News

Top scientists and companies will meet in Berlin-Buch for the 2025 Helmholtz Drug Discovery Conference from April 28-30 to discuss RNA drugs, PROTACs, AI in drug discovery, and chemoproteomics and to form new collaborations.

This year, the Max Delbrück Center will host the international Helmholtz Drug Discovery Conference (HDDC) in Berlin-Buch from April 28-30. The meeting will feature an exciting list of speakers discussing advances in new kinds of therapeutics such as RNA, both as a drug and a target, and Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) – a promising class of drugs that are more effective than traditional small molecules. The three-day conference will also assemble a panel of experts discussing the application of artificial intelligence to identify novel drug candidates and advances in chemoproteomics – a more accurate and sophisticated method of developing new therapeutics.

The biannual HDDC is organized by the Drug Research Initiative, a consortium of all Helmholtz Centers participating in the Helmholtz Health research area. “The Helmholtz Drug Discovery Conference reflects our commitment to accelerating the development of innovative therapeutics that address some of the most pressing health challenges of our time,” says Professor Maike Sander, Vice President of Helmholtz Health and Scientific Director of Max Delbrück Center. “By bringing together leading minds from academia, clinical research, and industry, we are creating a dynamic environment for collaboration that can truly drive medical breakthroughs. I am particularly excited to see how emerging technologies – like AI and chemoproteomics – are shaping the future of drug discovery.”

“The bulk of the talks will focus on RNA strategies,” says Professor Michael Bader, Head of the Molecular Biology of Peptide Hormones lab at the Max Delbrück Center and co-organizer of the conference. “It’s a topic that hasn’t been discussed much in previous meetings but is becoming increasingly important,” he adds.

For example, Professor Thomas Thum, Head of the Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapy Strategies at Hannover Medical School, will discuss how he has used ultra-thin sections of human cardiac tissue to study miR-21 – a microRNA (miRNA) that regulates inflammatory and fibrotic genes that trigger stiffening of heart muscle tissue. His research team has developed an antisense RNA molecule that acts as a mirror image, binding to the microRNA and switching it off. The molecule can partially reverse the stiffening, making heart tissue more elastic.

Other speakers include doctoral student Isabell Drath from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Hannover, who will present research on a new nanoparticle-based nose-to-brain delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) or miRNA to treat Parkinson’s disease. And Professor Michelle Hastings from the University of Michigan Medical School will explain how she and her team have developed splice-switching antisense oligonucleotides – short sequences of nucleic acids that pair to an RNA target and change how it is translated into proteins – to treat Batten disease, a fatal genetic disorder.

Workshop, industry reps to give “Flash Talks”

In addition to scientific talks and discussions, this year’s HDDC will also feature a workshop on the drug screening platform EU-OPENSCREEN, and talks by start-ups and established companies. EU-OPENSCREEN is a non-profit European Research Infrastructure Consortium for chemical biology and early drug discovery, explains Dr. Edgar Specker, Head of Compound Management at the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) and a co-organizer of the conference. EU-OPENSCREEN’s central office and compound management laboratory are located on the research campus in Berlin-Buch. It provides open access to cutting-edge compound screening, medicinal chemistry, chemoproteomics, and spatial MS-based omics platforms to researchers around the world.

“We wanted to make this meeting a forum for more than just exchange among scientists,” says Bader, “but also a place where companies and start-ups working in these fields could introduce themselves and form collaborations with other researchers.” During the start-up session on Tuesday afternoon, several companies will present their work including Absea Biotechnology and FyoniBio, which were spun-off by Max Delbrück researchers and are located at Campus Buch. High-Tech Gründerfonds, a public-private venture capital investment firm based in Bonn, will also be participating in the discussions.

Developing novel drugs, getting industry involved

The invited companies are engaged in developing RNA based and other types of therapeutics, including PROTACS – which work differently than traditional small molecule drugs by actively degrading disease-causing proteins rather than simply inhibiting them and are consequently more effective. Chemoproteomics, which combines the study of all proteins in cells with technologies such as mass spectrometry to locate and understand exactly where drugs bind inside cells, will also be discussed by both researchers and companies.

“Previous conferences have consistently served as dynamic platforms for exchange among researchers and industry. HDDC2025 will follow this tradition,” says Bader. “We aim to help companies gather new ideas for commercialization and inspire researchers to spin off companies to transform their research findings into real benefits for patients.”

International Helmholtz Drug Discovery Conference

When?
April 28, 2025, 12:00PM – April 30, 2025, 1:30PM

Where?
Max Delbrück Communications Center (MDC.C), Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin

Further information

• Event website with program

Eckert & Ziegler Radiopharma GmbH (EZR), a 100% subsidiary of Eckert & Ziegler SE, today announced the signing of a manufacturing agreement with Pentixapharm, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. Under the terms of the agreement, EZR will produce and distribute patient-specific doses of Y90-PentixaTher, Pentixapharm’s lead CXCR4-targeting radiotherapeutic, for use in clinical trials.

Y90-PentixaTher is a radiolabeled peptide therapeutic designed to deliver targeted radiation to cancer cells that overexpress the CXCR4 receptor - commonly found in malignancies such as acute myeloid leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and various solid tumors. Used alongside the radiodiagnostic Ga68-PentixaFor, it supports a theranostic approach that allows physicians to visualize the disease before and after treatment.

As part of the newly signed agreement, EZR will manufacture Y90-PentixaTher under GMP conditions and manage the direct shipment of individual patient doses to trial sites. The agreement is limited to the clinical development phase and does not extend to commercial-scale manufacturing. Pentixapharm retains full strategic flexibility under this agreement to determine its future development and commercial supply.

“With this agreement, we are proud to support the advancement of Pentixapharm’s clinical oncology program,” said Dr. Harald Hasselmann, CEO of Eckert & Ziegler SE (EZAG). “Reliable access to high-quality radioisotopes is critical for the development of next-generation radiopharmaceuticals and we are pleased to contribute our manufacturing excellence to accelerate the delivery of innovative cancer therapies.”

"Securing a reliable Y90-PentixaTher GMP production is a significant milestone for Pentixapharm," said Dr. Dirk Pleimes, CEO of Pentixapharm AG. "This agreement marks a critical step in securing reliable clinical supply as we advance our targeted radiopharmaceutical therapies toward late-stage development."​

About Eckert & Ziegler

Eckert & Ziegler SE, with more than 1,000 employees, is a leading specialist in isotope-related components for nuclear medicine and radiation therapy. The company offers a broad range of services and products for the radiopharmaceutical industry, from early development work to contract manufacturing and distribution. Eckert & Ziegler shares (ISIN DE0005659700) are listed in the TecDAX index of Deutsche Börse. Contributing to saving lives

About Pentixapharm

Pentixapharm is a clinical-stage biotech company discovering and developing novel targeted radiopharmaceuticals with offices in Berlin and Würzburg, Germany. It is committed to developing ligand-based, first-in-class radiopharmaceuticals with strong differentiation and commercialization potential across high-need diagnostic and therapeutic areas. Its pipeline comprises CXCR4-targeted compounds in clinical development and a portfolio of early-stage radionuclide-antibody conjugates, aimed at treating hematologic malignancies, solid tumors, and diseases of the cardiovascular, endocrine, and immune systems.

We are excited to continue also in 2025 the Talks in the Cube starting with a further expert discussion focused on International cooperation and Funding programs in Life Sciences on May 15, 2025.

This event will feature four esteemed experts in the field who will share their insights and experiences on the  importance of collaboration across borders and the role of funding in advancing life sciences research. 

With
Kerem Can Akkaya, Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie GmbH
Gustavo Reis de Ascencao,  Fraunhofer Institut für Produktionsanlagen und Konstruktionstechnik (IPK), Berlin
Dr. Daniel Schubart, Consultech GmbH, Berlin
Mike Schüßl, Investitionsbank Berlin
Dr. Uwe Lohmeier, Berlin BioScience Academy (BBA), Campus Berlin-Buch GmbHm Berlin (Moderation)

Join us as we explore background, options and challenges when Life Sciences inventions leave national borders.  
Whether you are a seasoned investor, a biotech entrepreneur, or simply interested in the future of biotechnology, this discussion promises to provide valuable perspectives and foster meaningful conversations. The talk will be followed by a networking event where you can socialize over snacks and drinks.
Don’t miss out on this valuable event!

Target audience
Founders & scientists from start-ups, small and medium-sized life science companies and scientific institutions. 

Costs
Participation is free of charge. Registration is requested. 

When: Thursday, 15.05.2025
5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Where:
BerlinBioCube (Building D95), Campus Berlin-Buch, Robert-Rössle-Straße 10, 13125 Berlin 

Further information: 
Uwe Lohmeier per E-Mail: u.lohmeier@campusberlinbuch.de 

Further topics planned for 2025

• IP Strategies in Biotechnology
• CROs in diagnostics and therapeutics development

About "Talk in the Cube"
With the event series "Talk in the Cube", we bring business and science together on the Berlin-Buch campus and connect founders of start-ups or life science companies with scientists, e.g. from the Max Delbrück Center, FMP, Charité and BIH. We invite experts on business topics or trends in the life sciences and highlight aspects such as

• What innovations are there in the start-ups and who is driving them forward?
•  How does the life science business world work and where can synergies with science be created?
• How does the "networked laboratory" work and how do you live "sustainability in the laboratory"?

Picture credits: Campus Berlin-Buch GmbH

International Cooperation and Funding programs in Life Sciences

The Helmholtz Association is pooling its commitment to prevention research with the launch of the Helmholtz Health Prevention Task Force. In a strategy paper published in “Nature Medicine,“ the committee outlines initial concepts for integrating prevention more effectively into medical practice.

As Germany's largest scientific organization, the Helmholtz Association encompasses six health research centers with approximately 10,000 employees. Its researchers develop strategies for early disease detection and risk assessment across various conditions, including infectious diseases, cancer, metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. The newly established task force unites experts from all six Helmholtz Health centers and the German National Cohort (NAKO) to advance prevention research.

“By bringing together top experts across disciplines, we can transform prevention into a powerful tool for better health worldwide,” says Professor Matthias Tschöp, CEO at Helmholtz Munich, who helped to initiate the task force as former Helmholtz Health Vice President. “Our goal is to move beyond treatment and fundamentally rethink how we predict, prevent, and mitigate disease before it occurs.”

Closing the gaps in prevention research

Despite its critical role in healthcare, prevention research faces significant challenges. A lack of a long-term, comprehensive strategy and insufficient funding have slowed progress. Additionally, the task force has identified key gaps: Health inequalities (i.e., differences in health among population groups due to social, economic, or geographical conditions) and environmental factors are often overlooked, limiting the effectiveness of preventive measures. Many diseases remain undetected in their early, symptom-free stages due to a lack of awareness and research – such as high blood pressure, which requires intervention before symptoms appear. Existing prevention programs are often inadequately monitored, leading to underutilization of valuable health data.

“Our goal is to make prevention a central pillar of a sustainable healthcare strategy,” says Professor Eleftheria Zeggini, co-chair of the task force and Director of the Institute of Translational Genomics at Helmholtz Munich. “To tackle major health challenges – such as aging, multimorbidity, and the impact of climate change on human health – we must strengthen collaboration among researchers, healthcare providers, and policymakers.”

Health solutions that improve lives

Harnessing the power of big data and advanced analytics, the task force will develop new frameworks for prevention strategies. “By integrating advanced technologies such as multi-omics, machine learning, and bioengineering, we aim to uncover personalized health trends and risk factors that enable earlier detection and intervention for common diseases,” explains Professor Maike Sander, current Vice President of Helmholtz Health and Scientific Director of the Max Delbrück Center. “Through better data connectivity and sharing, we can transform research into predictive, effective, and lasting health solutions that improve lives.”

The experts are also dedicated to aligning their findings with public health strategies and fostering health-promoting environments. “We are committed to developing evidence-based recommendations that align with public health policies and promote healthier environments and behaviors," adds Professor Ute Mons, task force co-chair and division head of Primary Cancer Prevention at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). In addition to chronic diseases, the focus of the task force includes infectious disease prevention – through targeted immunization, preventive therapies for at-risk populations, and a One Health approach to reduce zoonotic risks.

Further information

• Helmholtz Health
• At the helm of Helmholtz Health: Maike Sander
• Perspectives for the medicine of the future

An African and European research consortium receives €1.5 million from the European Union and additional resources from the Swiss government to support the accumulation of knowledge, skills and innovative capacities for drug discovery in sub-Saharan Africa. The associated project “RAFIKI”, which launched in January 2025, will tackle pressing public health challenges and build new avenues for cooperation between African and European researchers.

Sub-Saharan Africa bears a disproportionate burden of global infectious diseases, with significant ramifications for the public health and development of the African continent. Although recent years have seen promising progress for drug discovery in Africa, local research
communities still lack sufficient infrastructure to develop tailored solutions for these critical public health needs.

Under the European Union’s Horizon Europe funding scheme, the RAFIKI project – short for “EU-Africa Research Infrastructure Alliance to Foster Infectious Disease research, Knowledge sharing and Innovation” (spelling “rafiki”, Swahili for “friend”) – unites key players from the African
and European drug discovery scenes to bring accelerated and sustainable growth to the sub-Saharan African drug discovery community and connect them with global research networks.

Supporting emerging networks for drug discovery in Africa

RAFIKI will complement the Grand Challenges African Drug Discovery Accelerator (GC ADDA). This first-of-its-kind initiative, coordinated by the Holistic Drug Discovery and Development (H3D) Foundation, supports cutting-edge drug discovery research at institutions across Africa to identify new medicines for infectious diseases. Several members of the GC ADDA network are also partners in RAFIKI, allowing RAFIKI to position its holistic capacity building initiatives around existing collaborations.

Building skills and infrastructure

A central mission of RAFIKI is to offer essential training opportunities to sub-Saharan African drug discovery researchers. This investment in training, particularly for early-career researchers, will be pivotal for fostering a highly skilled research ecosystem across Africa.
Prof. Richard Amewu of the University of Ghana, discussing the urgent need to enhance local capacities, shared that the planned training opportunities “will close the knowledge gap in drug discovery and prepare [young scientists in Africa] for venturing into drug discovery research.”
Planned opportunities will include in-person workshops at regional research hubs, mentorship programmes for early-career scientists, and fellowship visits for researchers to learn new skills from partner laboratories.

From the perspective of the Zambian research arena, Dr Peter Cheuka of the University of Zambia is keen to “give an opportunity to Zambian scientists [through the RAFIKI project] to contribute to finding solutions to diseases that afflict the country and the entire continent.” RAFIKI will also establish a small-molecule library and data repository – an effort spearheaded by partners at the H3D Centre at the University of Cape Town and the University of Ghana.
Jessica Akester, Project Manager at the H3D Centre, emphasised that “developing robust sample and data management systems at partner institutions will ensure sustainable data integrity and foundational infrastructure to accelerate research across the continent.”

Fostering international partnerships

Through its international network of expertise, RAFIKI promises to strengthen global collaborations and drive impactful research. EU-OPENSCREEN, a European Research Infrastructure Consortium and coordinating institution of RAFIKI, brings in its consortium of 36 European institutions to support drug discovery in Africa and globally.
Dr Bahne Stechmann, Deputy Director of EU-OPENSCREEN, is eager to strengthen EU- OPENSCREEN's collaborations with African researchers to advance global drug discovery. “Through this initiative, we aim to demonstrate that research infrastructures can have a transformative impact that extends across continents.”
Dr Susan Winks, Chief Operations Officer at the H3D Foundation and leader of the GC ADDA initiative, is further optimistic that RAFIKI will “strengthen the nascent drug discovery ecosystem in Africa, while building stronger connections with European partners in Global Health.”
Dr Elizabeth Kigondu of the Kenya Medical Research Institute, who will focus on establishing a drug discovery hub in Eastern Africa, also noted the RAFIKI consortium’s chance to “cement and enhance the existing collaborations between some African and European institutions, to find
health solutions that not only impact the African continent but the rest of the world.”
The Director General of KEMRI, Prof. Elijah Songok, is “proud to support Dr. Elizabeth Kigondu in her efforts to establish a drug discovery hub in Eastern Africa,” noting that “this initiative represents a significant step toward building Africa’s capacity to develop medicines and therapies tailored for
our populations.”
By connecting partners internationally, RAFIKI will enable critical discussions with external stakeholders and potential funders, as emphasised by Suze Farrell of the Drug Discovery Unit at the University of Dundee: “Combined with infrastructure development and stakeholder engagement, the RAFIKI award will help accelerate the growth of drug discovery in the African continent.”
Alice Neequaye of the Equitable Partnership platform at Medicines for Malaria Venture added: “The challenges faced by infectious disease researchers globally require collaborative efforts, shared expertise, and equitable access to training and infrastructure. By empowering the next
generation of African drug discovery researchers, RAFIKI aims to advance science that benefits everyone.”

The RAFIKI consortium comprises EU-OPENSCREEN, headquartered in Berlin, Germany; the H3D Foundation in Cape Town, South Africa; the University of Dundee Drug Discovery Unit, Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom; the University of Ghana in Accra, Ghana; the Kenya Medical
Research Institute in Nairobi, Kenya; Stellenbosch University in Stellenbosch, South Africa; the H3D Centre, University of Cape Town in Cape Town, South Africa; the University of Zambia in Lusaka, Zambia; and the Medicines for Malaria Venture in Geneva, Switzerland.

How does research actually work? What do data scientists and animal caretakers do? This year, 17 girls visited the Max Delbrück Center for Girls' Day – and five boys took part in Boys' Day.

Half of mathematics students are women, and in her own research group, women are well-represented too. “It still shocks me a bit that we’re still talking about girls and women in computer science or math like it’s something unusual,” says Professor Jana Wolf. As a systems biologist, she and her team model cellular processes at the Max Delbrück Center. She’s passionate about giving students a behind-the-scenes look at her work – and at the many paths that lead into biomedical research. She wants girls to pursue their interests without being discouraged by negative comments. “Whether you end up choosing to study physics, biochemistry, systems biology, computer science, or math – is irrelevant,” she tells the 17 girls, aged 13 to 16, who joined the Girls' Day program in Berlin-Buch and Mitte. “We need experts trained in all of these disciplines!”

Lea Wöllner knows just how crucial that kind of advice can be. She's currently working toward her Master’s degree in molecular medicine in the lab of Dr. Markus Mittnenzweig. Before graduating high school, she was overwhelmed by the array of subjects she could study at the university level. The surprised reactions she received when she became interested in bioinformatics applications in medicine confused her even more. “But it’s actually super cool,” she says.

Coding to help Axolotl Amy

Together with PhD students Aurora Elhazaz Fernandez and Meghan Kane, Lea Wöllner guided three girls aged 13 to 15 on a two-and-a-half-hour expedition into the world of single-cell biology – where data is absolutely essential. The scientists created a story: Axolotl Amy gets injured in a competition and loses an arm – the wound needs to heal, and the limb must regrow.

Step by step, they explained what happens inside the body. The right antibodies need to fend off viruses and bacteria, but at the same time, the immune system should not overreact. Their first coding challenge? Finding the right balance in the body. What types of cells does Amy need for her arm to regenerate? Pia, Marilou, and Fatima learned how to use marker genes to identify and annotate different cell groups. The task was no problem for these three young scientists.

Seven labs host students

The Girls' Day event at the Max Delbrück Center was coordinated by Gender Equality Officer Dr. Christiane Nolte and her deputies Dr. Grietje Krabbe and Dr. Ulrike Ohnesorge. This year, they were supported not only by researchers from the Mittnenzweig group, but also by teams led by Dr. Fabian Coscia, Professor Dominik Müller, Professor Jan Phillip Junker, and Dr. Leif Ludwig, as well as by Dr. Inga Patarcic from Research Data Management and Deborah Schmidt, who heads the Image Data Analysis technology platform. Each team developed interactive activities, and the data scientists gave the girls a glimpse into their everyday work.

At the same time, five boys took part in Boys' Day and visited an animal facility on the Buch campus. They got hands-on experience on adhering to strict hygiene protocols, and heard from animal caretaker Jannis Walter about how to care for mice in a research setting.

In the Mittnenzweig lab, Aurora Elhazaz Fernandez placed a petri dish of zebrafish embryos under the microscope. The fertilized eggs develop rapidly, some even within a single day. “They’re moving!” exclaimed Pia. The 14-year-old is a ninth grader at Heinrich-Hertz-Gymnasium in Friedrichshain, a school that specializes in math and science. The girls asked lots of questions – and Elhazaz Fernandez answered them all. “I’ll be back in three months,” Pia said. After a student exchange in France, she plans to intern in the Junker lab, where she hopes to take a closer look at the zebrafish.

The Max Delbrück Center mourns the loss of Professor Peter M. Schlag (1948–2025). He was a pioneer of cancer research and a passionate physician. Schlag worked as a group leader at our research center for more than two decades.

A trailblazing researcher, dedicated doctor, visionary, and key figure in cancer research and treatment in Berlin – the Max Delbrück Center mourns the loss of its long-standing colleague and research group leader Professor Peter M. Schlag, who passed away on February 28, 2025.

Schlag belonged to the founding generation of the Max Delbrück Center. Born in Bavaria, he studied medicine at the University of Düsseldorf and completed his medical training at the University of Ulm. He later specialized in surgical oncology and also worked in the United States. In 1982, he was appointed a professorship at the University of Heidelberg. Ten years later, in 1992 – the year our research center was established – he moved to Berlin. On the Berlin-Buch campus at the Max Delbrück Center, he led the Surgical Oncology group until 2013.

Together with Professor Ulrike Stein and his lab team, he made a major contribution to cancer research: They identified a new gene (MACC1) that promotes tumor growth and metastasis in colorectal cancer. When the activity of this gene is low, patients have a better prognosis. Based on this discovery, the researchers developed a blood test to assess the likelihood of a tumor metastasizing. They also showed that MACC1 gene activity is linked to patient prognosis in other types of cancer as well.

Founder of the Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center

Peter Schlag combined scientific curiosity and pioneering spirit with a deep passion for medicine and patient care. “From bench to bedside” – this principle defined his work: From 1992 to 2008, he also served as Director of the Department of Surgery and Surgical Oncology at the Robert Rössle Clinic, Charité, and from 2001 to 2008 as its Medical Director. Providing the best possible treatment to his patients was always his top priority. In 2008, he founded the Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, which he led until 2013.

Schlag was ahead of his time in recognizing the potential of computer-assisted surgery. He developed 3D visualization tools for surgical planning and helped shape clinical practice through the introduction of new technologies. He also conducted research on innovative therapeutic approaches such as tumor cell vaccination, hyperthermia and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy – a method that combines surgery with chemotherapy for certain abdominal cancers.

A member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina since 2002, Schlag received numerous awards, including the K. H. Bauer Prize of the German Society for Surgery (1981), the Scientific Award of the European Society of Surgical Oncology (1984), and the Carlo Erba Research Award (1986). In 1999, together with Professor Walter Birchmeier of the Max Delbrück Center, he was honored with the German Cancer Award.

Beyond the lab and the clinic, Schlag also advocated for cancer research and patient care, serving as chair of the Berlin Cancer Society (2005–2015) and founder of the Berlin Cancer Foundation.

Schlag was an outstanding scientist and physician. At the Max Delbrück Center, we remember him as a valued colleague, dedicated mentor, and inspiring role model for clinician scientists. Our deepest condolences go out to his family and all who worked with him.

Max Delbrück Center and Helmholtz Imaging scientists have developed open-source software that simplifies the study of cell polarity with fluorescence microscopy. Published in “Nature Communications,” the innovation may streamline research on many basic biological processes such as tissue repair.

At first glance, the human body may appear symmetrical. But a closer look might reveal many asymmetries – a crooked smile, or a foot larger than the other. On a microscopic level, our cells too are not uniform, but rather show cell polarity – an asymmetry in their shape, structure or the organization of their cellular components. Studying cell polarity with florescence microscopy can yield clues about health and disease. But turning microscopy data into knowledge has been hampered by the incompatibility of existing tools.

In a study led by Dr. Wolfgang Giese in the Integrative Vascular Biology lab of Professor Holger Gerhardt at the Max Delbrück Center and Jan Philip Albrecht, a computer scientist working with Deborah Schmidt (Image Data Analysis platform) at Helmholtz Imaging, researchers introduce Polarity-JaM – an open-source, freely available and user-friendly tool to analyze cell polarity data from fluorescence microscopy images. The study was published in “Nature Communications.”

“We wanted to create a tool that enables scientists, including those with minimal programming experience, to explore and analyze cell polarity data in a straightforward and reproducible way,” says Giese. “By integrating circular statistics and user-friendly visualization, Polarity-JaM helps researchers uncover patterns in cell behavior that were previously difficult to analyze quantitatively.”

Addressing a challenge in cell image analysis

Researchers study cell polarity to better understand processes such as tissue repair, organ development and immune responses. But despite advances in fluorescence microscopy that have made it easy to capture detailed images of cell polarity, tools to analyze the data remain fragmented, time-consuming, or require specialized coding skills. This makes large-scale, reproducible research nearly impossible. 

Polarity-JaM combines analyses of cell polarity, morphology, and cell-cell contact formation among other features into a single, holistic software package that takes advantage of deep learning.

The tool quantifies and helps to visualize multiple aspects of cell polarity, including the position of Golgi organelles with respect to cell nuclei, cell shape and orientation, and the location of cellular organelles, to name just a few examples. To demonstrate the tool’s capabilities, the researchers showed that they could study how endothelial cells alter their shape, orientation, and signaling responses when exposed to different shear stresses – conditions that mimic blood flow.

Understanding cell polarity can help to explain how the body maintains healthy organs and tissues and what goes wrong in diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disorders, and inflammation, says Gerhardt. “The ability of machine learning-based segmentation tools to accurately identify and outline cells within a microscopic image almost as well as a human expert exceeded our expectations,” he adds. “It demonstrates the potential for further automation in biological research and beyond, freeing up scientists to focus on higher-level analysis and discovery.”

An open-source solution

The researchers have made Polarity-JaM documentation and tutorials available at https://polarityjam.readthedocs.io. The site includes a how-to video, ensuring that users can easily learn and apply the tool to their research. In addition, a web-based application hosted at www.polarityjam.com enables researchers to perform circular statistical analyses – which involves analyzing data that is circular in nature such as angles or the orientation of cellular structures in 3D space – and visualize their data without requiring users to install software, making the tool accessible to a broader audience.

“The open-source nature of Polarity-JaM allows researchers, developers, and the wider scientific community to contribute, improve, and expand its capabilities, ensuring continuous development and adaptation to new research challenges,” says Albrecht. The team is now looking to expand the capabilities of PolarityJaM to be able to analyze 3D tissue and organoid models, for example. They also hope to include analyses of other subcellular structures, time lapse imaging and dynamic tracking to study how cell polarity evolves over time, and to add other features as well.

Figure: The image shows how cell polarity changes when endothelial cells are exposed to different shear stress parameters – conditions which mimic blood flow. © Julia Kraxner, Emir Akmeric (Gerhardt Lab), Jan Philipp Albrecht (Helmholtz Imaging)

Around 220 high school students from across Berlin came to the conference center of the Max Delbrück Center in Buch in mid-March with one topic on their minds: stem cell research. For the tenth time, the German Stem Cell Network (GSCN, stem cell research dialogue platform at BIH) hosted UniStem Day.

“The talks were a total hit!” – the biology-loving students were thrilled by the range and depth of stem cell research they encountered during UniStem Day. The day was packed with information: in the lecture hall Axon 1, Dr. Sebastian Diecke welcomed the students on behalf of the Max Delbrück Center, and Dr. Daniel Besser (GSCN) introduced them to the field.

Things got even more engaging with Professor Simone Spuler (Max Delbrück Center), who gave a compelling and easy-to-follow talk about her research and early clinical trials on muscular dystrophies. Spuler and her team use CRISPR gene editing to modify muscle stem cells. Professor Sina Bartfeld (TU Berlin) took the students on a molecular journey into the development of the stomach and intestine, leading to the creation of intestinal organoids – a new and fascinating topic for many of the participants. The final talk came from Professor Christof Stamm (Deutsches Herzzentrum at Charité), who presented regenerative therapy approaches for the human heart, captivating the audience with impressive images from his heart surgeries.

After a break, the students headed into their workshops: exploring organoids with Dr. Ines Lahmann in Dr. Mina Gouti’s lab, learning about gene and cell therapies with Dr. Elke Luger, discussing animal research with Nadja Daberkow-Nitsche, understanding CRISPR-Cas9 with Dr. Michael Strehle, debating the ethics of germline intervention with Hannah Schickl, discovering the rescue efforts for the northern white rhino with Dr. Vera Zywitza and Steven Seet, exploring the Max Delbrück Center’s biobank with Dr. Jürgen Janke, and identifying lichens on campus with Uwe Lohmeier.

This year, the startup lab tours received particularly enthusiastic feedback. Companies like FyoniBio, CARTemis Therapeutics GmbH, and Silence Therapeutics welcomed students from biotech-focused high schools, sparking lively conversations and insightful questions.

All in all, it was a fantastic day filled with hands-on science, respectful discussion, molecular insights, visionary researchers – and a big gain in perspective for the students into the world of scientific discovery.

Text: Stefanie Mahler, GSCN

Eckert & Ziegler SE (ISIN DE0005659700, TecDAX) achieved a new record in the 2024 financial year with sales of € 295.8 million based on the preliminary annual financial statements*. Compared to the previous year, sales increased by almost € 50 million (+20%). EBIT before special items from continuing operations (adjusted EBIT) rose by around € 19.0 million to € 65.9 million (+40%) compared to the previous year. Net income increased by € 7.0 million (+27%) to € 33.3 million, corresponding to earnings per share of € 1.60.

In the Medical segment, sales increased by € 33.2 million (+29%) to € 148.4 million. The growth in sales was driven in particular by strong demand in radiopharmaceuticals.

The Isotope Products segment generated sales of € 147.5 million, an increase of € 16.6 million (+13%) compared to the previous year. This rise is attributable to both annual price adjustments and volume effects.

For the 2025 financial year, the Executive Board expects sales of around € 320 million and EBIT from continuing operations before special items (adjusted EBIT) of around € 78 million. The forecast is based on a weighted average exchange rate of USD 1.05 per euro.

* The presentation of the final audited and approved annual financial statements will follow a few days later, solely due to the outstanding technical ESEF tagging, which will take additional time due to the cyber-attack in February 2025. The Executive Board's proposal on the appropriation of the net profit and a corresponding resolution by the Supervisory Board will be made promptly and in the context of the Supervisory Board's balance sheet meeting on the annual financial statements for the 2024 financial year.

The preliminary 2024 financial statements can be found here: https://www.ezag.com/fy2024en/

About Eckert & Ziegler.
Eckert & Ziegler SE with more than 1.000 employees is a leading specialist for isotope-related components in nuclear medicine and radiation therapy. The company offers a broad range of services and products for the radiopharmaceutical industry, from early development work to contract manufacturing and distribution. Eckert & Ziegler shares (ISIN DE0005659700) are listed in the TecDAX index of Deutsche Börse.
Contributing to saving lives.

Eckert & Ziegler SE (ISIN DE0005659700, TecDAX) and AtomVie Global Radiopharma Inc. (AtomVie) today announced a global supply agreement. Eckert & Ziegler will provide its high-quality non-carrier added Lutetium-177 chloride (n.c.a. Lu-177, Theralugand®) to support AtomVie’s CDMO activities for radiopharmaceutical manufacturing.

The collaboration covers both early and late-stage development and extends to global programs. Through this partnership, Atomvie secures reliable access to Theralugand®, which will enable further development of Lu-177 based radiopharmaceuticals in their facility. The flexibility of the agreement makes it possible to respond dynamically to the needs of pharmaceutical partners at different stages of radiopharmaceutical development and commercialization, while addressing regulatory requirements worldwide.

“We are happy to support AtomVie in advancing global radiopharmaceutical development programs with Theralugand®,” stated Dr. Harald Hasselmann, CEO of Eckert & Ziegler SE. “By providing our high-quality radionuclides, we vitally contribute to the further development of therapeutic approaches in nuclear medicine.”

Bruno Paquin, CEO of AtomVie commented “Partnering with Eckert & Ziegler is a significant step in ensuring that our global partners developing Lutetium-177 based radiopharmaceuticals have the support they need. With our new facility set to open later this year, this collaboration enhances our ability to provide reliable, high-quality manufacturing services. Together with our partners, we look forward to further advancing innovation and transforming patients' lives.”

About Eckert & Ziegler
Eckert & Ziegler SE, with more than 1,000 employees, is a leading specialist in isotope-related components for nuclear medicine and radiation therapy. The company offers a broad range of services and products for the radiopharmaceutical industry, from early development work to contract manufacturing and distribution. Eckert & Ziegler shares (ISIN DE0005659700) are listed in the TecDAX index of Deutsche Börse.
Contributing to saving lives.

About AtomVie Global Radiopharma Inc.
AtomVie is a global leading CDMO for the GMP manufacturing and worldwide distribution of clinical and commercial radiopharmaceuticals. AtomVie offers the full range of scientific, technical, regulatory, quality and logistics combined with a specialized infrastructure for the development of radiopharmaceuticals from clinical studies to the commercial marketplace. AtomVie currently serves international clients conducting studies in over 25 countries worldwide. For more information, visit https://www.atomvie.com/

Source: Press Release Eckert & Ziegler

Researchers from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Max Delbrück Center have detailed the precise mechanism through which the inflammatory signaling molecule IL-12 contributes to Alzheimer’s disease. The study was published in the journal “Nature Aging.”

Joint press pelease of Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Max Delbrück Center

Microglia, the brain’s immune cells, usually serve as diligent guardians. They eliminate intruders such as microbes and clear away cellular debris – including the plaques typical of Alzheimer’s disease. However, as our brains age, microglia also change. While some continue to function effectively, others gradually lose their protective role and start secreting small amounts of inflammatory messengers.

One such messenger is interleukin-12 (IL-12). Through meticulous analyses, research teams led by Professor Frank Heppner, Director of the Department of Neuropathology at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and Professor Nikolaus Rajewsky, Director of the Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology at the Max Delbrück Center (MDC-BIMSB), along with additional partners, have identified how IL-12 might trigger and accelerate Alzheimer’s dementia. Their study, published in “Nature Aging,” could pave the way for new combination therapies.

“For decades, Alzheimer’s research focused almost exclusively on amyloid-beta and tau deposits, while inflammation was considered a side effect,” says Heppner. “Only recently have we begun to recognize that inflammatory processes may be a primary driver of disease progression.” In 2012, Heppner’s lab reported in Nature Medicine that blocking IL-12 and IL-23 significantly reduced Alzheimer’s-related brain changes in mice. “But we couldn’t unravel the underlying mechanism with standard techniques,” Heppner explains. He reasoned that single cell analyses might provide more decisive clues, so he asked Rajewsky to collaborate.

Sticky and tangled brain cells

Throughout life, cells refer to their genetic instructions to respond to external stimuli. Researchers use single-cell analyses to observe this process, reconstructing which genes are being read and translated into proteins in thousands of individual cells simultaneously. These analyses generate massive datasets, which can now be analyzed with the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning. However, a major challenge in using single cell sequencing technology is isolating individual cells from a tissue sample without damaging them or causing unintended changes. “In aging mouse brains – especially those with Alzheimer’s plaques – cells are so stuck together and tangled that separating them cleanly is nearly impossible,” Rajewsky explains.

His team spent several years perfecting a workaround. Instead of isolating entire cells, they extract cell nuclei from brain tissue and analyze the RNA present in each cell. By cross-referencing with publicly available data, such as the Allen Brain Atlas, they can ensure that their method provides a representative snapshot of all cell populations. For the present study, they sequenced RNA from over 80,000 cell nuclei and developed specialized workflows to process the data. They also reconstructed communication between cells. “Our teams repeatedly sat together to try to interpret this highly complex data,” Rajewsky says. “This painstaking early optimization was crucial – without it, we would not have been able to detect these connections.”

How IL-12 damages the Alzheimer’s brain

IL-12, previously known primarily for its role in autoimmune diseases like Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis, appears to play a pivotal role in Alzheimer’s progression. It damages two key brain cell types: mature oligodendrocytes, which normally produce myelin ­– the fatty insulating layer around nerve fibers essential for rapid signal transmission; and interneurons, which are particularly important for cognition and memory. IL-12 binding to interneurons causes them to die.  A vicious circle begins: As more microglia produce IL-12, more brain cells sustain damage. Meanwhile, remaining functional microglia become overburdened by the task of clearing the additional cellular debris, and thus fail to remove Alzheimer’s plaques. 

To verify this mechanism, researchers tested it in mice and in human tissue. When Heppner's team blocked IL-12 in cell cultures and mouse models, they could stem disease-related changes. Electron micrographs of mouse brain tissue taken at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Göttingen also showed how myelin structure and nerve fiber density changed depending on whether the IL-12 signaling pathway was present or absent. Mass spectrometric analyses (lipidomics) at the University of Zurich confirmed the altered composition of the fat-rich insulating layer. Study of autopsy tissue from Alzheimer's patients provided further confirmation of the results – the more advanced the disease, the more IL-12 was present in the tissue. Cell cultures with human oligodendrocytes were also extremely sensitive to IL-12.

Potential combination therapy

“We now have a highly detailed picture of this mechanism, with single-cell technologies serving as a crucial catalyst. The only remaining question is which cell type IL-12 impacts first – oligodendrocytes, interneurons, or both simultaneously,” says Heppner, who is also Group Leader in Neuroimmunology at the Deutschen Zentrums für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE).

The study has immediate implications as there are already drugs on the market that block IL-12. The researchers hope that clinicians will build on their findings and initiate clinical trials. “If these drugs prove effective, they would be a new arrow in the quiver. Alzheimer's doesn't just have one cause. One axis of the disease is also controlled by the immune system, at least in some patients. Slowing neurodegeneration will require combination therapy,” Heppner emphasizes. Such an approach could start early in the disease process, as IL-12 can be measured in blood or cerebrospinal fluid, he adds. 

Meanwhile, the teams at Charité and the Max Delbrück Center are exploring a new hypothesis: Could microplastic in the brain drive microglia to produce IL-12? “Microglia may struggle to process microplastic, triggering inflammatory reactions,” Rajewsky suggests. “This could reveal a link between environmental factors and widespread diseases.” While unproven, both teams consider it a compelling and important research direction.

Further information

• N. Rajewsky Lab
• Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements 
• Heppner lab
• Press release on Nature Medicine study from 2012

A study led by researchers at the Max Delbrück Center has found that low socioeconomic status raises the risk of cardiovascular disease in women more so than in men. The study underlines the importance of gender-specific prevention.

A growing number of studies are reporting gender differences in diseases such as stroke, heart attack and high blood pressure. “It is known from previous studies that a lower socioeconomic status is associated with a higher cardiovascular risk. The relationship between social status and the cardiovascular risk profile, and in particular whether this relationship differs between men and women, has been insufficiently researched in Germany to date,” says Professor Dr. Tobias Pischon, an author of the publication and member of the Board of Directors of NAKO e.V. The German National Cohort (NAKO) is Germany's largest long-term study on the development of diseases.

The researchers analyzed data from 204,780 participants in the NAKO collected between 2014-2019 – 50% of the participants are women. The analysis was based on self-reported information on socioeconomic factors such as education, income and employment status, the use of antihypertensive medication, chronic cardiovascular and metabolic conditions, lifestyle factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption, as well as measured values from medical examinations at the NAKO study centers, such as blood pressure, blood test results and other measurements. The scientists took various other factors into account in the calculations.

Heart attack, high blood pressure, overweight

The study found that women with low socioeconomic status were more likely to have an adverse cardiovascular risk profile compared to a comparable group of men and women with high socioeconomic status. “In women compared with men, low socioeconomic status was more strongly associated with myocardial infarction, hypertension, obesity, use of antihypertensive medication and risky alcohol consumption, but – in contrast to men – less strongly associated with active or former smoking,” says Dr. Ilais Moreno Velásquez, scientist at the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin-Buch and lead author of the study. In addition, “compared to those with a high socioeconomic status, women with low education and income had higher odds of a high 10-year risk of cardiovascular events than men of comparable socioeconomic status.”

Pischon and his team plan to investigate the correlations further: “In our current evaluation, we have estimated the risk of future cardiovascular events on the basis of internationally established algorithms. With the many scientifically valuable data that we are gaining from the NAKO study through repeated examination of study participants, we will be able to check these results in the future with regard to newly diagnosed cardiovascular diseases. Overall, however, our results already indicate that the risk of cardiovascular disease in women is more strongly dependent on social status than in men. For our health policy in Germany, this underscores the importance of taking social inequalities into account in cardiovascular disease prevention strategies,” says Pischon.

Researchers from Medical University of Vienna, Charité Berlin and Max Delbrück Center have identified the CD74 protein as a new drug target to treat deadly skin lymphoma. The study was published in the “British Journal of Dermatology.”

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is a rare form of blood cancer that primarily affects the skin. In Europe, the disease is diagnosed in about 0.5 per 100,000 inhabitants per year. Advanced stages are associated with a poor prognosis and quality of life.

A team of researchers led by Professor Olaf Merkel in the Department of Experimental Pathology at Medical University of Vienna and Professor Stephan Mathas at the Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a joint institution of the Max Delbrück Center and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, points to CD74 protein as a promising new target for innovative therapies to treat CTCL. In a preclinical model, the researchers showed that so-called antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), which specifically bind to CD74, can effectively kill CTCL cells.

New therapeutic approach for a difficult-to-treat disease

Although monoclonal antibodies and ADCs are already successfully being used to induce remission in CTCL patients, existing treatments do not provide a cure. ADCs that target CD74 offer a potentially new treatment approach. The research team showed that CD74 is strongly and consistently expressed in various CTCL subtypes, including particularly difficult-to-treat forms such as Sézary syndrome and advanced stages of mycosis fungoides.

“Our results show that CD74 is not only an attractive target molecule for antibody therapy, but that its blockade can lead to complete tumor eradication in preclinical models,” says Merkel. It is particularly noteworthy that the treatment was highly effective even in TP53-defective CTCL cells - an aspect of great clinical relevance. TP53 is an important tumor suppressor gene that is mutated in many cancers.

The basis for future clinical studies

The study findings provide a solid basis for further developing new antibody-based treatments that target CD74 and pave the way for clinical trials. “Our results open up new perspectives for the treatment of CTCL patients who currently have inadequate treatment options,” add the study authors.

The researchers see CD74-targeted therapy as an especially promising approach to improve treatment for patients with advanced CTCL, who currently have very limited options.

From better 3D printers for biological structures to soil remediation with microorganisms – in the 60th round of “Jugend forscht,” regional students presented their exciting research projects on the Berlin-Buch campus.

“Turn questions into answers” – this challenge inspired many Berlin students to once again participate in the nationwide “Jugend forscht” and “Jugend forscht Junior” competitions. At sponsor institution Campus Berlin-Buch, 37 projects from a total of 84 were on display. On February 26, young researchers presented their projects to the jury and to the public. Participants also had the chance to visit laboratories at the Max Delbrück Center, the Leibniz Research Institute for Molecular Pharmacology, and the biotech company FyoniBio. Additionally, they conducted hands-on experiments in two workshops at the Gläsernes Labor student lab.

Students aged 10 to 18 participated in the competition, exploring a wide range of exciting and practical research questions such as: How can AI and stenography improve keyboards, whether bacteria or fungi can help clean copper-contaminated soil, and how to build an affordable 3D printer for research projects involving cell structure. Other topics included developing an environmentally friendly alternative to glow sticks, finding solutions to remove pollutants and plastic from plants, testing coffee grounds as a substitute for traditional fertilizers, and analyzing how slime molds react to heat. Former national Jugend forscht winner Alois Bachmann competed again in the Mathematics/Informatics category with his project “The next GENErAltion – deciphering transcription factors with AI.” And Amelie Stadermann once again won a regional victory in biology in the Jugend forscht category — she won an award last year in the Junior category.

At the award ceremony, Kirstin Bodensieck, acting Administrative Director of the Max Delbrück Center, welcomed the participants: “You have set out to find answers to research questions that are important to society — whether in biology, technology, or sustainability. Each project and your dedication to science are remarkable and have helped make our world a little more understandable. Just like the scientists on our campus who tackle urgent health questions to better understand and treat diseases.”

Bodensieck encouraged the young researchers to stay curious: “Why not pursue a career in science one day? Feel free to reach out to us, take a look at the everyday life of researchers, and seize the opportunity for a future as a scientist.”

Award ceremony and special prizes

The jury awarded nine first-place prizes – seven in the Jugend forscht category and two in the Jugend forscht Junior category. The winners will have the opportunity to advance to the state competition held at the Technical University of Berlin.

In addition to first through third place prize winners, special awards recognized achievements in areas such as Resource Efficiency, Environmental Technology, and Renewable Raw Materials. Some winners received exclusive invitations to visit the Berlin-Buch campus, the Free University campus, or the DESY research laboratory.

The three outstanding projects that won the special prize are:

• Biology: “Substrates in NFT Aquaponics – A Comparative Study” by Jan Brüggemann, Luca Wroblewski, and Hannes Schweizer (Martin-Buber-Oberschule)
• Mathematics/Informatics: “Can synthetically generated training data improve AI object recognition models?” by Tom Smee (Nelson-Mandela-Schule)
• Technology: “A low-cost bioprinter for printing structures from biocompatible materials” by Rufus Dreger (John-Lennon-Gymnasium)

Additionally, Campus Berlin-Buch GmbH awarded a special prize for outstanding commitment in the Jugend forscht category to project mentor Sascha Werner from Kurt-Tucholsky-Oberschule.

“We are always impressed by the dedication students bring to their projects. Jugend forscht inspires young people to engage with STEM subjects, learn scientific methods, and to fiddle with and to stick to scientific research,” says Dr. Ulrich Scheller. “A big thank you also goes to our volunteer jury, whose members provided valuable motivation and guidance for the young researchers.”

We congratulate the winners of the regional competition at Campus Berlin-Buch!

Workplace

Vibbodh Somani, Yamahn Tanjour, Sarah Ali
Nelson-Mandela-Schule
“Creating More Efficient Keyboards with AI and Stenography”

Best Interdisciplinary Project (Workplace)

Youanna Banjamin, Johann Bredemeyer, Paul Bierbüße
Heinrich-Hertz-Gymnasium
“Device for Assessing Motor Conditions Using Artificial Intelligence”

Biology

Lilja Gemballa, Liese Kalklösch, Frederik Maass
Rückert-Gymnasium
“Nurturing Coffee”

Amelie Stadermann, Cosima Tödt
Europäisches Gymnasium Bertha-von-Suttner
“Physiological Stress Memory? The Slime Mold During and After Temperature Stress”

Leo Heinkelmann, Ella Bahat Treidel, Kjell Wenzel (Jugend forscht junior)
Martin-Buber-Oberschule
“Bacteria vs. Fungi – Comparing Microorganisms for Copper-Contaminated Soil Remediation”

Chemistry

Josephine Kosin, Stella Maria Blöbaum, Frederik Bär
Lessing-Gymnasium
“NatürLICHT – The Environmentally Friendly Alternative to Glow Sticks”

Tim Gies, Emilia Schröter, Theodor Rauschning (Jugend forscht junior)
Grundschule am Tegelschen Ort
“Cola against Rust – Does the Type of Soda Make a Difference?”

Mathematics/Informatics

Tom Smee
Nelson-Mandela-Schule
“Can Synthetically Generated Training Data Improve AI Object Recognition Models?”

Victor Güsmar
Heinrich-Hertz-Gymnasium
“Angles of View in the Plane”

Physics

Vibbodh Somani, Bhuvana Reddi, Kerem Semiz
Nelson-Mandela-Schule
“Acceleration of Water Rockets”

Further information

• Jugend Forscht
• Jugend Forscht at Max Delbrück Center (2024)
• Jugend Forscht 2023 at the Berlin-Buch Campus

A group of Berlin researchers in collaboration with international scientists have found differences in heart inflammation caused by COVID-19, anti-COVID-19 vaccination, and non-COVID-19 myocarditis. The find paves the way for more personalized therapies, they report in “Nature Cardiovascular Research.”

Heart inflammation, or myocarditis, differs depending on its cause. A collaborative study led by Dr. Henrike Maatz, a scientist in the Genetics and Genomics of Cardiovascular Diseases lab of Professor Norbert Hübner at the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin, identified distinct immune signatures in myocarditis caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection and mRNA vaccines compared to non-COVID-19 myocarditis. The study was published in “Nature Cardiovascular Research.”

“We found clear differences in immune activation,” says Maatz, co-lead author. “This knowledge might help to develop new and more personalized therapies that are tailored to specific types of inflammation.”

