Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP

Malfunctions of the proteins FLVCR1 and FLVCR2 lead to rare hereditary diseases in humans that cause motor, sensory and neurological disorders. Researchers from Fraunhofer ITMP, Goethe University Frankfurt, and the MPI for Biophysics now deciphered the FLVCR proteins’ 3D structures and their previously unknown cellular function. The interdisciplinary team of researchers has shown that the proteins transport the cellular building blocks choline and ethanolamine. Their findings contribute significantly to understanding the pathogenesis of rare diseases and developing new therapies.

Does a SARS-CoV-2 infection result in an increased risk for damage to the brain, including Alzheimer or Parkinson disease? This pressing medical question forms the basis of the EU-funded COMMUTE project (COMmorbidity Mechanisms UTilized in HealthcarE). Based on artificial intelligence driven prediction of common druggable disease mechanisms, Fraunhofer ITMP supports this joint research consortium with patient-derived in-vitro models of the brain and the brain vasculature based on induced pluripotent stem cells.

Fraunhofer ITMP is part of the EU-funded COVend consortium, which has now announced the enrolment of first patients in the IXION 2.0 clinical trial at the Goethe University Hospital Frankfurt. Following a strategic change in the project's objective in light of the evolving dynamics of COVID-19, the study aims to investigate the potential benefits of the innovative therapeutic agent FX06 for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients.