MPI für Multidisziplinäre Naturwissenschaften
Dementia: poorly insulated nerve cells promote Alzheimer's disease in old age
08/06/2023
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Göttingen have shown that defective myelin actively promotes disease-related changes in Alzheimer’s. Slowing down age-related myelin damage could open up new ways to prevent the disease or delay its progression in the future.
Benjamin Mosch
Imaging: MRI shows how fibromyalgia changes the brain
05/06/2023
A team from the LWL Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, has investigated the brain changes that are related to the disorder.
Fotogenia - Renate Trummer
Tissue Engineering: TU Graz revolutionises production of biocompatible microfibres
02/06/2023
Using a newly developed method for the efficient and cost-effective production of biocompatible microfibres, the production of autologous skin and organs can be significantly accelerated. Responsible for the development are Carole Planchette and her team from TU Graz.
Swen Pförtner MPI
Multiple Sclerosis: structural changes in brain tissue promote inflammatory processes
31/05/2023
A German-Dutch research team has shown that ultrastructural changes in healthy areas in the white matter of MS patients make the tissue more susceptible to inflammation and the formation of lesions
NTU Singapore
Why wavy wounds heal faster than straight wounds
19/05/2023
Wavy wounds heal faster than straight wounds because shapes influence cell movements, a team of researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has found.
University of Surrey
UK AI world leader in identifying location and expression of proteins
18/05/2023
A new advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system has shown world-leading accuracy and speed in identifying protein patterns within individual cells.
WFIRM
Bioprinting research makes history when it soars to the ISS
17/05/2023
The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) will make history this month when the first bioprinted solid tissue constructs soar to the International Space Station (ISS) on board the next all private astronaut mission by commercial space leader Axiom Space.
UBT / Chr. Wißler.
Regenerative medicine: cell-specific properties of novel spider silk materials
12/05/2023
Materials made of spider silk can be specifically modified or processed in such a way that living cells of a certain type adhere to them, grow and proliferate. This has been discovered by researchers at the University of Bayreuth under the direction of Prof. Dr. Thomas Scheibel.
DZNE/AG Milovanovic
Tuning brain cells with light
11/05/2023
An international research team, comprising scientists from University Hospital Bonn, DZNE, the Netherlands, and the US has been awarded a US$ 1.3 million grant by the “Human Frontier Science Program” to investigate brain immune cells and manipulate them via light irradiation.
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.
Berend Snijder Lab / ETH Zurich
How to fight blood cancer more effectively
05/05/2023
Despite approved treatments being available, multiple myeloma remains incurable. But researchers at ETH Zurich and University Hospital Zurich set out to improve treatment outcomes by testing hundreds of existing therapeutics outside the body to predict their effectiveness.
nd3000
Atrial fibrillation: Targeted drug therapy approach discovered for the first time
04/05/2023
When the heart gets out of rhythm, characteristic processes occur in the heart muscle cells. Among other things, the currents of electrically charged particles (ions) change. In chronic atrial fibrillation, one of these currents is reduced.
RUB, Marquard
Effects of brain stimulation amenable to conditioning
28/04/2023
Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, have successfully implemented a special form of classical conditioning. They showed on a group of 75 people that effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can be triggered solely by listening to a tone.
Magnus Johansson
Wound dressing reveals infection
26/04/2023
A nanocellulose wound dressing that can reveal early signs of infection without interfering with the healing process has been developed by researchers at Linköping University, Sweden.
INP
Plasma against precancerous skin lesions: EU funds international doctoral candidates network
24/04/2023
Under the leadership of the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), the international doctoral candidates network PlasmACT is investigating the use of medical gas plasma technology as a treatment method.
Pekka Ruusuvuori
AI-based method to replace chemical staining of tissue
21/04/2023
Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence-based method for virtual staining of histopathological tissue samples as a part of the Nordic ABCAP consortium.
Science Brush | Hassan A. Tahini
How electricity can heal wounds three times as fast
21/04/2023
Using electric stimulation, researchers in a project at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, and the University of Freiburg, Germany, have developed a method that speeds up the healing process, making wounds heal three times faster.
Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine
Microelectrode array: hammock for brain organoids
20/04/2023
Novel microelectrode array system enables long-term cultivation and electrophysiological analyses of brain organoids.
