is holding her hand on her belly; Copyright: Karin Kaiser/MHH.

Karin Kaiser/MHH.

Better care for pregnant women with precancerous cervical cancer

23/03/2023

Preliminary stages of cervical cancer occur mainly in women between 25 and 35 years of age. The main risk factor for developing cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV). Surgery is the treatment of choice.
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Image: The photo shows the scanning of a blood sample in a laboratory at CiiM.; Copyright: Karin Kaiser / MHH

Karin Kaiser / MHH

What leads to severe COVID-19 diseases?

01/03/2023

Infection with SARS-CoV-2 leads to severe disease in some people, while others do not get ill or only experience mild disease. But why is this the case? Unfortunately, we do not know exactly. We do know that an overactive innate immune system is causing severe COVID-19 disease, but it is unclear how this is regulated.
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Bild: DNA strand assembly from different elements. 3D illustration; Copyright: iLexx

iLexx

The architecture of shattered genomes

27/01/2023

Hunting for disease clues in the dark matter of our DNA. Scientists have reconstructed the chromosomes of patients with an extremely high number of aberrations in their genome that could alter the expression of nearby genes and potentially cause disease. Their results were published in Nature Communications in October 2022.
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Image: Dr Anke Katharina Bergmann in a white coat, holding a tablet, is standing in front of a virtual map of Europe; Copyright: Karin Kaiser / MHH, Freepik.com

Karin Kaiser / MHH, Freepik.com

MHH leads EU large-scale project for personalized cancer care

26/01/2023

CAN.HEAL aims to expand the available innovations in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment in the Member States in order to improve care for all patients in the EU. The project focuses on measures of personalized medicine. Genomics is an important cornerstone for this.
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Image: Researcher examines cell culture plates under the microscope; Copyright: manjurulhaque

manjurulhaque

Analyzing disease progression and cell processes with TIGER: in vivo and non-invasively

18/01/2023

Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) and the Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) in Würzburg have developed a technology they call TIGER. It allows complex processes in individual cells to be deciphered in vivo by recording past RNA transcripts.
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Image: Two men are sitting in front of a laptop computer and are talking about an image on the screen - Josch Konstantin Pauling, Nikolai Köhler; Copytight: LipiTUM

LipiTUM

MoSBi: Algorithm identifies disease subtypes

01/08/2022

Doctors have always used symptoms, imaging, and laboratory data to define and diagnose diseases, but at times it is simply not enough: while patients may have the same illness, it may exhibit different changes at the molecular level. A team from the Technical University of Munich has developed the so-called MoSBi algorithm and makes it available to researchers to identify molecular differences.
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Image: Two drops of water on a screen that shows a pattern of colored bars; Copyright: ktsimage

ktsimage

Big Data in genetics: reaching diagnosis through heaps of data

01/08/2022

Most laboratory tests only produce small amounts of data that are already sufficient for successful diagnosis. It becomes more difficult with genetic questions: whether it is about a genetic disease or the properties of tumors, there are large amounts of data that must be considered. Both research and medicine need help to identify the connections and patterns in the data to find a diagnosis.
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Image: Gloved hand holds a cell culturing vessel in front of a screen with the depiction of a genetic analysis; Copyright: westend61

westend61

Big Data: Helper and game changer in laboratory medicine and genetics

01/08/2022

Big data, the use of large volumes of data in diagnostics and research, is giving medical science a powerful boost. Especially in laboratory medicine, big data can provide unprecedented support as doctors must consider a multitude of data and parameters to facilitate accurate medical decision-making.
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Image: The Harmony COVID-19 test; Copyright: Mark Stone/University of Washington

Mark Stone/University of Washington

Fast and cheap test can detect COVID-19 virus' genome without need for PCR

25/01/2022

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a new test for COVID-19 that combines the speed of over-the-counter antigen tests with the accuracy of PCR tests that are processed in medical labs and hospitals.
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LampSeq – Scalable and cost-effective mass test

15/10/2021

Vaccinations and tests once again enable safe gatherings during the Corona pandemic. But unfortunately, existing test technologies are not suitable for every situation: A lot of time is lost for example due to testing at schools and the workplace. Now the University Hospital Bonn has developed a new kind of test which has numerous advantages over existing technologies.
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Image: Two men in white shirs - Kazuki Takahashi, Manabu Tokeshi; Copyright: Manabu Tokeshi

Manabu Tokeshi

SARS-CoV-2: rapid method to quantify antibodies

29/07/2021

Scientists have developed a rapid, highly accurate test to detect antibodies against the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 in human serum, opening a new avenue for understanding the full extent of the pandemic and evaluating the effectiveness of vaccines.
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Image: A swab is lying across a sample vial; Copyright: PantherMedia/fotoquique

Point-of-care tests: rapid diagnosis in emergency situations

01/06/2021

In emergency medicine, a faster diagnosis leads to a faster treatment of the patient. Point-of-care test solutions can provide immediate on-site insights into the patient’s condition. COVID-19 adds another dimension: the devices can provide a level of security and safety – one that goes beyond intensive care.
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Image: A half-transparent red piece of tissue in a glass filled with a yellow fluid; Copyright: United Therapeutics

rhCollagen: genetically engineered building block for regenerative medicine

03/02/2020

Collagen is the stuff that holds our bodies together and that houses our cells. In regenerative medicine, it is also the stuff that can be applied to wounds to support healing. However, collagen from animal or human sources has some drawbacks for today’s medicine. This is where rhCollagen from the Israeli company CollPlant comes into play.
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Image: A lab technician is using a pipette to fill a solution into a petri dish; Copyright: panthermedia.net/Arne Trautmann

Last-resort antibiotics: "We can identify carbapenemases within half an hour"

01/08/2019

Antibiotic resistance is modern medicine's greatest challenge. Some bacteria only respond to a handful of antibiotics, prompting hospitals to spend a lot of time finding an effective drug. That’s why it is critical for physicians to rapidly identify antibiotic resistance to avoid ineffective treatments.
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Multi-organ chips: Drug research without animal testing at vasQlab

15/05/2019

New active substances that are suitable for drugs are initially tested in animal experiments. However, the results cannot always be transferred to the human organism. At the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Prof. Ute Schepers from vasQlab explains how active substances can be tested in human tissue without endangering human health.
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