Research

In response to stress or damage, cells undergo senescence and stop dividing. However, if senescent cells accumulate in tissues over the long term, chronic inflammation occurs and the risk of cancer increases. Researchers at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have now discovered a previously unknown mechanism by which senescent cells protect themselves from oxidative […]

Researchers at Heidelberg Faculty of Medicine at Heidelberg University, in collaboration with partners from 29 German study centers, have found evidence of a potential biomarker for personalized therapy of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in a Phase II study. Analyses showed that certain patients could benefit from additional treatment with the drug Motixafortide in addition to […]

Waclawiczek A, Leppä AM, Renders S, Bergerweiss I, Stumpf K, Betz B, Gabrowski S, Huang FY, Lalioti ME, Hempel B, Sohn M, Kuusanmäki H, Thiel V, Unglaub JM, Shahswar R, Richter S, Janssen M, Karpova D, Donato E, Bonig H, Röllig C, Raffel S, Heuser M, Hundemer M, Kontro M, Eisfeld AK, Sauer T, Cabezas-Wallscheid […]

Congenital metabolic disorders such as phenylketonuria (PKU) have a profound impact on the daily lives of those affected: they must follow a strict diet and have their blood levels checked regularly. An app developed by a team from Heidelberg University’s Faculty of Medicine in collaboration with partners is designed to make daily life easier for […]

How can effective treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders be developed without having to accept unwanted side effects? Researchers at the NMI have made an important contribution to this field. In their recent paper, “NMDA receptor subtype differential affinity as a key enabler for precision neuropsychiatry,” they demonstrate how specifically targeting subunits of the NMDA receptor opens […]

Scientists find that close interactions between the mechanical properties of tissues and biochemical signalling between cells drive critical cell fate decisions during zebrafish embryo development Summary Embryonic development is one of the most dynamic biological processes in nature. Cells and tissues organise and reorganise themselves following incredibly precise patterns, while remaining flexible and robust. Scientists […]

Rodríguez-Correa, E., Grünschläger, F., Nizharadze, T. et al. A kinetics-based model of haematopoiesis reveals extrinsic regulation of skewed lineage output from stem cells. Nat Cell Biol (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-026-01958-0 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41556-026-01958-0 Abstract Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) display extensive molecular and functional heterogeneity. However, a cohesive model that explains the relationship and biological relevance of these diverse HSC states remains elusive. Here, […]

NK Cell Immunotherapy offers New Hope for Fibrosis Research jointly led by scientists at the Heidelberg site of the German Center for Lung Research and investigators in Boston at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School identifies a new immunotherapy-based approach for lung fibrosis: reactivating natural killer cell (NK cells) to eliminate senescent fibroblasts, reverse […]

In a paper newly published in mAbs, Universität Stuttgart-, Technical University of Braunschweig-, and YUMAB GmbH-based authors reveal research results for novel antagonistic anti-EGFR antibodies that have potential to overcome resistance to current T-cell engagers against the same target. ABSTRACT Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a validated therapeutic target in several human cancers harboring […]