Cyborg and Bionic Systems
Bioprinting technology and AI enable high quality in vitro models
19/04/2023
In the process of organoid manufacturing, bioprinting technology not only facilitates the creation and maintenance of complex biological 3D shapes and structures, but also allows for standardization and quality control during production.
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.
Fraunhofer-Translationszentrum/Fraunhofer ISC
SAPs4Tissue: human tissue models with customized biomaterials
12/04/2023
In a joint project of the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, and the Translational Center for Regenerative Therapies at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC, Würzburg, scientific principles and biomaterials for the standardized production of valid tissue models are to be developed.
Daniel Delang / TUM
Mini-heart in a Petri dish: organoid emulates development of the human heart
11/04/2023
The team working with Alessandra Moretti, Professor of Regenerative Medicine in Cardiovascular Disease, has developed a method for making a sort of "mini-heart" using pluripotent stem cells.
Universidad de Barcelona
Microfluidics physics-based device to predict cancer therapy response
06/04/2023
A team of experts has designed a microfluidic device called microfluidic dynamic BH3 profiling (μDBP) that predicts the effectiveness of cancer treatment quickly and automatically.
ONWARD Medical NV
PANDORA test could pave the way for better oral cancer detection
06/04/2023
Surrey scientists have developed a proof-of-concept test called PANDORA that was shown to be over 92% accurate at identifying patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The test was also shown to be more than 80% accurate at identifying patients with pre-cancer or oral epithelial dysplasia (OED).
Gustavo Raskosky/Rice University
Upgraded tumor model optimizes search for cancer therapies
27/03/2023
Rice University researchers developed an upgraded tumor model that houses osteosarcoma cells beside immune cells known as macrophages inside a three-dimensional structure engineered to mimic bone. Using the model, bioengineer Antonios Mikos and collaborators found that the body’s immune response can make tumor cells more resistant to chemotherapy.
University of the West of Scotland
Radiology: Research could improve cancer treatment
22/03/2023
UWS School of Computing Engineering and Physical Sciences are developing breakthrough investigations into advanced radiation treatment technique, after receiving funding from Cancer Research UK RadNet – the charity's radiation research network.
JoPanwatD
AI finds targets for CAR-T cell therapy against acute myeloid leukemia
20/03/2023
Unlike other forms of blood cancer, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cannot currently be treated with CAR-T cell immunotherapy. The reason is that specific molecular targets with which certain immune cells could specifically target AML cells are lacking, which would permit the immune system to attack cancer.
Max-Planck-Institut für medizinische Forschung
Further advance in super-resolution fluorescence microscopy
16/03/2023
Scientists led by Nobel Laureate Stefan Hell at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg have developed a super-resolution microscope with a spatio-temporal precision of one nanometer per millisecond.
ckstockphoto
Smart microscopy works out where to take the picture
16/03/2023
Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have now developed a software solution for smart, data-driven microscopy, which makes this possible.
Colourbox
Stem cell model: research into malformation of the newborn lung
15/03/2023
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia is one of the deadliest birth defects. To better understand and treat this condition in the future, an international team of researchers involving Leipzig University Hospital designed a new cell model in the laboratory and tested a drug therapy on it.
Carlos Marques / ENS Lyon
Standard model of electroporation refuted
15/03/2023
Technology developed at the University of Freiburg enables experimental test. The new findings could help to improve the transport of active substances into cells
manjurulhaque
RIANA: Viennese start-up develops novel, precise anti-cancer drugs
14/03/2023
The technological basis is a proprietary platform technology for the discovery of drugs that target cancer-causing protein-protein interactions (PPIs).
Fraunhofer ISC
Innovative in vitro eye irritation test to replace standard animal testing
10/03/2023
Researchers at the Translational Center for Regenerative Therapies TLC-RT of the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC want to work with partners to replace animal testing.
AG Hoelzel/UKB
Artificial intelligence to help tumor immunology
09/03/2023
Developing methods to predict the nature of the tumor microenvironment is the goal of researchers from the Clusters of Excellence ImmunoSensation2 and the Hausdorff Center for Mathematics (HCM) led by Prof. Kevin Thurley at the University of Bonn.
