news 2021

Dark-field X-ray technology improves diagnosis of pulmonary ailments For the first time, researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have successfully used a new X-ray method for respiratory diagnostics with patients. Dark-field X-rays visualize early changes in the alveolar structure caused by the lung disease COPD and require only one fiftieth of the radiation dose typically applied in X-ray computed tomography.

MHH study develops reference tool for blood tests Lymphocytes belong to the white blood cells. They consist of several subgroups with different tasks in immune defence. Which and how many lymphocytes are in the blood provides information about our current state of health as well as congenital or acquired immune deficiencies.

MHH research team demonstrates how inflammatory cells improve the function of diseased heart muscle cells Heart failure or cardiac insufficiency is one of the most common causes of death in Germany and is caused by heart attacks, high blood pressure or heart valve defects. The heart is then no longer able to pump a sufficient amount of blood through the body and supply organs, muscles or other tissues with enough oxygen and nutrients.

Polyreactive antibodies as markers for autoimmune hepatitis Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic liver inflammation that is triggered by an immunological malfunction. In this case, the immune system falsely recognises the patient's own liver cells as "foreign to the body". The symptoms of this rare liver disease are unspecific, and the exact cause is not yet known.

Antibiotics help us to treat bacterial infections and save millions of lives each year. But they can also harm the helpful microbes residing in our gut, weakening one of our body's first lines of defence against pathogens and compromising the multiple beneficial effects our microbiota has for our health.

A disturbed energy metabolism in the cells causes cartilage tissue to be built up incorrectly / research group of the UoC's Faculty of Medicine publishes study in the 'Journal of Biological Chemistry' A team led by Professor Dr Bent Brachvogel, Head of Experimental Neonatology at the Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, has discovered previously unknown regulatory mechanisms of tissue organization.

The human gut is a multi-species habitat that can control our health and well-being. Bacteria, viruses and microbial fungi are part of this complex microbial community and help us with our digestion and immune defense. If the intestinal flora is impaired, for example by contaminated drinking water or food infected by germs, this can result in infectious diseases.

The human gut is a multi-species habitat that can control our health and well-being. Bacteria, viruses and microbial fungi are part of this complex microbial community and help us with our digestion and immune defense. If the intestinal flora is impaired, for example by contaminated drinking water or food infected by germs, this can result in infectious diseases.

Protein causes more severe cancer disease in men A remarkable number of life-threatening diseases manifest more severely in males than in females. One current example is COVID-19 caused by SARS CoV-2. Another example is the significantly higher risk of severe cancer progression for men. A research team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now discovered a molecular cause for this difference between sexes.

A comprehensive analysis of white blood cells in the tissue surrounding the brain / Study published in the journal "Nature Neuroscience" The brain holds numerous unsolved medical mysteries. Only a few years ago it was discovered that the outer layer of the meninges is interlaced with lymphatic vessels.

Changes in fat metabolism of colorectal cancer cells demonstrated for the first time Where does a malignant tumor obtain the energy to keep growing? That is a key question in cancer research. If the energy source were known, the tumor could be "starved". Researchers have now laid the foundation for this approach: For the first time, they have demonstrated a fundamental difference in the fat metabolism of healthy cells in the inner lining of the intestinal tract and colorectal cancer cells.

"You can't see the wood for the trees" is a phrase which we certainly don't associate immediately with the medical examination and analysis of testicles. But in a certain way it applies here, too: testicles consist of many different types of cells, and up to now this complex quality prevented these types from being isolated and then analysed.

Seen for the first time: T cells traveling from the gut and skin to the central nervous system Scientists have long been aware of a link between the gut microbiome and the central nervous system (CNS). Until now, however, the immune cells that move from the gut into the CNS and thus the brain had not been identified.

A research team from the Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) of Heidelberg University has demonstrated that complex retinal tissue can be cultured in a Petri dish from embryonic stem cells of bony fish. Until now, stem cells from mammals, including humans, have been used in organoid research. For the first time, researchers led by Joachim Wittbrodt have demonstrated that stem cells from medaka and zebrafish can also form highly organised neural structures under controlled laboratory conditions.

Using nanoparticles, a Jena research team implemented the targeted transport of an active ingredient into liver tissue. The particles were functionalized with a dye that is specifically absorbed by liver cells, and they carried an inhibitor of the signal protein PI3Kinase ', which contributes to the development of liver failure in sepsis.

08/30/2021 Against infections, tumours and inflammations, immune cells are locally positioned as rapid reaction forces in the organs of the body. On site, they specialise and take on various tasks. When pathogens invade the human body, a rapid response is required. At the forefront of the immune response are special immune cells.

Heidelberg research group seeks and develops inhibitors against flaviand coronaviruses New drugs are intended to help stop viral zoonoses - infections that jump from animals to humans. To study suitable inhibitors, Christian Klein from the Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology (IPMB) of Heidelberg University is receiving funding in the amount of 450,000 euros from the Volkswagen Foundation.

Immune cell profile reveals appearance, number and activity level against SARS-CoV-2 T cells play a decisive role in fighting the coronavirus and preventing infected individuals from becoming seriously ill. They identify and fight the virus directly within the infected cells. A team of researchers working in Munich have produced a precise profile of the T cells that respond to SARS-CoV-2 and described them at various stages of the illness.

Model to serve as basis for new therapeutic strategies / Joint press release by Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the MDC, and Freie Universität Berlin Covid-19 disease severity is determined by the individual patient's immune response. The precise mechanisms taking place inside the lungs and blood during the early phase of the disease, however, remain unclear.

Enzyme treatment of skin samples improves microbiome analysis Healthy skin has a bacterial shield to protect against germs: the microbiome. This complex assembly of microorganisms was previously believed to be difficult to decipher. A team of researchers has now succeeded in using the enzyme benzonase to identify the living bacteria in skin swabs through sequencing.