One of the earliest warning signs of cardiovascular disease happens deep within the smallest blood vessels: tiny changes in their ability to expand and contract, known as microvascular endothelial dysfunction (MiVED). Until now, it has been extremely difficult to detect or measure these changes in humans. Researchers from Helmholtz Munich and the Technical University of Munich (TUM), member institutions of the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), have developed a solution: fast-RSOM.
The new technique uses pulses of light that generate ultrasound to create extremely detailed 3D images of the skin and the smallest blood vessels. This makes it possible to detect early changes that remain invisible to conventional methods.
“With fast-RSOM, we can, for the first time, non-invasively assess endothelial dysfunction at single-capillary and skin-layer resolution in humans,” says Dr. Hailong He, first author of the study and researcher at the Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging at Helmholtz Munich and TUM. Dr Angelos Karlas, co-first author, Vascular Surgeon and Senior Research Scientist at TUM University Hospital, adds: “Our novel approach offers an unprecedented view of how cardiovascular disease manifests at the microvascular level.”
Until now, clinicians have lacked a precise and non-invasive way to detect or measure these early changes in humans. Fast-RSOM can support cardiovascular health on several levels. It provides indications of increased risk before symptoms occur, helps tailor lifestyle changes or therapies more precisely, and enables monitoring of whether preventive measures or treatments are effective.
The research team now aims to test fast-RSOM in larger and more diverse patient groups and to integrate the high-resolution MiVED biomarkers provided by fast-RSOM into routine clinical practice. The device is portable, quick to deploy and non-invasive, meaning it could in future be used in hospitals and GP surgeries to regularly assess cardiovascular risk and monitor heart health in patients.
RSOM (Raster Scan Optoacoustic Mesoscopy) is a non-invasive imaging technology that uses pulses of light to generate ultrasound signals, producing highly detailed 3D images of structures beneath the skin. It can detect tiny changes in blood vessels, oxygen levels, and tissue composition that are invisible to traditional imaging. By combining high contrast with depth, RSOM enables early detection of diseases such as cardiovascular problems and diabetes. Its compact design could make advanced diagnostics more accessible outside specialized labs. The technology was developed by the team led by Prof. Vasilis Ntziachristos. He is a Principal Investigator at the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Director of the Bioengineering Center at Helmholtz Munich, and Professor of Biological Imaging at the Technical University of Munich.
Source: DZHK
For the first time, an international analysis has shown that when people with prediabetes bring their blood glucose back into the normal range through lifestyle changes, their risk of heart attack, heart failure, and premature death is cut in half. These findings could revolutionize prevention and establish a new, measurable target for clinical guidelines. Among others, researchers from the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), University Hospital Tübingen, and Helmholtz Munich took part in the study.
Millions of people in Germany live with elevated blood glucose levels without knowing it. They are considered to have “prediabetes” – an early stage that until now has lacked clearly defined treatment targets. People with prediabetes are usually advised to lose weight, be more physically active, and eat a healthier diet. These lifestyle changes make sense, as they improve fitness, well-being, and several risk factors. However, one crucial question has remained unanswered: Do they also protect the heart in the long term? So far, no lifestyle program for people with prediabetes has been able to clearly demonstrate a sustained reduction in heart attacks, heart failure, or cardiovascular deaths over decades.
A joint analysis of two of the world’s largest diabetes prevention studies, from the United States and China, now provides clarity. Together with colleagues in the U.S. and China, researchers from the DZD, University Hospital Tübingen, and Helmholtz Munich were able to show that the decisive factor is apparently not the lifestyle change itself, but whether people with prediabetes manage to bring their blood glucose back into the normal range – in other words, whether they achieve remission of prediabetes.
Long-term data from more than 2,400 people with prediabetes show that those who succeed in normalizing their blood glucose have a significantly lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease or being hospitalized for heart failure than those whose glucose levels remain elevated, even when both groups lose a similar amount of weight. In both studies, participants’ risk of cardiovascular death was reduced by roughly 50%, and overall mortality also fell significantly. The U.S. study followed its participants for 20 years, while its Chinese counterpart tracked participants for 30 years.