FBH/P. Immerz
Entangled photon pairs to help fighting cancer
06/03/2023
The recently launched QEED project aims to significantly reduce measurement time in clinical cancer diagnostics by developing a spectrally resolved imaging technique based on entangled photon pairs. FBH scientists will develop the required diode lasers and quantum light modules.
Satoshi Tanikawa, et al. 2023
Healing the brain: hydrogels enable neuronal tissue growth
03/03/2023
Synthetic hydrogels were shown to provide an effective scaffold for neuronal tissue growth in areas of brain damage, providing a possible approach for brain tissue reconstruction.
DC_Studio
New artificial model validates antibodies ability to reach the brain
03/03/2023
A research group at Uppsala University has developed a simple and effective artificial blood-brain barrier model that can be used to determine how well antibody-based therapies can enter the brain.
imagesourcecurated
Electrodes grown in the brain – paving the way for future therapies for neurological disorders
02/03/2023
The boundaries between biology and technology are becoming blurred. Researchers at Linköping, Lund, and Gothenburg universities in Sweden have successfully grown electrodes in living tissue using the body’s molecules as triggers. The result, published in the journal Science, paves the way for the formation of fully integrated electronic circuits in living organisms.
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.
RUB, Marquard
AI with infrared imaging enables precise colon cancer diagnostics
23/02/2023
Researchers at the Centre for Protein Diagnostics PRODI at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, are using artificial intelligence in combination with infrared imaging to optimally tailor colon cancer therapy to individual patients.
HAWK
Imaging: role of immune cells in early diabetic cataract development
22/02/2023
The team of researchers, led by Prof. Dr. Ali Hafezi-Moghadam, Director of the Molecular Biomarkers Nano-Imaging Laboratory (MBNI), in collaboration with Professor Dr. Christoph Rußmann, Dean of the Health Campus and a Visiting Professor at MBNI, found early signs of damage in the eye before the onset of type 2 diabetes.
Pressmaster
AI analyses cell movement under the microscope
22/02/2023
The enormous amount of data obtained by filming biological processes using a microscope has previously been an obstacle for analyses.
Kai Melde, MPI für medizinische Forschung
Creating 3D objects with sound
17/02/2023
Scientists from the Micro, Nano and Molecular Systems Lab at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research and the Institute for Molecular Systems Engineering and Advanced Materials at Heidelberg University have created a new technology to assemble matter in 3D.
HIPS/Boese
New cell model for the human lung
16/02/2023
A team led by Prof Claus-Michael Lehr of the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) has developed a novel human lung cell line that should enable much more accurate predictions of the behavior of active substances or dosage forms in humans than previous systems.
Fraunhofer ISC
Bioresorbable membrane for healing internal and external wounds
10/02/2023
Fraunhofer researchers have succeeded in using the bioresorbable silica gel Renacer to produce an electrospun membrane that is neither cytotoxic to cells nor genotoxic.
POSTECH
Treating cornea ulcers with diagnostic light instead of corneal transplantation
08/02/2023
Recently, a Korean joint research team from POSTECH-KKU has developed a new tissue adhesive that restores the damaged cornea by simply filling it and exposing it to light.
PeterHermesFurian
"Spleen-on-a-chip" yields insight into sickle cell disease
06/02/2023
With this microfluidic device, researchers modeled how sickled blood cells clog the spleen’s filters, leading to a potentially life-threatening condition.
MPI-P
New insights into the utilization of nanotechnology-based drugs
01/02/2023
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research have now followed the path of such a particle into a cell using a combination of several microscopy methods. They were able to observe a cell-internal process that effectively separates blood components and nanoparticles.
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.
Universitätsmedizin Halle
Long COVID: blood values indicate reprogramming of immune cells
26/01/2023
The underlying mechanisms of long COVID are not yet fully understood. Molecular clues to different subgroups of long COVID have now been provided by a research group at University Medicine Halle.
Beachbumledford
Controlled manufacture, storage and freezing of artificial retinal cells
25/01/2023
Fraunhofer researchers have now developed a new method for the production and clinical application of stem-cell-based retinal implants, which could contribute towards the successful treatment of AMD.
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.
