Genetic mutation affects survival after viral infection
—Scientists discovered that haploinsufficiency in the Pax5 gene affects antiviral responses. The study was led by Prof. Dr. Aleksandra Pandyra from the Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology at the University Hospital Bonn in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Arndt Borkhardt, Clinic Director at the Pediatric Oncology at the University Hospital Düsseldorf. The findings were published in the latest edition of EMBO Molecular Medicine.
—Bonn researchers aim to improve colon cancer treatment using 3D organoids and digital twins. Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), a collaborative project involving the University of Bonn, the company ESQlabs and the University Hospital Bonn is seeking to refine the therapy recommendations given to colon cancer patients. To this end, “ISPOT-K” is merging organoids taken from patients with the power of digital twin technology.
—Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system caused by the immune system. B cells, which are a type of white blood cell, play a role in the development of MS and are thus a target for therapies. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), the University of Bonn and the FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg identified the membrane protein MLC1 as a potential target antigen in MS. The results of the work have now been published in the renowned journal “Neurology Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation”.
Valentin Schäfer appointed to Specialized Ethics Committee
—Prof. Valentin S. Schäfer, Head of the Section of Rheumatology at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and researcher at the University of Bonn, has been appointed to the newly created Specialized Ethics Committee for Special Procedures by State Secretary Dr. Thomas Steffen at the Federal Ministry of Health. The committee, which is based at the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), will begin its work on July 1, 2025 and is responsible for the ethical evaluation of complex clinical trials.
—The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Bonn has conferred an honorary doctorate on the illustrious researcher Professor Sharon Lewin. The Director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics, Professor Lewin is also a Laureate Professor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne in Australia and collaborates with the University Hospital Bonn. She is being recognized for her exceptional research on the international stage and her groundbreaking work in the field of HIV research in particular.
Reducing Neuroinflammation Could Help Fight Alzheimer’s
—Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. A promising approach for its treatment is the prevention of inflammatory processes in the brain. An international team of scientists around Dr. Róisín McManus, Prof. Eicke Latz and Prof. Michael Heneka now provide new evidence supporting this approach and potentially contributing to the development of more effective therapies. The results have now been published in the journal “Immunity”.
—We are delighted to welcome Prof. Dr. Jörg Wenzel from the Center for Skin Diseases at the University Hospital Bonn to the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation2. Jörg Wenzel is a dermatologist and physician-scientist with extensive expertise in inflammatory skin diseases and cutaneous immunology.
—Five projects of ImmunoSensation2 members have received funding from the BMBF's GO-Bio initial program to put their innovative research results into practice. The projects are based at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn and will be funded with a maximum of 100,000 euros each in the exploratory phase. The “GO-Bio initial” funding initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) promotes the development of life science research approaches on the way to application.