Under the leadership of the Tübingen team, these datasets were harmonized and reanalyzed to compare rates of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure in people with and without prediabetes remission.
Cardiovascular prevention has so far rested on three pillars: blood pressure control, lowering LDL cholesterol, and smoking cessation. With these new findings, a fourth pillar could be added: sustained normalization of blood glucose in prediabetes. “Our results suggest that remission of prediabetes not only delays or prevents the onset of type 2 diabetes, as already known, but also protects people from serious cardiovascular diseases in the long term, over the span of decades,” says Professor Dr. Andreas Birkenfeld, a board member of the DZD and Medical Director of Department of Medicine IV at University Hospital Tübingen. A fasting blood glucose value of ≤ 97 mg/dL proved to be a simple marker for a persistently lower risk of heart disease, regardless of age, weight, or ethnic background. This threshold could be applied in primary care practices worldwide, making prevention more tangible.
Germany is lagging behind when it comes to preventive health care. According to the current Public Health Index, the country ranks second to last among 18 European nations in implementing evidence-based prevention measures. As a result, the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease is significantly higher in Germany than in many neighboring European countries.
The new study highlights the untapped potential and shows how concrete target values can improve public health. “We see a clear therapeutic window: If glucose levels are normalized already at the prediabetes stage, the long-term risk of heart attack, heart failure, and premature death can be markedly reduced. Our data support explicitly anchoring remission as a primary treatment goal in guidelines for the prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” urges Professor Birkenfeld.
SOURCE: DZD
For many people with dementia, remaining at home for as long as possible is a major wish. However, care can be complex: medication is not always taken as prescribed, outpatient care services go unused, or there is insufficient support with household tasks and transportation to medical appointments. This is where the “Dementia Care Management” program developed by the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) comes in. Specially trained nursing staff support those affected and their relatives with organization and care and, for the first time, are also permitted to take on medical tasks that would otherwise be reserved for physicians. The Innovation Committee of the Joint Federal Committee (G-BA) recommends integrating Dementia Care Management into routine care.
The benefits of Dementia Care Management (DCM) have been demonstrated by the InDePendent study, which involved more than 400 participants from Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, Brandenburg, and Hesse.
“The positive vote coming from the G-BA now gives this approach further momentum. We are very committed to implementing dementia care management in practice,” said Prof. Wolfgang Hoffmann, a health services researcher at the DZNE site in Rostock/Greifswald.
In the study, the researchers examined for the first time what it means when dementia care managers, after passing a state examination, are granted medical responsibilities that are otherwise reserved exclusively for physicians. These include, for example, administering injections, prescribing care aids, and treating complex wounds. The dementia care managers carried out these tasks in close consultation with the treating family doctors. “At the same time, the involved family doctors were effectively relieved of part of their workload, as they usually have very limited capacity for home visits,” explains Dr. Anika Rädke, researcher at the DZNE and first author of the scientific publication on the current study.
From the perspective of health insurance companies, Dementia Care Management initially incurs higher costs than standard care—but evaluations show that the concept is cost-effective overall. “You have to consider the savings. Dementia Care Management helps to avoid costs,” says Wolfgang Hoffmann. “If care managers perform medical tasks instead of physicians, it is more economical. In addition, better nursing care contributes to overall health, preventing treatment costs that would otherwise be expected in the long term. Our current findings, together with long-term data from previous projects, show that Dementia Care Management is cost-effective overall.”
Long-term data from previous projects also show that Dementia Care Management helps delay the move to a nursing home—aligning with the wishes of many individuals who want to live independently at home for as long as possible.
The benefits have therefore been scientifically proven, and its integration into standard care is explicitly recommended. The researchers responsible for the Greifswald study now hope that this successful care concept will become a reimbursable service covered by health insurance companies in the future, thereby benefiting many people with dementia in the long term.
Source: DZNE
The treatment of type 1 diabetes is evolving. Scientists from the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) and Helmholtz Munich provide an overview of groundbreaking developments that will change the course of therapy.