Amac Garbe/Fraunhofer IWS
Radioactive substances fight cancer in the mini-lab
13/01/2023
Two Dresden research institutes want to reduce the number of animal experiments in radiopharmaceutical research with a new idea.
Aalto University
Gaining unprecedented view of small molecules by machine learning
06/01/2023
A new tool to identify small molecules offers benefits for diagnostics, drug discovery and fundamental research. A new machine learning model will help scientists identify small molecules, with applications in medicine, drug discovery and environmental chemistry.
Messe Düsseldorf/C. Tillmann
RNA technologies make targeted immune activation possible
03/11/2022
MEDICA 2022 is right around the corner, ready to deliver insights into the advancements and innovations in laboratory medicine. One of the key topics of the MEDICA LABMED Forum is RNA technologies and the wide range of applications that involve cell biology. RNA technologies not only enable Covid-19 vaccines but promise an array of treatment options for genetic diseases, in and beyond oncology.
DC_Studio
Diagnosing breast cancer through liquid biopsy
22/09/2022
Breast cancer diagnosis usually includes invasive testing with tissue biopsies. The samples have to be extracted from the cancerous tissue or cells. To make the process easier on the patients, the project LIBIMEDOTS is currently developing a different approach with liquid biopsy technology.
Susanne Vondenbusch-Teetz, MPI for Biochemistry
Deep Visual Proteomics: tracking down cancer
08/09/2022
Proteins are frequently called the building blocks of life because they are found everywhere, including in our cells. This makes them an important factor when it comes to diseases. As a result, mapping the protein landscape can be a crucial ally in the fight against diseases. Now, a German-Danish team has developed a method that provides researchers with unprecedented insights into cancer.
DC_Studio
Why some people get a more severe COVID-19 progression than others
22/08/2022
A team of scientists from the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH) together with colleagues from the United Kingdom and Canada have found genes and proteins that contribute to a higher risk of severe COVID-19.
MICROGEN@GMAIL.COM
Molecular markers: predicting the most effective treatment for IBD
09/08/2022
Early effective treatment can help manage this condition and improve the quality of life of patients. A research project aims to identify molecular markers to better assess the chances of success of certain biological therapies and subsequently determine the best individualized treatment plan.
Felix Petermann | MDC
Project "ikarus" provides new insights for cancer research
01/08/2022
Artificial intelligence (AI) is about to become a game changer, especially in diagnostics. However, there are still limits to the use of AI. Dr. Altuna Akalin had to recognize this as well. The head of the Max Delbrück Center's (MDC) technology platform for "Bioinformatics and Omics Data Science" developed "ikarus" with his team.
Berthold Steinhilber
Ex vivo obesity research thanks to the adipose-on-chip system
08/07/2022
Ex vivo studies of human obesity without animal testing? The Adipose-on-Chip system offers a solution that allows scientists to gain better insights into various obesity-linked secondary diseases and comorbidities in the future.
Karin Kaiser/MHH
Prevention of cervical cancer with HPV self-testing
28/10/2021
Cervical cancer is one of the most common diseases of the female reproductive organs. Human papilloma viruses are almost always responsible for cervical cancer and the corresponding precancerous lesions. As part of the statutory preventive medical check-up, women from the age of 20 can have a cell smear taken from the cervix once a year, the so-called Pap test, to detect cell changes.
PantherMedia/Wavebreakmedia Ltd
Controlling insulin production with a smartwatch
15/06/2021
Many modern fitness trackers and smartwatches feature integrated LEDs. The green light emitted, whether continuous or pulsed, penetrates the skin and can be used to measure the wearer's heart rate during physical activity or while at rest.
Tissue Engineering and Bioprinting – From artificial heart valves and printed humans
27/01/2021
Drug research and artificial skin replacement - these are the areas in which tissue engineering and bioprinting are already used today. What else could be possible in the future? We asked Dr. Nadine Nottrodt from Fraunhofer ILT and Prof. Sabine Neuß-Stein from RWTH Aachen University Hospital!
RUDN University
Wound-healing gel with metabolic products of trichoderma
07/12/2020
Researchers from the Department of Biochemistry of RUDN University developed a wound-healing gel based on a substance that is produced by Trichoderma fungi. The results of the study were published in the Nov.-Dec. 2020 issue Systematic Reviews in Pharmacy journal.
