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A precursor of cholesterol, previously categorised as harmful, can protect cancer cells from cell death. This finding, published in Nature, opens new doors for cancer research. In a groundbreaking study, a team led by Würzburg Professor José Pedro Friedmann Angeli has shown that the cholesterol precursor 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) plays a crucial role as an antioxidant: it integrates into the cell membranes and protects the cells by preventing a certain type of cell death, known as ferroptosis.

Researchers have identified genetic traces of hepatitis E viruses in almost 73 percent of wastewater samples from North-Rhine Westphalia. Findings on drug-resistant variants are of particular value. Hepatitis E is widespread among the population worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that around 20 million people are infected with it every year.

Bonn researchers discover that a protein from fatty tissue precursors is the cause of treatment failure and develop a solution strategy Urothelial carcinomas are malignant tumors that originate from the epithelium that lines the bladder and ureters, for example. They are still one of the most common types of cancer in Europe, especially in men.

A combination therapy with multiple drugs is more effective than just one active compound. To begin with, at least. Hepatitis E affects over 20 million people worldwide. It clears up without any consequences in most cases, but it can pose a risk to pregnant women and immunocompromised patients. There are no specific active substances against the virus.

Further TOSYMA analysis underpins advantages of DBT+SM use compared to the previous screening standard In diagnostics, finding more is not automatically better. Rather, it is about finding the right thing - especially in the case of such dangerous diseases as cancer. This is where early detection comes into play, but it can also have unwanted side effects: For example, there is a risk of also discovering non-aggressive tumors that lead to treatment - but would not have substantively impaired quality of life or become life-threatening in the course of the disease.

Psychotherapy effective in treating post-traumatic stress disorder following multiple traumatic events International meta-study: Team led by researchers from the University of Münster reports encouraging results for patients and therapists Psychotherapy is an effective treatment for adults with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following exposure to multiple traumatic events.

Lack of activation of the locus coeruleus in the brain inhibits the inner drive Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich, Germany,  have discovered that the dilation of the pupil in response to an expected reward depends on whether a person can feel pleasure. This indicates that insufficient activity of the locus coeruleus in the brain is largely responsible for the lack of drive in people with depression.

Natural killer cells of the innate immune system can permanently remain in infected tissue and thus contribute to immunological memory. Researchers at the University of Würzburg have now discovered this. A team of the Max Planck Research Group for Systems Immunology led by Würzburg immunologist Georg Gasteiger has published surprising findings about cells of the innate immune system, the natural killer cells, in the journal Immunity: During local infections in the skin, these cells can migrate into the tissue and remain there long-term.

Inflammation of the heart muscle following a viral infection can impede cardiac function in the long term 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.

Test subjects who That is the finding of a 45-person study by researchers in the Department of Biology at Universität Hamburg in cooperation with the University of Tübingen. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports. Secretory immunoglobulin A (slgA) in our saliva is the most important antibody for fighting respiratory pathogens.

The African Matabele ants are often injured in fights with termites. Their conspecifics recognise when the wounds become infected and initiate antibiotic treatment. The Matabele ants ( Megaponera analis ), which are widespread south of the Sahara, have a narrow diet: They only eat termites. Their hunting expeditions are dangerous because termite soldiers defend their conspecifics - and use their powerful mandibles to do so.

Researchers from the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and the University Hospital Bonn have demonstrated that certain derivatives of vitamin B2 can alleviate chronic kidney inflammation in mice. Their findings have been published in the journal "Nature Communications."  The term glomerulonephritis denotes several types of chronic kidneys inflammation that can lead to the loss of renal function.

The rising resistance of bacteria to antibiotics presents an escalating global health risk. Now, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg, Germany, have combined synthetic biology and artificial intelligence (AI) to develop a more efficient approach to finding and creating new antimicrobial peptides that are effective against a wide range of bacteria.

In a large-scale research project, the Technische Universität Ilmenau is developing a method for robotic surgery that will enable much more effective treatment of malignant cancerous tumors. With a combination of highly sensitive sensor technology, modern imaging and artificial intelligence, the surgeon can perform the operation more precisely and with less tissue damage than ever before - significantly improving the patient's chances of recovery.

Freiburg researchers achieved a significantly improved anti-tumour efficacy of CAR-T cells in a preclinical model CAR-T cell therapy is a last hope for many patients with blood, bone marrow or lymph gland cancer when other treatments such as chemotherapy are unsuccessful. A limiting factor of this otherwise very effective and safe therapy is that the cells used in the process quickly reach a state of exhaustion.

Four distinguished immunologists have been awarded one of the most generously funded research grants from the EU: the ERC Synergy Grant. They aim to explore new avenues for immunotherapy of liver metastases. A significant proportion of cancer patients do not succumb to the initial tumor but rather to the resulting metastases.

A European research team led by the Department of Chemistry at Universität Hamburg presents a study showing high-resolution structures of 17 distinct antibiotic ribosomal compounds. The knowledge could pave the way for the development of new antibiotics to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria. The results were published in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.

Blood vessels in the eye altered with persistent coronavirus symptoms New approach to testing for long Covid A standardized eye examination might reveal in future whether people are suffering from long Covid syndrome or post-Covid. A team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) was able to demonstrate a clear connection between the disease and certain changes to the blood vessels in the eye.

In contrast to treatment with medication alone, patients benefit from additional catheter ablation, a new study shows. Heart specialists from the Heart and Diabetes Center NRW (HDZ NRW), Bad Oeynhausen, have demonstrated for the first time worldwide in a monocentric, open study that patients suffering from severe heart failure (cardiac insufficiency) in combination with symptomatic atrial fibrillation benefit more from catheter ablation in combination with guideline-compliant drug therapy than from drug therapy alone.

The prebiotic resistant starch could play an important role in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the future. Initial indications suggest that a specially adapted diet with resistant starch not only positively influences the intestinal microbiome but also leads to an alleviation of the disease.