In a recent review article in the journal The Lancet Prof. Anette-Gabriele Ziegler (Helmholtz Munich and DZD) and her colleagues Prof. Eda Cengiz and Prof. Thomas W. H. Kay assess the current state of research:
Thanks to modern tests – known as autoantibody screenings – physicians can detect the disease before the first symptoms appear. This reduces the risk of serious complications such as ketoacidosis – a dangerous metabolic disorder involving a sharp rise in blood sugar levels and an increase in the acidity of the body.
An important advance is immunotherapy with the drug Teplizumab, which can delay the onset of the disease. In type 1 diabetes, the body's own immune system attacks the beta cells in the pancreas—the cells that produce insulin. Teplizumab “calms” the immune system and protects the beta cells. The US Food and Drug Administration has already approved the drug Teplizumab.
Further research aims to preserve or replace beta cells in the long term. Stem cell therapies grow new beta cells and protect them in special capsules or through targeted genetic modification of these cells so that the immune system attacks them less. Initial studies show that this could increase insulin production and reduce insulin requirements.
Daily treatment is also becoming easier. New insulins work faster, longer, or automatically adjust to blood sugar levels. In combination with automated insulin delivery (AID), levels remain more stable and patients have to worry less about their therapy.
These advances enable earlier diagnosis, slow the progression of the disease, and improve quality of life. Immune and stem cell therapies open up prospects that could reduce insulin dependence in the long term. Research shows that the future of treatment is focused not only on blood sugar control, but also on prevention and possibly a cure.
Source: DZD
For the first time, a large-scale clinical study has clearly demonstrated that transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is an effective and safe treatment option for people with persistent voice hearing (auditory hallucinations). The results of the study, in which scientists from the DZPG sites in Tübingen, Munich-Augsburg, and Mannheim-Heidelberg-Ulm participated, mark an important milestone in the treatment of schizophrenia.
The researchers used a special form of TMS called continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS). This technique specifically stimulates the areas of the brain responsible for speech and language comprehension. 138 adults took part in the three-week study. The study showed that TMS can significantly alleviate the symptoms of hearing voices in many patients and is well tolerated. The positive results open up new treatment options that go beyond medication and psychotherapy.
“These results represent an important milestone in the treatment of people with auditory hallucinations,” says study leader Prof. Christian Plewnia from the University Hospital of Tübingen. “TMS offers sufferers a new, effective, and well-tolerated treatment option. This allows treatment to be better tailored to individual needs—and significantly improves the lives of those affected.”
Auditory hallucinations are often very stressful for people with schizophrenia. They hear voices without any corresponding external sound source, which are often threatening or commanding. Conventional drug or psychotherapeutic treatments are often insufficiently effective or are not tolerated.
TMS has been researched for several years as a promising treatment method for patients who experience distressing auditory hallucinations. However, until now there has been no sufficiently large study to prove that the treatment really works. This gap has now been closed by the study published in The Lancet Psychiatry.
Source: DZPG (in German)
The OncoRay – National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology gets the world's first single-source photon-counting computer tomography (PCCT) system installed in a radiotherapy department. This system counts every single X-ray photon that passes through the patient, enabling the acquisition of more detailed images with more anatomical and functional information. The expected benefits of using PCCT technology in radiotherapy are now to be investigated and quantified in detail. This further highlights OncoRay's pioneering role in CT-based treatment planning for proton therapy.
Radiotherapy is one of the standard methods used to treat malignant tumors. The aim is to damage the tumor cells' DNA in order to ultimately destroy them. Proton radiotherapy is considered particularly gentle on patients.
OncoRay – supported by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), the Medical Faculty of TU Dresden, and the Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital – is considered a pioneer in the development and clinical introduction of technological innovations in proton therapy. In 2019, OncoRay clinically implemented DirectSPR, the most accurate method to date for CT-based calculation of proton penetration depth in patients, into patient care. The problem is that due to uncertainty in the proton range, healthy tissue surrounding the tumor must also be irradiated to ensure complete tumor coverage. The DirectSPR method, which is based on dual-energy CT, has made it possible to reduce the required safety margins by around 35 percent. However, this procedure could only be used for immobile tumors, such as those in the head or pelvis.
