Press

Faster identification of new antibiotic candidates with the help of artificial intelligence: This is the goal of the research project ANTARES, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). The Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP is collaborating with the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig and Enamine Germany GmbH in Frankfurt am Main (Enamine) to identify new, safe, and affordable treatment options for pa-tients suffering from life-threatening and often drug-resistant infections.

Immunotherapies such as CAR T-cell therapy are used primarily to treat cancer. In the future, these patient-specific therapies, manufactured from patients’ own immune cells, could also help cure autoimmune diseases. Six patients with particularly severe rheumatoid arthritis have now received this treatment at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. In the journal Nature Medicine*, the researchers report the results from the world’s first clinical trial of its kind: Disease activity decreased substantially in all participants. By the end of the observation period, three of the patients no longer required any medication for rheumatoid arthritis. The researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP carried out the technological analysis of the study samples, particularly using the Olink platform, as part of the study.

MONID HABITRACK uses drones and artificial intelligence to research the spread of tick-borne diseases in the districts of Amberg-Sulzbach and Schwandorf

1.3-million-euro funding for the Eurostars project MastCURe: The Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP Immunology and Allergology IA in Berlin will conduct research over the next 3 years together with Allegria Therapeutics and Cube Biotech on a novel therapeutic approach to treating chronic urticaria.

A milestone in the treatment of Leigh syndrome, a rare, early-onset disease in children, has been reached: At the Hamburg site of the Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, in collaboration with Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) and University Hospital Düsseldorf (UKD), as well as Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, a promis-ing agent for the treatment of Leigh syndrome was identified. The researchers were able to demonstrate a positive effect of the active substance sildenafil on the disease course.

From molecules to realistic therapeutic approaches: Fraunhofer ITMP receives fund-ing for three translational projects developing new treatment methods for rare, hard-to-treat diseases in infancy or early childhood.

Dr. Shara Safarian took up a visiting professorship at the Institute of Translational Medicine at the First Hospital of Jilin University in China in October. The appointment is part of a scientific exchange agreement and is intended to further intensify international cooperation. At the same time, it strengthens the strategic positioning of the Fraunhofer ITMP on the Chinese research market.

The official dedication of the new building on the Niederrad campus marks a fresh milestone in the research landscape of the state of Hesse, set by the Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP. Some 200 prominent representatives from government, the science and research sector, industry and the trades involved in the building project gathered for the opening celebration at the invitation of Gerd Geisslinger, executive director of Fraunhofer ITMP. The new research building will serve as a locus of expertise in translational medicine while strengthening Hesse as a hub of pharmaceutical and biotech activity.

Researchers at Fraunhofer ITMP have identified a promising approach for children affected by KCNQ2-related epilepsy. A drug originally developed as an antipsychotic has shown the ability to activate KCNQ2 potassium channels and significantly reduce seizure-like activity. The findings, based on patient-derived brain cells and animal models, suggest the potential of repurposing this compound into much‑needed therapy, opening up new hope for affected families.