Research

Robots that can learn and adapt require not only data, AI tools, and algorithms but also direct communication with their users. Jens Kober would like to improve this interaction and as the new head of a research team at Fraunhofer IPA, he is focusing in particular on construction robotics. Whether helping out around the house, […]

A novel vaccination strategy against certain malignant brain tumors could fundamentally improve treatment for patients. Researchers from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Mannheim University Medical Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, and numerous partner institutions* have published encouraging long-term results from a clinical trial involving a vaccine that activates the immune system against a common genetic […]

Researchers from EMBL, LUMC, and collaborators reanalysed nearly 6,800 gut microbiome profiles, revealing a consistent microbial signature of colorectal cancer Summary Researchers have long suspected that the gut microbiome – the community of bacteria and other microorganisms living in the intestine – is closely linked to colorectal cancer. In a new study published in Cell Host […]

Scientists have shown how the edges of biological tissues create geometric constraints that help cells position themselves in a magnet-like manner, giving rise to structure and order inside developing embryos Summary One of the most striking biological transitions in nature happens early in development, when an embryo transforms from a simple ball of cells into […]

EMBL Grenoble researchers have developed unique instruments automating sample preparation and quality control for cryo-electron microscopy Summary Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) can help scientists determine the three-dimensional structure of proteins in unprecedented detail. Jacques Dubochet, former Group Leader at EMBL, shared the 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Joachim Frank and Richard Henderson for the development […]

A team led by researchers from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the HI-STEM* Stem Cell Institute has discovered a promising new approach to treating advanced colorectal cancer. The study, published in Nature, identifies a key marker of particularly aggressive and treatment-resistant colorectal cancer cells. At the same time, the researchers demonstrate using mini-tumors […]

Researchers at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have identified a previously unknown key mechanism by which cancer cells suppress the immune system and thus evade the effects of immunotherapies. At the same time, the new study in mouse models and human tumor samples points to a promising way to prevent resistance to immunotherapy. In […]

Primary CNS lymphomas in immunocompromised patients are among the rarest and at the same time most aggressive cancers – yet evidence-based recommendations for their diagnosis and treatment have been lacking. An international research team led by the Heidelberg Faculty of Medicine at Heidelberg University and the German Cancer Research Center has now identified characteristic imaging […]

A study recently published in *The Lancet Regional Health – Europe* calls into question the benefits of immunoadsorption—a specialized form of blood purification—for post-COVID syndrome. While the autoantibodies, which are thought to be a possible cause of the condition, can be removed from the blood, this does not improve the symptoms of those affected. The […]