This gap will now be closed with the new PCCT technology. Siemens Healthineers introduced this groundbreaking technology in 2021. Previously, it was used exclusively in radiology for diagnostic purposes. At the end of May of this year, Siemens Healthineers introduced the next generation of PCCT scanners, which are now approved for use in radiotherapy as well. The world's first installation of this new generation single-source, photon-counting CT scanner , the NAEOTOM Alpha.Prime, in a radiotherapy department has now been realized at OncoRay.
“Siemens Healthineers has been cooperating successfully with OncoRay for many years in the field of CT imaging for radiotherapy. We are proud to now provide our partner with photon-counting computed tomography for radiotherapy and proton therapy. With the introduction of the NAEOTOM Alpha class, we are delivering on our promise to make powerful photon-counting technology accessible to more physicians and patients," said Gabriel Haras, Head of Cancer Therapy Imaging at Siemens Healthineers.
For Prof. Christian Richter, Head of the Department of Medical Radiation Physics at OncoRay and Principal Investigator for CT imaging in radiotherapy at HZDR, photon-counting detectors are the future of CT technology. "PCCT technology combines several advantages for its application in radiotherapy. It provides better and more accurate CT datasets, allowing us to plan radiation treatments more precisely and with a reduced imaging dose. In ten years, I can't imagine anything other than all CTs used for quantitative imaging being based on this technology. As OncoRay prioritizes patient care and research equally, research and clinical treatments go hand in hand. This means that technological advantages are clinically implemented as quickly as possible, allowing patients to directly benefit from successful translational research.“
PCCT technology offers numerous advantages for radiotherapy that the researchers at OncoRay will now evaluate and quantify in detail. For example, it is possible to increase the spatial resolution of images compared to conventional CT technology, achieve the same image quality with a lower imaging dose, or possibly both simultaneously. The scientists also assume that proton therapy can be planned even more accurately. More precise quantitative information on tissue properties could lead to more accurate predictions of the proton range in patients, ultimately enabling a further reduction in the safety margin. Both, imaging and treatment, will therefore be gentler. Importantly, PCCT will also enable the use of the DirectSPR approach for moving targets, allowing more patients to benefit from highly precise proton therapy.
Prof. Mechthild Krause, Director of OncoRay and Spokesperson at the DKTK Partner site Dresden, emphasizes: “With the detailed evaluation of the new CT technology and its subsequent gradual introduction into clinical practice, we are further strengthening our position as a leading centre for translational research in radiation oncology.” Professor Esther Troost, Head of the HZDR Department of Image-Guided Radiooncology, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and, alongside Professor Krause, Director of the Clinic and Polyclinic for Radiation Therapy and Radiooncology, expects that the new PCCT device will be introduced gradually into patient care following a testing period. “In addition to enabling radiotherapy with fewer side effects, the PCCT images may even allow us to predict how the tumor will respond to therapy. Then, we can adapt the radiation treatment accordingly.”
Around 2,500 tumor patients per year are irradiated at the Departement of Radiation Oncology.
The new PCCT device is expected to be ready for use by mid-July, after the systems installation and commissioning has been finalized. The Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) is funding the purchase of the PCCT device at OncoRay with a total of two million euros.
Source: DKTK
Researchers at the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) at Heidelberg University Hospital have decoded a previously unknown mechanism by which HIV-1 selects its integration targets in the human genome. A research team led by DZIF scientist Dr. Marina Lusic identified RNA:DNA hybrids (R-loops) as molecular signposts for the virus. These findings reveal a key vulnerability in the life cycle of HIV-1. The results, published in the renowned journal Nature Microbiology, provide new therapeutic approaches for specifically controlling HIV reservoirs in the body. This has been one of the biggest obstacles to long-term or curative HIV therapies.