A unique opportunity during the pandemic

Myocarditis is caused by various types of infections, autoimmune disorders, genetic and environmental factors, and rarely, vaccination. COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory disease, but it is well known that SARS-CoV-2 infection can injure the heart. In children and young adults, SARS-CoV-2-infection can cause multisystem inflammatory syndrome, with myocarditis being the most prevalent clinical feature, although this is rare.

When the coronavirus pandemic hit, researchers at the Max Delbrück Center, the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH) and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin saw a unique opportunity to study whether myocarditis differs on a cellular and molecular level depending on the cause.

The Hübner lab has long had an interest in studying cardiac disease at the single-cell level. They teamed up with Professor Carsten Tschöpe, a cardiologist at the Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité (DHZC), head of the BIH research group for Immunocardiology and principal investigator at Deutsches Zentrum für Herz-Kreislauf-Forschung (DZHK). His team had been collecting biopsy samples from patients presenting with suspected myocarditis. “At the DHZC, we have a widely recognized Myocarditis Unit, specializing in performing endomyocardial biopsies in selected cases,” says Tschöpe.

“The study program, which was initiated by Charité during the COVID-19 crisis, was integrated into the curriculum and forms part of the PERSONIFY- Program supported by the DZHK. Within this framework, patients with myocarditis undergo highly specific and targeted investigations, ensuring a comprehensive and advanced approach to their clinical and scientific evaluation.”

“We are deeply grateful to the patients for their trust and invaluable contributions and to our specialist heart failure nurses for their essential role in identifying patients, ensuring meticulous data management, careful tissue and blood handling, and overall patient care,” Tschöpe adds.

Distinct immune activation

Researchers at the Max Delbrück Center performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) on biopsied heart tissue to study gene expression and to create transcriptional profiles of each cell. These profiles served to identify the different cell types of the heart. They examined the molecular changes in each cell, and the abundance of the different cell types in three different sets of myocarditis tissue: COVID-19 positive samples, cases caused by mRNA vaccines, and non-COVID-19 heart inflammation caused by viral infections before the pandemic.

They found that while some gene expression changes were similar across the three groups, there were significant differences in levels of immune cell gene expression. What’s more, transcriptional profiles also showed that immune cells differed in abundance, depending on the cause of the myocarditis.

“Such differences were unexpected,” says Dr. Eric Lindberg, co-lead author of the paper, former postdoc in the Hübner lab, who now heads a research group at the LMU hospital in Munich. The researchers for example found that post-vaccination, CD4 T-cells were more abundant whereas post SARS-CoV-2 infection, CD8 T cells tended to be more dominant. In the non-COVID-19 myocarditis samples, the CD4 to CD8 cell ratio was about 50/50, he adds. Gene expression data suggested that the CD8 T cells in the post-COVID-19 group also appeared to be more aggressive than in non-COVID myocarditis. The researchers also found a small population of T cells present in post-COVID-19 myocarditis that have previously only been observed in the blood of severely sick COVID-19 patients.

“Together, these findings suggest a stronger immune response in post-COVID-19 myocarditis compared to pre-pandemic forms of myocarditis, while the myocardial inflammation appeared to be milder in post-vaccination,” says Professor Norbert Hübner of the Max Delbrück Center and Charite – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corresponding author on the paper and a principal investigator at the DZHK. Although the sample size from patients with post-vaccination myocarditis was small, the results are in line with other studies of post-vaccination myocarditis, Hübner adds.

Implications for treatment

Being able to differentiate between inflammation caused by different kinds of infections and vaccination paves the way to improve treatment tailored to specific types of inflammation, says Maatz. Based on the research, one could develop new therapies to control the side effects from vaccines, for example, she adds.

Also, biopsy samples of the heart are generally tiny – they are no larger than a pin head. It was a challenge to get the snRNA-seq technique to work using such minute amounts of tissue, Maatz says. “But I think the resolution and depth of insight we were able to generate really shows the power of this method – perhaps in the future also in a diagnostic setting.”

Photo: 

Heart biopsy tissue from a patient with COVID-19. New technologies can image the cellular landscape of heart tissue in detail. Heart cell boundaries are stained green, the cell nuclei in blue.

© Eric Lindberg, Max Delbrück Center / LMU Klinikum

Source: Press Release Max Delbrück Center
Not all heart inflammation is the same

When blood cancer cells break through the bone and multiply, tumor cells become dangerously diverse and the immune response in the region changes, researchers from Berlin and Heidelberg report in “Science Immunology.” The detailed insights into cancer progression could advance diagnostics and treatment.

The incurable bone marrow cancer “multiple myeloma” often develops unnoticed in the bone marrow over decades. In advanced stages, lesions form that can destroy the bone and spread to other parts of the body. An interdisciplinary team from the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH), the Max Delbrück Center, the Queen Mary University of London's Precision Healthcare University Research Institute (PHURI), the Myeloma Center at Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD), the University of Heidelberg and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), together with other national and international partners, have been investigating what happens in these lesions when myeloma cells first break through the bone. The researchers discovered that the tumor cells diversify drastically when exiting the bone marrow, which also affects the immune cells in the cancer lesions. The new findings could contribute to more precise diagnostics and therapy, they report in “Science Immunology.”

When the tumor cells leave the bone, they find themselves in a completely different environment with different environmental conditions. “We suspect that this diversity helps the cancer cells adapt to survival outside the bone, enabling them to spread to other areas of the body,” says Dr. Niels Weinhold, head of Translational Myeloma Research at the UKHD's Department of Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology.

Using innovative single-cell and spatial omics technologies, the team also examined for the first time how the immune system reacts to this “outbreak” of cancer cells from the bone. They discovered significant changes in the type and number of immune cells in the microenvironment of the cancerous lesions. For example, certain immune cells, known as T cells, had very different receptors and surface molecules in the foci outside the bone – a possible adaptation to the newly emerged heterogeneity of the tumor cells.

Uncovering the interaction between the immune system and cancer

“There seems to be a co-evolution between tumor and immune cells, in which both sides react to changes in the other,” says Professor Simon Haas, co-corresponding author of the study. He heads a lab in the joint focus area “Single-cell approaches for personalized medicine” at the BIH, Max Delbrück Center, and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. He is also chair for single cell technologies and precision medicine at PHURI. The researchers hypothesize that this intensified interaction between the immune system and the cancer may both promote and hinder the fight against the disease. The team is currently investigating which factors contribute positively or negatively to this interaction.

For their analyses, the international team used tissue samples that originated from myeloma lesions in various parts of the body. The material was obtained either by image-guided biopsies or during operations on fracture-prone or already broken bones. “Single-cell analysis and spatial multi-omics technologies enabled us to simultaneously investigate a wide range of properties of thousands of individual cells, taking into account their exact position in the tissue,” says Dr. Llorenç Solé Boldo, one of the first authors of the study.

The results could influence the diagnosis and therapy of myeloma in the future. Currently, samples for diagnosis are usually taken from the iliac crest (part of the pelvis) of patients. However, since the study has shown that cancer and immune cells in hotspots where the cancer cells break out of bone differ significantly from those in the iliac crest, these sites may be better suited for sample collection and allow a more precise assessment of the disease and possible adjustment of therapy.

Text: UKHD

• ²²⁵Ac-satoreotide is a first-in-class Actinium-labelled somatostatin receptor 2 antagonist targeting extensive-stage Small Cell Lung Cancer or Merkel Cell Carcinoma
• Orphan Drug Designation follows outstanding preclinical data and FDA IND clearance
• Phase I/II human trials set to commence in Q1 2025 as a ‘theranostic’ targeted radionuclide treatment

Berlin, Germany, 6 February 2025 – Ariceum Therapeutics (Ariceum), a private biotech company developing radiopharmaceutical products for the diagnosis and treatment of certain hard-to-treat cancers, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) to ²²⁵Ac-SSO110 (satoreotide) for the treatment of patients with Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC).

SCLC is a deadly condition that represents a significant unmet medical need due to the limited number of treatment options available to patients with this aggressive form of cancer. Two-thirds of SCLC patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage where the disease has already spread significantly, resulting in a poor prognosis and a 5-10% overall five-year survival rate. Ariceum will commence Phase I/II human clinical development of ²²⁵Ac-satoreotide under the trial name, SANTANA-225 in Q1 2025.

Manfred Rüdiger, Chief Executive Officer at Ariceum Therapeutics, said: “Receiving ODD for ²²⁵Ac-satoreotide is a recognition of its potential as a treatment option for patients with SCLC and an important regulatory milestone for Ariceum. The FDA’s ODD will support our objective to accelerate the development of ²²⁵Ac-satoreotide through human trials to provide a potentially life-saving therapy to patients with limited alternatives.”

The FDA provides ODD to drugs and biologics that demonstrate potential for the diagnosis and/or treatment of rare diseases or conditions that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S. The designation provides development and commercial incentives for designated compounds and medicines, including eligibility for seven years of market exclusivity in the U.S. after product approval, FDA assistance in clinical trial design, and an exemption from FDA user fees.

In October 2024, Ariceum published outstanding preclinical data demonstrating the significant potential of ²²⁵Ac-satoreotide to outperform SSTR2 targeting agonists. ²²⁵Ac-satoreotide showed a high frequency of complete durable responses and 100% survival supporting advanced clinical development in SCLC, MCC, and other aggressive cancers. ²²⁵Ac-satoreotide in combination with its companion patient selection tracer 68Ga-SSO120 is being developed as a ‘theranostic pair’ for the combined diagnosis and targeted radionuclide treatment of multiple indications expressing SSTR2, such as SCLC, MCC, and other aggressive, hard-to-treat cancers.
 

About Ariceum Therapeutics
Ariceum Therapeutics is a private, clinical stage radiopharmaceutical company focused on the diagnosis and precision treatment of certain neuroendocrine and other aggressive, hard-to-treat cancers. The name Ariceum is an anagram of ‘Marie Curie’ whose discovery of radium and polonium have been huge contributions to finding treatments for cancer.

Ariceum’s lead targeted systemic radiopharmaceutical candidate, SSO110 (“satoreotide”) labelled with Lutetium-177 (¹⁷⁷Lu) and Actinium-255 (²²⁵Ac) is an antagonist of the somatostatin type 2 (SSTR2) receptor which is overexpressed in aggressive neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) such as small cell lung cancer (SCLC) or Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC), all of which have limited treatment options and poor prognosis. Satoreotide is being developed as a ‘theranostic pair’ for the combined diagnosis and targeted radionuclide treatment of these tumours. Ariceum is also developing a radiolabelled PARP-inhibitor (ATT001), currently in Phase 1 clinical development under the trial name CITADEL-123. ATT001 was part of the acquisition of Theragnostics Ltd which was closed in June 2023.

Ariceum Therapeutics, launched in 2021, acquired all rights to satoreotide from Ipsen, which has remained a shareholder of the Company. Ariceum is headquartered in Berlin, with operations in Germany, Switzerland, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Ariceum is led by a highly experienced management team and supported by specialist investors including EQT Life Sciences (formerly LSP), HealthCap, Pureos Bioventures, Andera Partners, and Earlybird Venture Capital. For further information, please visit www.ariceum-therapeutics.com.

Tubulis (a joint spin-off of the FMP and the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich) announced today that its second drug candidate, TUB-030, has entered clinical evaluation with successful dosing of the first patient in the 5-STAR 1-01 Phase I/IIa trial (NCT06657222). The study is evaluating TUB-030, Tubulis’ next-generationntibodydrug conjugate (ADC), in patients with advanced solid tumors. The ADC targets 5T4, an oncofetal antigen expressed in a broad range of solid tumors. The program was developed using Tubulis’ proprietary Tubutecan linker-payload platform, which enables superior biophysical properties for precise and sustained on-tumor payload delivery.

“This milestone for TUB-030 demonstrates our ability to execute on our strategy to advance innovative programs into our proprietary pipeline and rapidly bring them into the clinic,” said Dominik Schumacher, PhD, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Tubulis. “As an organization, Tubulis has made a large step forward with two differentiated ADC molecules in clinical evaluation in less than a year. Our goal is to continue being an innovation driver in the field by delivering on the transformative potential of our platforms for patients.”