Multi-photon lithography: printing cells with micrometer accuracy
01/12/2020
How do cells react to certain drugs? And how exactly is new tissue created? This can be analyzed by using bioprinting to embed cells in fine frameworks. However, current methods are often imprecise or too slow to process cells before they are damaged. At the TU Vienna, a high-resolution bioprinting process has now been developed using a new bio-ink.
"Cells are highly sensitive" – material development for bioprinting
01/12/2020
The big hope of bioprinting is to someday be able to print whole human organs. So far, the process has been limited to testing platforms such as organs-on-a-chip. That's because the actual printing process already poses challenges. Scientists need suitable printing materials that ensure the cell's survival as it undergoes the procedure. The Fraunhofer IGB is researching and analyzing this aspect.
Bioprinting: life from the printer
01/12/2020
It aims at the production of test systems for drug research and gives patients on the waiting lists for donor organs hope: bioprinting. Thereby biologically functional tissues are printed. But how does that actually work? What are the different bioprinting methods? And can entire organs be printed with it? These and other questions are examined in our Topic of the Month.
Printed life – possibilities and limits of bioprinting
01/12/2020
Implants, prostheses and various other components made of plastic, metal or ceramics are already being produced by additive manufacturing. But skin, blood vessels or entire organs from the printer – is that possible? For years now, intensive research has been underway into the production of biologically functional tissue using printing processes. Some things are already possible with bioprinting.
Smartlab – Robotics and automation in the laboratory
15/09/2020
Some tasks in the laboratory are repetitive, need to be done extremely precise and require a lot of time. Such tasks are very tedious for humans, but they are tailor-made for robots. Such is the case with the "AutoCRAT" project at the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT in Aachen. Here, a robotic platform is developed to produce stem cells for the treatment of osteoarthritis.
Medical products made of collagen - Biocompatible, elastic, stable
19/03/2020
Regenerative medicine often relies on implants and materials that support healing in our body. Collagen has a special significance here. It is compatible to the body and offers an excellent environment for the growing of new cells. In our video, we took a look on where collagen and collagen products for medicine come from.
Angiogenesis: light shows blood vessels the way
03/02/2020
Regenerative medicine aims to replace damage in the body with functional tissue and restore normal function. The first defense for large defects are implants made of hydrogels, designed to promote cell growth. They need their own blood supply, which is a problem when it comes to larger implants because you cannot regulate where and how the blood vessels grow - until now.
Regenerative medicine: helps the body healing
03/02/2020
Severe wounds heal slowly and leave scars. This is why we have been using regenerative therapies for some time now to accelerate and improve healing. They also help to avoid permanent damage. Still, complex applications like replacing organs or limbs will rather remain vision than become reality for a long time.
Fraunhofer ISS
AI software: "iSTIX opens your world to the possibilities of digital pathology"
08/10/2019
The healthcare market offers a multitude of microscopes that make cells visible to the human eye. The same applies to AI-based software for image analysis. After taking the microscopic images, scientist are faced with large volumes of scans with usually low resolution. Yet when all aspects merge together, they open up a the world of digital pathology.
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.
Multi-Organ Chips – The Patients of Tomorrow?
01/02/2019
The liver, nervous tissue or the intestines: all are important human organs that have in the past been tested for their function and compatibility using animal or in vitro test methods. In recent years, TissUse GmbH, a spin-off of the Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin), has launched multi-organ chip platforms. But that’s not all.
Organ-on-a-chip – Organs in miniature format
01/02/2019
In vitro processes and animal tests are used to develop new medications and novel therapeutic approaches. However, animal testing raises important ethical concerns. Organ-on-a-chip models promise to be a feasible alternative. In a system the size of a smartphone, organs are connected using artificial circulation.
Organ-on-a-chip systems: limited validity?
01/02/2019
Organ-on-a-chip systems are technically a great enhancement of medical research because they facilitate testing of active ingredients on cell cultures in the chambers of a plastic chip. This replaces animal testing and improves patient safety. That being said, they are not a true-to-life replication of the human body and can only simulate a few functions and activities.