Thanks to antiretroviral therapy, people living with HIV can lead almost normal lives. Antiretroviral drugs prevent the virus from multiplying, but must be taken daily for life. However, any interruption in treatment—due to limited access, supply disruptions, or adherence challenges—can result in rapid viral rebound and, more worryingly, the emergence of drug-resistant HIV variants.
The HIV virus primarily infects cells of the immune system, anchoring its genetic material in T cells in particular. Once integrated, these viral sequences create lifelong reservoir of infection. The HIV-1 integrase enzyme is responsible for inserting the virus into the host genome, forcing cells to produce new viruses and enabling the ongoing infection process. "Until now, it has been not entirely clear how HIV-1 integrase selects its integration targets in the genome. A deeper understanding of this process is crucial for developing new treatment strategies and tackling the persistent viral reservoirs that cannot be eliminated by existing therapies," says Dr. Marina Lusic, DZIF scientist at the Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research (CIID) at Heidelberg University Hospital, who led the study.
The research team was able to prove that HIV-1 does not randomly invade the genome, but uses specific signposts: so-called RNA:DNA hybrids or “R-loops”, which mainly occur in non-coding regions of active genes. The researchers mapped these structures in human immune cells and demonstrated that the viral integrase docks precisely at these locations. “The virus follows these structures like signposts on a map and thus finds the appropriate integration sites,” explains Dr. Carlotta Penzo, senior postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Marina Lusic's team and first author of the study. “Another important result of our investigation is that a specific cellular partner, the enzyme Aquarius, helps the virus in R-loop recognition, enabling HIV-1 insertion into RNA:DNA hybrids.”
The splicing enzyme RNA helicase Aquarius (AQR) plays a key role in this process. It acts as a kind of door opener, binding to HIV-1 integrase and promoting integration by unwinding the R-loops. “Our results show that removing AQR significantly decreases the integration rate. The remaining integration events shift to R-loop-poor regions—clear evidence of the association between viral integration and AQR activity on R-loops,” says Penzo.
“This discovery opens a new avenue for HIV intervention. If we can disrupt the virus’s ability to use host RNA structures for integration, we may be able to limit or redirect where HIV hides and ultimately reduce or eliminate the need for lifelong therapy,” says Dr. Marina Lusic. “These findings are particularly significant in light of the increasing global instability in HIV care. In many regions, the continuous provision of antiretroviral therapies is not guaranteed—with the result that interruptions significantly increase the risk of treatment failure and the spread of resistant virus variants.”
The results reveal previously unknown targets for combating HIV. In the long term, the identified R-loop/Aquarius mechanism could help to specifically target HIV reservoirs in the body that existing therapies cannot eliminate—and thus point the way to new, effective, and potentially curative forms of treatment.
This study was supported by the German Center for Infection Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, DZIF) and by the German Research Foundation (DFG) through the Special Collaborative Programme SFB 1129. It was conducted through a multidisciplinary collaboration led by the group of Dr. Marina Lusic, in partnership with colleagues from the Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research (CIID) Heidelberg, including Prof. Oliver Fackler and Prof. Hans-Georg Kräusslich. Furthermore, the study was made possible by close pan-European collaboration, with contributions from bioinformatics, structural biology and retrovirology experts at research institutions in Zagreb, Padua, London and Bordeaux.
Source: DZIF
On 18 September, the five German Centers for Health Research (DZG) located in northern Germany met for the first DZG North Day to discuss existing collaborations and ways to strengthen their cooperation.
About 100 DZG researchers from Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein gathered at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) for an intensive exchange.
The acting DZG spokesperson, Prof. Werner Seeger, welcomed the DZG scientists and provided an overview of the history, present and future of the DZGs. He stated that the vision should be: to avoid diseases completely. This would constitute true prevention and be one of the central themes of the DZGs. Seeger said that we work together to have a positive impact on the health of all people worldwide.
Board representatives from the northern DZG sites informed about structure and current research priorities of their centers. Individual research projects were then presented in two-minute speed talks on the topics infrastructure, translation, mechanisms, patients, prevention and diagnosis & therapy. These were then discussed in detail in the following poster session.