The multicenter, first-in-human, dose escalation and optimization Phase I/IIa study 5-STAR 1-01 aims to investigate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of TUB-030 as a monotherapy to treat a broad range of solid tumors. The trial will enroll a total of 130 patients and will be conducted at sites across the US and Canada. Phase I comprises dose escalation to determine the safety profile and to identify the maximum tolerated dose and/or the identified dose for optimization in patients with advanced solid tumor indications. Phase IIa will focus on dose optimization, safety, and preliminary efficacy of TUB-030 in selected indications.

“Building on our strong preclinical efficacy and safety data, we are expecting that targeting 5T4 with our high-performance ADC technology may offer a new precision therapy option for a variety of solid tumor indications. With our differentiated target, a strong bystander effect and efficient and durable target engagement via the Tubutecan platform, TUB-030 provides the potential to induce robust anti- tumor activity in 5T4-expressing tumors,” stated Günter Fingerle-Rowson, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer at Tubulis.

TUB-030 consists of a humanized, Fc-silenced IgG1 antibody targeting 5T4 equipped with Tubulis’ proprietary Tubutecan technology, which is based on P5 conjugation chemistry and the topoisomerase-1 inhibitor exatecan. Tubulis previously presented a comprehensive preclinical data set at AACR demonstrating TUB-030’s stability and minimal loss of linker-payload conjugation. In a range of preclinical models, TUB-030 produced high and long-lasting anti-tumor responses, including responses at relatively low 5T4 expression levels, while maintaining an excellent safety and tolerability profile. A single treatment with TUB-030 eliminated tumors in a triple-negative breast cancer mouse model, further underlining its potential efficacy. Preclinical analysis including safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetics demonstrated that TUB-030 has a therapeutic window in a large variety of solid tumors.

About TUB-030 and the Tubutecan Technology

Tubulis’ second antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) TUB-030 is directed against 5T4, an oncofetal antigen, expressed in a broad range of solid tumor types. It consists of an IgG1 antibody targeting 5T4 connected to the Topoisomerase I inhibitor exatecan through a cleavable linker system based on the company’s proprietary P5 conjugation technology with a homogeneous DAR of 8. P5 conjugation is a novel chemistry for cysteine-selective conjugation that enables ADC generation with unprecedented linker stability and biophysical properties. The candidate is currently being investigated in a multicenter Phase I/IIa study (5-STAR 1-01, NCT06657222) that aims to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of TUB-030 as a monotherapy in advanced solid tumors.

About Tubulis

Tubulis generates uniquely matched antibody-drug conjugates with superior biophysical properties that have demonstrated durable on-tumor delivery and long-lasting anti-tumor activity in preclinical models. The two lead programs from our growing pipeline, TUB-040, targeting NaPi2b, and TUB-030, directed against 5T4, are being evaluated in the clinic in high-need solid tumor indications, including ovarian, lung and head and neck cancers. We will solidify our leadership position by continuing to innovate on all aspects of ADC design leveraging our proprietary platform technologies. Our goal is to expand the therapeutic potential of this drug class for our pipeline, our partners and for patients. Visit www.tubulis.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

The Max Delbrück Center congratulates Professor Heike Graßmann, who has served as Administrative Director of the research center since 2018, on her appointment as State Secretary for Science, Culture, and Tourism in Saxony. Graßmann will assume her new role in Dresden on February 1, 2025.

Today, Saxony's Minister-President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) announced the appointment of Professor Heike Graßmann, previously the Administrative Director of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association in Berlin, as the new State Secretary in the Ministry of Science, Culture, and Tourism. In her new role, Graßmann will work closely with State Minister Sebastian Gemkow.

“The scientific landscape in Saxony is outstanding. Our researchers and the diverse institutions in Saxony have an excellent international reputation. I am very much looking forward to helping shape science policy and further developing Saxony as a hub of excellence. I am eager to bring my extensive experience to this new role,” said Graßmann.

“I warmly congratulate my colleague Heike Graßmann and wish her every success in her new position. Heike is an excellent manager and a highly respected expert in the German scientific landscape,” said Professor Maike Sander, Scientific Director of the Max Delbrück Center. “I deeply appreciate her outstanding contributions to the Max Delbrück Center and our excellent collaboration. As Administrative Director, she has positioned our research center’s administration to meet future challenges effectively. Her efforts to advance digitalization, strengthen cooperation between science and administration, foster community spirit, and enhance diversity have left a lasting impact. She also played a pivotal role in strengthening the Max Delbrück Center’s network in Berlin.”

About Heike Graßmann

Born in Thuringia, Graßmann (53) is an accomplished science manager with an impressive career. Since October 2018, she has served as Administrative Director of the Max Delbrück Center, overseeing areas such as finance, human resources, legal affairs, and infrastructure. She has also driven initiatives in internationalization, digitalization of administration, and diversity and cultural topics.

Before joining the Max Delbrück Center, Graßmann, who holds a PhD in business administration, served as Administrative Managing Director of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig for many years. Since 2022, she has been a member of the University Council at Leipzig University and holds an honorary professorship at the State Academy for Studies in Leipzig, part of the University of Cooperative Education Saxony.

Graßmann has long been committed to talent management, gender equality, and diversity at the Max Delbrück Center and beyond. She mentors young women in various programs and served as treasurer for BR50, the Berlin Association of Non-University Research Institutes, where she helped establish a network for administrative leaders in Berlin. She currently chairs the organizing committee for the Long Night of Sciences in Berlin.

Graßmann studied business administration at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, where she also worked as a research associate. Before joining the UFZ, she served as personal assistant to the Executive Board at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research and the Chancellor at Leipzig University. From 2012 to 2018, she led the finance department at the UFZ before becoming its Administrative Managing Director.

Source: Press Release Max Delbrück Center
Heike Graßmann new State Secretary in Saxony

Eckert & Ziegler SE (ISIN DE0005659700, TecDAX) today signed a licence agreement with Qi Kang Medical, Ltd (QKM), a joint venture between Eckert & Ziegler and the Chinese company DC Pharma, for the cyclotron technology used by Eckert & Ziegler to manufacture Ac-225. The contract guarantees Eckert & Ziegler a one-time payment of EUR 10 million and additional royalties on Ac-225 sales.

For Eckert & Ziegler the licence and collaboration agreement is an important step towards establishing the company as a major supplier of Ac-225 for the radiopharmaceutical industry. Eckert & Ziegler is already supplying Ac-225 and will be able to provide the market with significantly increased quantities of Ac-225 in GMP quality from 2025.

Currently, Ac-225-based radiopharmaceuticals are under clinical investigation for various cancers, including prostate tumors, colorectal cancer, and leukemia. A substantial increase in the demand for Ac-225 is projected over the next decade, driven by its expanding clinical applications and the promising results seen in ongoing trials. Despite its therapeutic promise, sufficient quantities of Ac-225 remain scarce.

Source: Press Release Eckert & Ziegler
Eckert & Ziegler Signs Licence Agreement for Actinium-225 with Chinese Joint Venture

Berlin, Germany, 14 January 2025 – Ariceum Therapeutics (Ariceum), a private biotech company developing radiopharmaceutical products for the diagnosis and treatment of certain hard-to-treat cancers, today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared its investigational new drug (IND) application to commence a Phase I/II clinical trial (‘SANTANA-225’) of its proprietary radiolabelled peptide, ²²⁵Ac-SSO110, in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) or Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC).

The SANTANA-225 trial is a global, open-label Phase I/II study, that will assess the safety, tolerability, preliminary efficacy and recommended Phase II dose of ²²⁵Ac-SSO110 in patients with extensive-stage SCLC or MCC who are on first-line maintenance therapy with checkpoint inhibitors. Ariceum is working with its partners and clinical sites in the US and other countries to commence recruitment of patients in Q1 2025.

Germo Gericke, Chief Medical Officer at Ariceum Therapeutics, said: “This is an important milestone, not only for Ariceum but for the whole field of targeted radionuclide cancer treatments. ²²⁵Ac-SSO110 is the first somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2) antagonist labelled with Actinium-225 to undergo human trials, providing the optimum combination of a long half-life α particle emitter with a long tumour retention tracer. Based on encouraging clinical data with ¹⁷⁷Lu-SSO110 and very promising pre-clinical data of ²²⁵Ac-SSO110, we are very optimistic about the potential for patients with difficult to treat cancers.”

²²⁵Ac-SSO110 is being developed together with its companion patient selection tracer ⁶⁸Ga-SSO120 as a ‘theranostic pair’ targeted radionuclide treatment of multiple indications expressing SSTR2, such as SCLC, MCC, and other aggressive cancers. Ariceum has recently expanded its global supply agreements for the medical radionuclides Actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac) and Lutetium-177 (¹⁷⁷Lu), which will be used to radiolabel SSO110.

-Ends-

About Ariceum Therapeutics
Ariceum Therapeutics is a private, clinical stage radiopharmaceutical company focused on the diagnosis and precision treatment of certain neuroendocrine and other aggressive, hard-to-treat cancers. The name Ariceum is an anagram of ‘Marie Curie’ whose discovery of radium and polonium have been huge contributions to finding treatments for cancer.

Ariceum’s lead targeted systemic radiopharmaceutical candidate, SSO110 (“satoreotide”) labelled with Lutetium-177 (¹⁷⁷Lu) and Actinium-255 (²⁵⁵Ac) is an antagonist of the somatostatin type 2 (SSTR2) receptor which is overexpressed in aggressive neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) such as small cell lung cancer (SCLC) or Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC), all of which have limited treatment options and poor prognosis. Satoreotide is being developed as a ‘theranostic pair’ for the combined diagnosis and targeted radionuclide treatment of these tumours. Ariceum is also developing a radiolabelled PARP-inhibitor (ATT001), currently in Phase 1 clinical development under the trial name CITADEL-123. ATT001 was part of the acquisition of Theragnostics Ltd which was closed in June 2023.

Ariceum Therapeutics, launched in 2021, acquired all rights to satoreotide from Ipsen, which has remained a shareholder of the Company. Ariceum is headquartered in Berlin, with operations in Germany, Switzerland, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Ariceum is led by a highly experienced management team and supported by specialist investors including EQT Life Sciences (formerly LSP), HealthCap, Pureos Bioventures, Andera Partners, and Earlybird Venture Capital. For further information, please visit www.ariceum-therapeutics.com.

Eckert & Ziegler (ISIN DE0005659700, SDAX) and GlyTherix Ltd (GlyTherix), an Australian targeted radiotherapy company specialising in developing antibody radiopharmaceuticals for solid tumors, today announced the expansion of their existing Lutetium-177 based collaboration with a global supply agreement for Actinium-225 (Ac-225). Eckert & Ziegler will provide high-quality Ac-225 to support GlyTherix’s clinical research and development activities on innovative alpha radiotherapeutics.

In December 2024 Eckert & Ziegler announced the start of their Ac-225 production as part of the collaboration with the Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences (ÚJF). The establishment of Ac-225 manufacturing in GMP quality is ongoing and expected to be finalized in the first half of 2025, enabling new possibilities for pharmaceutical companies developing alpha-emitting drugs.

GlyTherix's radiotherapy approach combines a radionuclide with an antibody targeting Glypican-1, a protein found in aggressive cancers, to deliver localized radiation while sparing healthy tissue. Glypican-1 is an attractive tumor target that occurs in several aggressive and invasive cancers including prostate, pancreatic, bladder, lung, glioblastoma and ovarian cancer. GlyTherix plans to use 177Lu-DOTA-Miltuximab in its planned Australian Phase Ib in early 2025, followed by US Phase II trials in 2026. GlyTherix has commenced its Ac-225-based research and development activities at the Australian ARC Research Hub for Advanced Manufacture of Targeted Radiopharmaceuticals (AMTAR) at the University of Queensland.

“We are happy to extend our collaboration with GlyTherix to fully support the planned development activities also for Actinium-225-based radiopharmaceuticals,” said Dr. Harald Hasselmann, CEO of Eckert & Ziegler. ”Increasing the availability of Ac-225 is our key objective as it will accelerate both progress in clinical research and commercial applications, which will ultimately result in the improved access to cancer therapies for patients globally.”

Dr. Brad Walsh, GlyTherix Chief Executive Officer commented, “We are pleased to be able to rely on Eckert & Ziegler also for the supply of Actinium-225. Alongside with Lutetium-177, Actinium-225 will become an important part of our clinical program later this year. It is therefore vital securing a reliable network for global supply of the alpha emitter to consistently support our upcoming trials.”

