Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP

Neurological complications associated with COVID-19 occur frequently. Although the SARS-CoV-2 virus has already been detected in the brain tissue of patients, its routes of entry and the resulting consequences are not well understood. A team of researchers from Fraunhofer ITMP and the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) has now shown that cells of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) can be infected in vitro by the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen and that this can be attenuated pharmacologically.

Patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria are severely impaired in their quality of life. Unfortunately, standard therapy with antihistamines is not efficacious in many affected patients. However, these patients can now have hope. A new clinical trial with the participation of Fraunhofer ITMP in Berlin shows promising results for the efficacy of a new drug.

Fraunhofer ITMP is a partner of the LOEWE centers DRUID (Novel Drug Targets against Poverty-Related and Neglected Tropical Infectious Diseases) and TBG (Translational Biodiversity Genomics). Following the successful completion of the start-up phase, both LOEWE centers will now continue to receive funding from the state of Hesse in their operational phase and will receive project and construction funding totaling approximately 34.4 million euros for the duration of three years.

The COVend research project aims to deliver a new therapy against COVID-19 that prevents the severe stages of the disease. Fraunhofer ITMP is one of the partners of the multidisciplinary consortium, which unites 17 partners from 13 European countries with expertise from different disciplines, including (cell) biology, ICT expertise for AI based evaluations, pharma, economics, and social sciences, as well as clinical expertise. 

Optimum prevention, diagnosis and treatment in just one click: As part of the “MED²ICIN” lighthouse project, seven Fraunhofer Institutes, among them Fraunhofer ITMP, are presenting the first prototype of a digital patient model. This prototype revolutionizes the very foundation of personalized and cost-optimized treatment, opening up new perspectives. It has already been tested at University Hospital Frankfurt.

The University of Southern Denmark (SDU) awards honorary doctorates to researchers whom the University wishes to honour for their scientific work. As part of the annual University Celebration on October 29, 2021, Fraunhofer ITMP employee Prof. Jennifer Dressman received an honorary doctorate from SDU's Faculty of Science for her work on the pharmaceutical ecosystem.