The afternoon began with welcome addresses by Maryam Blumenthal, Hamburg's Senator for Science, and Blanche Schwappach-Pignataro, UKE's Dean. Both emphasised the outstanding importance of the DZGs for health research in northern Germany. Senator Blumenthal expressed her continued support for the DZGs.
The afternoon focused on selected ongoing cooperation projects between the DZGs. These included machine learning approaches that can be applied to more than just cardiovascular diseases, and how to involve children and young people in research projects.
During the final session of DZG North Day, two patient representatives described their work on the patient advisory boards of their DZGs, explaining what motivates them: they are keen to contribute the perspectives of patients and their families and support initiatives that facilitate this, such as the DZGs.
In his closing remarks, Prof. Julian Schulze zur Wiesch, spokesperson for the DZIF site Hamburg/Lübeck/Borstel/Riems, emphasised the importance of the DZG North Day. Networking through personal contact is particularly possible at the local level. Follow-up events, this time in Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, are intended to further strengthen cooperation between the DZGs.
Type 1 diabetes develops when the immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. While conventional therapies usually only take effect after the onset of the disease, a research team from Helmholtz Munich, the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) and Goethe University Frankfurt is investigating a novel drug that acts earlier. Vidofludimus calcium, which is already being tested for multiple sclerosis, could help to prevent type 1 diabetes by restoring balance to the immune system and stopping the misdirected immune response. The findings were published in 'Molecular Metabolism'.
Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease that destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, resulting in lifelong insulin dependence and serious health complications. While early diagnosis can help manage the disease, researchers are urgently seeking treatments that can go beyond symptom management to slow or stop disease progression.
In a collaborative effort, researchers from the German Center for Diabetes (DZD) at the Research Unit Type 1 Diabetes Immunology (TDI) at Helmholtz Munich, together with scientists from the Goethe University Frankfurt, have identified a promising new therapeutic approach. Their study demonstrates the potential of vidofludimus calcium, a next-generation immunomodulatory drug, to alter the course of T1D by blocking a key metabolic pathway in immune cells.
Vidofludimus calcium, currently in phase 3 clinical trials for multiple sclerosis and developed by Immunic Therapeutics, selectively inhibits the enzyme dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH). This enzyme plays a critical role in pyrimidine synthesis, which is essential for the proliferation of rapidly dividing immune cells involved in autoimmunity.
In two different pre-clinical mouse models of T1D, treatment with vidofludimus calcium significantly reduced disease incidence. On the cellular level, the drug both decreased the activation of pathogenic T cells and increased the frequency of protective regulatory T cells (Tregs) – a subtype of immune cells crucial for suppressing autoimmune responses.
“With this publication we discover for the first time that inhibiting the enzyme DHODH fosters immune-protective Tregs during islet autoimmunity and delays the progression to overt T1D in pre-clinical models,” says Prof. Carolin Daniel, the corresponding author of the study.
These findings represent a critical step toward immune-modulatory therapies for T1D that go beyond symptom management to directly influence the underlying autoimmune response. By restoring balance between harmful and protective immune cells, such approaches could offer a way to slow or prevent the progression of autoimmune diabetes in at-risk individuals.
Source: DZD
Strengthening spin-offs of biomedical start-ups from academic institutions — the Forum Health Research has developed concrete recommendations for this purpose. The goal: to bring innovative biomedical products and technologies into practical and economic application as quickly as possible, thereby improving care for patients. To promote the transfer of research results through spin-offs, the Forum Health Research issues recommendations, among other things, to improve the framework conditions for spin-off processes as well as to strengthen the founding culture and education for entrepreneurship. The DZG are itself involved in the Forum Health Research and supports its recommendations.
Spin-offs of start-ups play an important role in transferring biomedical research results from academic institutions into economic application. Germany still has catching up to do in innovation transfer and spin-offs. To better utilize existing potentials and promote spin-offs in biomedical research, the Forum Health Research aims to contribute to improvement with its recommendation paper developed in exchange with numerous stakeholders. It is addressed to university and non-university research institutions and their researchers as well as to regulators, legislators, funding organizations, and investors.
Contributions from all involved actors are necessary to streamline the processes for spin-offs in biomedical research, create incentives, promote cultural change, and enable more flexibility. The recommendation paper shows numerous positive examples both in Germany and internationally and provides concrete recommendations on how these can be expanded, adapted, and further developed. The coalition agreement of the federal government also foresees measures to strengthen start-ups.
The 21 recommendations specifically and practically address the framework conditions for spin-off processes, the strengthening of founding culture and education for entrepreneurship, permeability between industry, start-ups, and academic institutions, capital acquisition, as well as the design of participation forms and licensing modalities.
Among other things, the Forum Health Research recommends:
The recommendations of the Forum Health Research are supplemented by a compilation of strategy papers, tools, and examples, as well as notes on current bureaucratic reduction processes and reimbursement pathways for innovations.
Download des Empfehlungspapiers (in German)
Source: DLR Projektträger
Obesity plays a crucial role in how severely blood vessels are damaged – and this depends on where excessive fat accumulates in the body. This is the finding of a research team from the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) and the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG), working together with international collaborators.
Led by Prof. Andreas Fischer, director of the Department of Clinical Chemistry at the University Medical Center Göttingen, and Dr Sana Hasan, scientist at the same department, the researchers were able to show for the first time that so-called white adipose tissue in the abdomen and under the skin responds differently to overnutrition. This leads to varying degrees of damage to the blood vessels – a process that can cause inflammation, impaired blood flow, and ultimately cardiovascular disease.
The study adds an important piece to the puzzle of why abdominal fat is particularly harmful: in this visceral fat tissue, as it is known in medical terms, obesity triggers vascular remodeling that promotes inflammation and dysfunction. In contrast, the researchers found a special type of blood vessel cell in subcutaneous fat tissue – cells with tiny “windows” known as fenestrated endothelial cells. In a healthy state, these cells appear to support tissue function. However, in obesity, they become significantly reduced.
“Our findings show that vascular changes in obesity begin earlier than previously thought – and that they differ considerably depending on fat location,” explains Fischer. “This places the blood vessels themselves more at the center of research on obesity and metabolic diseases.”
The team also identified an important signaling molecule necessary for maintaining vascular structure in fat tissue – VEGFA. When VEGFA levels drop, for instance due to a long-term high-fat diet, the blood vessels begin to lose both structure and function. “This mechanism can be observed not only in mice but also in human fat tissue,” says Fischer. “It opens up new strategies for preserving or restoring vascular health in obesity.”
The published study combines cutting-edge single-cell analyses with imaging techniques and genetic experiments, offering an unprecedented level of detail. “These results provide a valuable foundation for future therapies – such as approaches to specifically improve blood vessel function in fat tissue and prevent secondary diseases like diabetes or heart attacks,” first author of the study Hasan concludes.
Source: DZHK
Researchers at the DZNE and the University Hospital Bonn are developing an AI-supported system to assist doctors in treating strokes. Using data from the 'German Stroke Registry' and additional brain images, they aim to improve predictions about health outcomes following thrombectomy, a minimally invasive treatment. This project is breaking new ground with 'Swarm Learning': sensitive patient data remains securely on site, while the algorithm travels digitally from clinic to clinic, learning locally and combining knowledge centrally. This creates a secure AI system. The ultimate goal is to establish a network of clinics that leverage AI to deliver faster and more effective stroke treatment.
A stroke is manifested by neurological symptoms, such as speech deficits or paralysis. The most common cause are blood clots: plugs in brain vessels that obstruct blood flow and thus oxygen supply. This situation is referred to as “ischemic” stroke. “In such an event millions of brain cells die every minute unless countermeasures are taken quickly. This is very time-critical. Time is brain, as they say,” explains Dr. Omid Shirvani, a physician and DZNE scientist.