About Eckert & Ziegler
Eckert & Ziegler SE, with more than 1,000 employees, is a leading specialist in isotope-related components for nuclear medicine and radiation therapy. The company offers a broad range of services and products for the radiopharmaceutical industry, from early development work to contract manufacturing and distribution. Eckert & Ziegler shares (ISIN DE0005659700) are listed in the TecDAX index of Deutsche Börse.
Contributing to saving lives.

About GlyTherix
GlyTherix Ltd is an Australian targeted radiotherapy company specializing in developing antibody radiopharmaceuticals for solid tumours. Miltuximab specifically targets Glypican-1, a protein found in solid tumours such as prostate, bladder, pancreatic, glioblastoma, oesophageal and ovarian cancers, and is not present in healthy tissue. The company has a strong proprietary and Intellectual Property position covering both Miltuximab and the antigen Glypican-1. This provides robust and long-term protection for the commercialization of important new treatments to people with little hope.
GlyTherix has completed a ‘First-in-Human’ trial of 12 patients using Miltuximab with no drug-related adverse events. Miltuximab will be used in a Phase Ib trial as an antibody theranostic. GlyTherix is interested in partnerships or collaborations with larger biotech and pharmaceutical partners.

Source: Press Release Eckert & Ziegler
Eckert & Ziegler and GlyTherix Extend Collaboration With Actinium-225 Supply Agreement

Researchers at the Experimental and Clinical Research Center in Berlin are developing a targeted treatment for muscular dystrophy with the help of gene-editing. Preclinical research led by the Spuler Lab published in “Nature Communications” now paves the way for first-in-human clinical trials.

Researchers at the Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC), a joint institution of the Max Delbrück Center and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, have developed a promising gene-editing approach intended to restore the function of a protein that is essential to repair and regrow muscle in patients with muscular dystrophy diseases.

The dysferlin protein is primarily responsible for repairing cell membranes. People with certain mutations in the gene coding for dysferlin develop muscular dystrophy – a group of muscle wasting diseases that affect thousands around the world.

Professor Simone Spuler and her team led by Dr. Helena Escobar in the Myology Lab at ECRC have successfully removed muscle stem cells from two patients with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, corrected the genetic error and restored functioning dysferlin proteins in cell culture. In new mouse models of the disease, they used the same process to collect cells, edit them and transplant the corrected cells back into mice, where protein function was restored and muscles began to regrow.

The preclinical findings, reported in “Nature Communications,” give the team confidence to move forward to human clinical trials. This would involve taking muscle cells from patients, editing them in the lab and transplanting the patient’s own cells back into targeted muscles. The researchers note this therapy is not a complete cure – it would be limited to one or two muscles.

“We have over 600 muscles in our body and it is not easy to target all of them,” says Spuler. “We are starting very humble with targeting one or two muscles. But if this therapy works, it will heal the muscle.”

Body of work

For nearly 20 years, Spuler and her collaborators have been working to understand dysferlin, its role in muscular dystrophy and ways to cure these rare but devastating inherited diseases. In the case of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, muscle deterioration is progressive and young adults lose the ability to walk and normal use of their arms and hands.

“You go from being a good athlete in your teens to being in a wheelchair by 40,” says Spuler, who sees this first-hand with her patients at an outpatient clinic at ECRC.

Escobar, first paper author and molecular biologist in Spuler’s Lab, has been working on methods to collect muscle stem cells from patients and use gene-editing tools to fix mutations.

“We started with a more common mutation so that we can help as many patients as possible,” Escobar says.

Classical CRIPSR

To fix the dysferlin mutation, Escobar uses CRISPR-Cas9, which is often described as “gene-editing scissors” and for which a Nobel Prize was awarded in 2020. The molecular scissors are guided to a precise location along a DNA molecule and then cut it, forcing the cell to repair the DNA. The aim is for the mutation to be corrected during the repair process, resulting in a properly functioning gene. The researchers tested their editing system in several cellular models all with very similar results: It worked with a high success rate and minimal unintended consequences.

Notably, the editing did not result in an exact match to the desired genetic sequence and there were four changes in the generated dysferlin protein. The team conducted a thorough analysis of the changes in collaboration with Professor Oliver Daumke, who heads the Structural Biology of Membrane-Associated Processes Lab at Max Delbrück Center.

“Even with these four changes, the generated protein is very similar in function to the wild type, which is the version we see in healthy individuals. It localized along damaged cell membranes and muscle was regenerated,” Escobar says.

Crucial model and clinical trial

As part of this project, the researchers developed a new mouse model in collaboration with Dr. Ralf Kühn, who leads the Genome Engineering & Disease Models Lab at Max Delbrück Center. The mouse model closely mimics the specific dysferlin mutation and resulting disease, and enabled the researchers to evaluate how the complete therapy works – taking muscle stem cells, correcting them and transplanting the cells back. They especially wanted to learn if the immune system would reject the cells or attack the generated dysferlin proteins.

“We didn’t see an immune response against the transplanted cells or generated proteins, which is promising for taking this into a clinical trial,” Spuler says.

The team is now seeking funds to launch the first human clinical trial. If the trial is successful, it would still be many years before it is broadly accessible.

Simone Spuler and Helena Escobar are co-inventors on a pending patent application on gene editing of human muscle stem cells. Spuler is co-founder of MyoPax GmbH and MyoPax Denmark ApS. The study was funded by the Gisela Krebs foundation.

Left: Muscle fibers expressing dysferlin (purple) made from gene-edited muscle stem cells transplanted into a mouse that lacks dysferlin. Right: Muscle fibers from the recipient mouse that are diseased and lack dysferlin.© Andreas Marg, AG Spuler, ECRC

Source: Press Release Eckert & Ziegler
Developing a CRISPR therapy for muscular dystrophy

Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) in Berlin, the Faculty of Medicine at Kiel University, and the Leibniz Institute of Virology in Hamburg are jointly receiving funding of nearly one million euros as part of the "Leibniz Cooperative Excellence" program. The goal of the project is to unravel fundamental mechanisms of two-pore domain potassium channels (K2P channels) – with potential new therapeutic approaches for cancer, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, central nervous system disorders, and cardiovascular diseases.

Two-pore domain potassium channels (K2P channels) are essential for maintaining the electrical balance and normal activity of various cell types. Disruptions in the functionality of K2P channels can lead to severe health problems such as atrial fibrillation, respiratory depression, pulmonary hypertension, sleep apnea, neuropathic pain, migraines, and depression. Consequently, these ion channels are promising targets for the development of new drugs. However, understanding how these channels function, particularly the mechanisms by which they respond to external stimuli and open or close – a process known as "gating" – remains a major challenge.

The research project "Deciphering the atomistic mechanism of selectivity filter gating in K2P channels," led by Prof. Han Sun, successfully secured funding of nearly one million euros through the Leibniz Competition 2025. The aim of the project is to gain a deeper understanding of the gating process in K2P channels. A particularly challenging aspect is studying the intrinsically disordered terminal regions of these channels, which play a crucial role in regulating gating. Furthermore, the project aims to develop new strategies for designing highly affine and highly selective small-molecule modulators targeting various K2P channels. Ion channels are among the most frequently targeted protein classes in drug development. The methods developed in this study could also be applied to designing drug-like molecules for other ion channels or viral proteins.

The project is being carried out by an interdisciplinary consortium with outstanding expertise in various methodologies, including cryo-electron microscopy (Prof. Maya Topf, Leibniz Institute for Virology), solid-state NMR (Prof. Adam Lange, FMP Berlin), molecular dynamics simulations (Prof. Han Sun, FMP Berlin), and electrophysiology (Dr. Marcus Schewe and Prof. Thomas Baukrowitz, Faculty of Medicine, Kiel University).

Project leader Prof. Han Sun investigates the functionally relevant dynamics of membrane proteins at the FMP, with a particular focus on ion channels. Her research group employs a variety of theoretical approaches, including molecular dynamics simulations, to explore the dynamics of proteins across different timescales. Additionally, the group develops innovative theoretical methods to predict active modulators with high affinity and specificity. Another central focus is integrating experimental data into simulations.

Prof. Adam Lange, also at the FMP in Berlin, uses solid-state NMR and other structural and biophysical techniques to study the structure and dynamics of membrane proteins in their natural environment, the cell membrane. The dynamics of membrane proteins often play a crucial role in their function. His group focuses on ion channels and intramembrane proteases. In the case of K2P channels, special attention is given to the intrinsically disordered terminal regions, which are essential for the regulation of these channels and can only be effectively studied using NMR spectroscopy. These planned studies will greatly benefit from the recently installed 1.2 GHz NMR spectrometer at the FMP, one of the most powerful devices of its kind worldwide.

The physiologists of Kiel University Dr. Marcus Schewe and Prof. Thomas Baukrowitz investigate structure-function relationships in various ion channels, with a current research focus on K2P channels. Their goal is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms regulating K2P channels through endogenous stimuli (e.g., lipids, pH, temperature, mechanical stress) and pharmacological drugs, primarily using molecular biological and electrophysiological techniques. These regulatory mechanisms are central to the understanding of the physiological and pathophysiological relevance of K2Ps.

At the Leibniz Institute for Virology (LIV) in Hamburg, Prof. Maya Topf develops integrative modeling methods to elucidate the structures of macromolecular machines, with a focus on cryo-EM structures. Her lab’s recent work includes TEMPy-ReFF, a method that refines models in cryo-EM maps and improves the interpretation of flexible regions. In this proposal, her team will investigate the structure and dynamics of K2P channels using cryo-EM, particularly the SF gating mechanism, and model ligand binding sites, relying on their expertise in small-molecule docking (ChemEM).

The German Research Foundation (DFG) has announced that biochemist Ana Pombo from the Max Delbrück Center is among this year’s winners of the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize. With a grant of €2.5 million, the Leibniz Prize is one of the highest endowed research prizes in Germany.

Cells neatly fold two meters of their DNA into a nucleus only ten micrometers in diameter. Professor Ana Pombo is exploring this genome contortion mechanism to better understand how environmental exposures and experiences affect the spatial interaction between genes and their “on” and “off” switches.  In 2017, her research group at the Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology of the Max Delbrück Center (MDC-BIMSB) published a method in the journal “Nature” that can map the 3D architecture of entire genomes. By understanding how conformational changes in DNA affect how genes are regulated, researchers can develop ways to intervene.

For her groundbreaking work, the primary committee of the German Research Foundation (DFG) has honored Ana Pombo and nine other scientists with Germany’s most significant research award. She will receive the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize at a ceremonial event on March 19, 2025. The prize comes with a grant of €2.5 million.

“We seek to reverse disease-causing cellular changes at the earliest possible stage. Achieving this requires a deep understanding of the mechanisms that govern genome function,” says Professor Maike Sander, Scientific Director of the Max Delbrück Center. “Ana Pombo's groundbreaking work is making a fundamental contribution to this goal. As a true pioneer in the field, we extend our warmest congratulations to her.” 

About Ana Pombo

Ana Pombo was born in 1969 in Portugal and studied biochemistry at the University of Lisbon. After completing her doctorate at the University of Oxford, she initially worked as a group leader at the MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences at Imperial College London, U.K. In 2013, she joined the Max Delbrück Center and simultaneously took on a professorship in Transcriptional Regulation and Genome Architecture at Humboldt University in Berlin. She is the Deputy Director of MDC-BIMSB and Deputy Program Spokesperson for the Max Delbrück Center. In 2007, she received the Robert Feulgen Prize and is a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and the European Academy of Sciences.

Ana Pombo joins two previous winners at the Max Delbrück Center: Professor Nikolaus Rajewsky and Professor Carmen Birchmeier. Since 1985, the DFG has been honoring outstanding top researchers with the Leibniz Prize. The award provides recipients with opportunities to expand their research and hire highly qualified early-career scientists. The 2025 Leibniz Prizes will be presented in a ceremony on March 19, 2025, in Berlin. The award ceremony will be preceded by an event celebrating the 40th anniversary of the program, where all previous prize recipients will be able to connect and network.

Source: Press Release Max Delbrück Center
Leibniz Prize awarded to Ana Pombo

Eckert & Ziegler Radiopharma GmbH (Eckert & Ziegler), a leading provider of isotope technology for nuclear medicine and radiopharmaceutical applications, announces the submission of its GalliaPharm® 68Ge/68Ga Radionuclide Generator for approval in Japan. This will pave the way for broader access to cutting-edge diagnostic tools including 68Ga-PSMA-11 in Japan. For GalliaPharm®, Novartis Pharma K.K., will manage safety information and distribution of the product in Japan.

GalliaPharm® is widely used as a high-quality GMP grade generator for Gallium-68, supporting the production of radiopharmaceuticals for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, particularly in oncology including the diagnosis of prostate cancer through PSMA imaging. An approval in Japan will provide the local healthcare community with an accessible and reliable tool to label Gallium-68 radiopharmaceuticals, offering new precision in diagnostic imaging that may improve early disease detection and patient outcomes.

“This step with the MHLW for us is a critical one,” stated Dr. Deljana Werner, Head of QA and Regulatory Affairs for the Medical Division of Eckert & Ziegler SE. “As a company committed to advancing nuclear medicine globally, we see GalliaPharm®’s entry into the Japanese market as a pivotal opportunity to support medical professionals in enhancing patient care through precise and innovative imaging solutions.”

By seeking approval in Japan, Eckert & Ziegler reinforces its commitment to meeting the specific needs of diverse healthcare markets, tailoring its innovations to support local advancements in nuclear medicine. This step not only underscores the company’s dedication to providing advanced radioisotopes for medical applications worldwide, but also strengthens its position as a trusted partner in the evolving landscape of radiopharmaceuticals.

About Eckert & Ziegler SE
Eckert & Ziegler SE, with more than 1,000 employees, is a leading specialist in isotope-related components for nuclear medicine and radiation therapy. The company offers a broad range of services and products for the radiopharmaceutical industry, from early development work to contract manufacturing and distribution. Eckert & Ziegler SE shares (ISIN DE0005659700) are listed in the TecDAX index of Deutsche Börse

Source: Press Release Eckert & Ziegler
Eckert & Ziegler Submits GalliaPharm® for Approval by Japan’s Health Authority MHLW

For almost a year, “Talk im Cube” has been bringing science and business together on the Campus Berlin-Buch

Since last February “Talk im Cube” regularly invites to exciting panel discussions followed by networking. The compact format is aimed at the campus community, scientists, start-ups and investors in Life Science. The Talks 2024 highlighted topics such as Female start-ups in the life sciences”, exit strategies, bridging preclinical to clinical or cancer drug development from a treating oncologist’s perspective.

An inspiring “Talk in the Cube” on financing models for start-ups took place on 28^th November.

Merle Fuchs, CEO and cofounder PRAMOMOLECULAR GmbH, Berlin-Buch discussed with Cornelia Jahnel, GOLDTRACK Ventures GmbH, Leipzig, Hannah-Sophie Braun, Investitionsbank Berlin and Robert Schwanke, Berliner Sparkasse the challenging fields of Biotech financing options, financing trends for biotechnology in Europe and ways for Biotech Start-Ups to find successful funding strategies.

What do VC investors expect from start-up teams?

Putting together a team for a successful spin-off is a learning process for scientists who want to found a company. Cornelia Jahnel and Hannah-Sophie Braun agreed that science and business must be mapped: Either someone has the market knowledge or is willing to acquire it or is willing to bring someone into the team who has these skills. Furthermore, someone on the team should keep an eye on the milestones and the final business goal.

How do you successfully get in touch with VC investors?

This question is essential for founders in the life sciences and the panelists made the following recommendations:

Small investment conferences and pitches help to get feedback such as: Am I still too early? Contact via LinkedIn and presentations at international conferences are a good option – for example biotech conferences in Riyadh, London or in Saxony, such as the Finance Days in Leipzig. Thinking internationally is important for start-ups, even though conferences are very expensive for them, while VC investors don't have to pay for them. To be able to assess which conferences are important, one should see which ones your competitors are attending.

If Start-ups are looking for contact with VC investors, they could be supported by Business angels who have excellent contacts and are highly professional.

Further important advices:

• Pitch whenever you can to enlarge your network.
• Whenever you can, ask for introductions or referrals from third parties when contacting  investors and try to avoid “cold inquiries”.
• It is essential to learn Story Telling and to condense information you want to provide. Keep in mind: Most of the VC investors are not experts in your field – therefore starting  to explain how to cure a patient with your invention instead of starting to delve into the depths of the technology.

Female founders

Women in C-level positions and as founders are currently rare are rare but the times are changing. There are more and more female managers at biotech funds and VCs are trying to support women for start-ups and leading positions. Role models need to be established and well-balanced, diverse management teams, i.e. with women / men in different age groups are key for being successful.

What is the best way to start?

Robert Schwanke and Merle Fuchs are convinced that both the Business Plan Competition and the Science for Life Competition are very good starting points for receiving early feedback and entering the ecosystem.

Hannah-Sophie Braun recommended mentoring programs such as the Creativ Destruction Lab (CDL) to get support with fundraising.

Merle Fuchs emphasized the need to go abroad as a high-tech start-up and recommended, for example, the Boston Incubator, which was very helpful for her company's development.

The tendency for programs such as Biolabs from the USA to come increasingly to Europe, was also discussed.

How can the German and European market become more attractive for VC?

Cornelia Jahnel is convinced that funds are needed as role models and that this will change the market: “That's why we are setting up a fund. It can't all be about state funding (EXIS, EXIST 1, EXIST 2...). Instead of grant thinking: Big Thinking! We go out to attract VCs from the US and Scandinavia. We in Germany tend to be risk averse, but there is a shift.”

Hanna-Sophie Braun confirmed this: “Large parts of the companies are moving to the USA, including some of the teams, and we need to be active here.”

Networking and feedback

Hanna-Sophia Braun finally remarked: “Networking is important, but choose the right funds and get feedback as often as possible from people who are more experienced than you.”

Cornelia Jahnel added: “Regardless whether you are fundraising or whether you plan to start a business: Mingle in different groups to share your ideas, to share how it went, to share what was good and what didn't work for you.”

Talk in the Cube - Outlook for 2025

The next Talk in the Cube is scheduled for 20 February 2025 on the topic “Intellectual Property Strategies in Life Sciences” – with the European Patent Attorneys Dr. Sun Jin Lee (Maiwald GmbH) and Dr. Oliver Ladendorf  (Kraus & Lederer PartGmbB). More information and registration shortly here: https://lnkd.in/dF9sfq6a

Other topics planned for 2025:

• International cooperation and funding programs in Life Sciences
• Life Science Marketing: ways to promote your products
• CROs in diagnostics and therapeutics development

Eckert & Ziegler, one of the world’s largest providers of isotopes for medical, scientific and industrial use, and Ariceum Therapeutics (Ariceum), a private biotech company developing radiopharmaceutical products for the diagnosis and treatment of certain hard-to-treat cancers, today announced the signing of a global supply agreement for the medical radionuclides Actinium-225 (Ac-225) and Lutetium-177 (Lu-177).

Following limited global availability, alongside increasing demand for Ac-225, which comes with intricate manufacturing complexities, this collaboration is a significant step forward in accelerating Ariceum’s novel targeted radiopharmaceutical pipeline programs.

Under the terms of the agreement, Eckert & Ziegler will supply Ariceum with the required quantities of non-carrier-added (n.c.a.) Ac-225 and Lu-177. Both radionuclides will be used to radiolabel Ariceum’s proprietary lead radiopharmaceutical drug (SS0110) satoreotide targeting hard-to-treat cancers in clinical studies and subsequent commercial phases. The agreement also includes options for expansion to other drugs as well as the use of additional radionuclides in preparation for future commercialization activities.

Dr. Harald Hasselmann, Chief Executive Officer of Eckert & Ziegler, commented: “In collaborating with Ariceum, we support their mission to develop innovative radiopharmaceuticals for the benefit of patients. Both the production start for Ac-225, announced earlier this week, and the successful European approval of Theralugand^®, show that our goal is to sustainably reduce the shortage of high-quality radioisotopes. We aim to foster the progress of novel treatments in clinical trials and beyond, and thus contribute to saving lives.”

Manfred Rüdiger, Chief Executive Officer of Ariceum Therapeutics, said: “This important global supply agreement with Eckert & Ziegler for n.c.a. Ac-225 and Lu-177 will ensure an adequate supply of radionuclide isotopes to conduct our clinical trials. We are looking forward to working with the Eckert & Ziegler team to build a robust supply chain and to reliably deliver targeted theranostic treatments for patients with hard-to-treat cancers. Our lead radiopharmaceutical drug, satoreotide is a first-in-class, antagonist of the somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2) labelled with Ac-225 to enter clinical development in small cell lung cancer and in Merkel Cell Carcinoma very soon.”

About Eckert & Ziegler SE
Eckert & Ziegler SE, with more than 1,000 employees, is a leading specialist in isotope-related components for nuclear medicine and radiation therapy. The company offers a broad range of services and products for the radiopharmaceutical industry, from early development work to contract manufacturing and distribution. Eckert & Ziegler SE shares (ISIN DE0005659700) are listed in the TecDAX index of Deutsche Börse.

About Ariceum Therapeutics, GmbH
Ariceum Therapeutics (Ariceum) is a private, clinical stage radiopharmaceutical company focused on the diagnosis and precision treatment of certain neuroendocrine and other aggressive, hard-to-treat cancers. The name Ariceum is an anagram of ‘Marie Curie’ whose discovery of radium and polonium have been huge contributions to finding treatments for cancer.
Ariceum’s lead targeted systemic radiopharmaceutical product, 177Lu-satoreotide tetraxetan (“satoreotide”), is an antagonist of the somatostatin type 2 (SSTR2) receptor which is overexpressed in neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) and some aggressive cancers such as small cell lung cancer (SCLC), or Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC), all of which have few treatment options and poor prognosis. Satoreotide is being developed as a ‘theranostic pair’ for the combined diagnosis and targeted radionuclide treatment of these tumours. Ariceum is also developing a radiolabelled PARP-inhibitor (ATT001), currently in Phase 1 clinical development under the trial name CITADEL-123. ATT001 was part of the acquisition of Theragnostics Ltd which was closed in June 2023.
Ariceum Therapeutics, launched in 2021, acquired all rights to Satoreotide from Ipsen. Ipsen remains a shareholder in the Company. Ariceum is headquartered in Berlin, with operations in Germany, Switzerland, Australia, United Kingdom and United States of America and with activities currently across the globe.
Ariceum is led by a highly experienced management team and supported by specialist investors including EQT Life Sciences (formerly LSP), HealthCap, Pureos Bioventures, Andera Partners and Earlybird Venture Capital. For further information, please visit  www.ariceum-therapeutics.com.

Source: Press Release Eckert & Ziegler
Eckert & Ziegler and Ariceum Therapeutics Sign Global Supply Agreement for the Development of Next-Generation Radiotherapeutics for Precision Cancer Treatments

For three decades, Thomas Sommer conducted research at the Max Delbrück Center and shaped its development: as a scientist, ombudsman, committee representative, and interim board member. On December 6, the center will honor him with a symposium on his favorite topic — the cell's recycling system.

On December 6, 2024, the Max Delbrück Center will bid farewell to a long-time friend who has significantly influenced the institution: Professor Thomas Sommer. He joined the center as a junior group leader in the early 1990s — and remained for 30 years. He served as an ombudsman for PhD candidates multiple times and twice took on the role of interim head of the Max Delbrück Center, most recently from 2019 to 2022. As a manager and networker, he represented the center in various committees. Now, he is starting a new chapter in his career. Sommer has become the managing director of the Institute for Biomedical Translation (IBT) Lower Saxony in Hanover, which supports biomedical startups in the region.

Basic research and application are inseparable, Sommer says, as all therapies originate from basic research. He promoted this philosophy in his roles at the Max Delbrück Center, helping to create the structures that allow researchers to both understand the fundamentals of life and develop new therapeutic approaches.

A symposium on the cell’s recycling system

His research career has been dedicated to studying the ubiquitin-proteasome system, also known as the cell's recycling system. Ubiquitin acts as a tag, marking proteins that have accumulated defects for various reasons, which render them nonfunctional or even harmful, and prepares them for disposal. The cell breaks down the marked proteins and reuses their components to create new ones.

The recycling system is the focus of the symposium titled "Targeted proteolysis: From basic discovery to clinical application," featuring keynote lectures by Nobel Prize-winning chemist Professor Aaron Ciechanover from the Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa and Professor Fleur M. Ferguson from the University of California, San Diego. A festive farewell party will follow at 4:00 PM.

Source: Press Release Max Delbrück Center
The Max Delbrück Center bids farewell to Thomas Sommer