Possible measures are for example medicinal dissolving of the blood clot or mechanical thrombectomy, a minimally invasive procedure that aims to remove vessel blockage by means of a special catheter. “The type of treatment is decided on a case-by-case basis, depending on factors such as for example the size of the occluded vessel. Based on all available information in an individual case, does thrombectomy have good prospects of success, or does it pose an excessive risk of complications? We aim to develop an AI-based decision-making tool to help with this assessment. It is intended to support doctors who need to act quickly in the event of a stroke. That is our long-term goal. Actual implementation will certainly take some time. But we want to lay the groundwork for this and prove in the current project that our approach does basically work,” says Shirvani.
He emphasizes: “We don’t want a black box, the predictions of our computer model should be comprehensible to doctors, so they can make an informed decision for the benefit of the individual patient. That is, our AI needs to have what is called “explainability” and show the features its assessment is based upon. In addition, clear criteria must be developed to ensure that the AI is applied only to patients whom it can assess with high reliability.”
AI relies on algorithms being trained on large amounts of data in order to recognize patterns. The larger the pool of training data, usually the better the AI will learn. The researchers therefore intend to combine data from the “German Stroke Registry” with additional brain images generated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computer tomography (CT). This central registry holds data on the treatment of ischemic strokes from over 20 hospitals across Germany. It contains thousands of cases.
“This information comes from the initial examination and follow-up care after a thrombectomy up to three months after intervention. These are primarily detailed entries from the medical records. Associated MRI or CT images of the brain are not included. However, in general, these are kept at the respective hospitals. And there are references in the registry so that images can be clearly assigned”, says Prof. Gabor Petzold, Director of the Department of Vascular Neurology at the UKB and Director of Clinical Research at DZNE. “These images contain information that cannot be fully documented in a medical report but which is very valuable for training our AI. That’s why we want to link this local data with the information from the central registry.”
This is where “Swarm Learning” comes into play. The innovative AI technology is the centerpiece of the current effort. “Traditionally, image data would be collected centrally. However, given the huge amounts of data involved, this is complex and difficult to scale if the network of partners is to grow. And since this is personal data, sharing it requires legal regulations that take a considerable amount of time to comply with. That’s why we’re taking a different approach. The image data available at the various sites remains local,” explains Dr. Anna Aschenbrenner, biomedical scientist at DZNE who is also playing a key role in the project.
“This allows us to easily comply with data protection regulations and means that we don’t have to move and duplicate large amounts of data. Instead, we send the algorithm to the data via the internet. We let the AI travel from place to place, so to speak, in order to learn. That is the core idea behind Swarm Learning.”
This approach was developed by DZNE in collaboration with IT company Hewlett Packard Enterprise and is currently being applied in various DZNE projects. The term “Swarm” refers to the partners interacting within the network. “With Swarm Learning, everyone involved benefits from the collective data pool without having to share their own data. This data remains on site and confidential in accordance with data protection regulations. This is because the algorithm only extracts parameters without any personal references,” explains Prof. Joachim Schultze, Director of Systems Medicine at DZNE, who is also a professor at the University of Bonn.
“The result is a trained AI that has learned at all network nodes. It has assimilated the collective knowledge and can even evolve as new data is introduced. In our specific case, we would then have an AI-based computer model that could support doctors in treating strokes. All network partners could use this tool. Regardless of whether they have large or small amounts of their own data, they would all benefit equally from participating in the swarm.”
Starting with three clinics, including the University Hospital Bonn, the researchers intend to gradually expand their approach to other members of the “German Stroke Registry”. For testing purposes, they will start with multicentric data from the “German Stroke Registry” available in Bonn and use it to simulate a swarm in DZNE’s computing center before transferring the system to geographically separate locations. “We want to lay the foundation for a nationwide network,” says Aschenbrenner. “Furthermore, we are already in talks with partners in the UK to continue our concept internationally. I think there is a lot of room for development.”
The project is being funded by the Helmholtz Association with 250,000 euros. The CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security is also involved.
Source: DZNE
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