A team headed by Michael Sigal’s lab has revealed how Helicobacter pylori reprograms the stomach lining at the cellular level, allowing cancer to develop. The findings, published ​“Nature Communications,” pave the way toward prevention.

Disease almost never develops overnight. If illnesses are detected in later stages, however, they often prove difficult to treat — the same holds true for stomach cancer. Years before the condition sets in, the stomach lining gradually begins to change. The most frequent trigger: The common stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori), which is primarily transmitted within families. If parents or grandparents have had stomach cancer caused by H.pylori infection, their descendants are also at high risk of developing the disease.

A team led by Dr. Michael Sigal, Professor of Translational Gastrointestinal Oncology at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Group Leader of the Gastrointestinal Barrier, Regeneration and Carcinogenesis lab at the Berlin Institute of Medical Systems Biology of the Max Delbrück Center (MDC-BIMSB), and Dr. Manqiang Lin at Charité, has uncovered how exactly the bacteria remodel the stomach lining to promote cancer. ​“If we understand what happens in the stomach tissue even before cancer develops, we might be able to intervene,​”explains Sigal. The research was published in ​“Nature Communications.”

Sigal is also a member of the recently launched Berlin Cluster of Excellence ImmunoPreCept, a collaboration spearheaded by researchers at Charité and MDC-BIMSB and that includes several other partners. ImmunoPreCept is dedicated to identifying disease-causing processes and halting them before it is too late. In this context, researchers from the cluster and other institutions have joined forces to, among other things, determine what occurs in the gastric mucosa at the cellular and molecular levels when it is exposed to H.pylori over extended periods of time.

The fact that H.pylori promotes the development of cancer has long been known. But what types of cells are involved? In what order do they relay signals? And which of these signals is the most important? ​“We knew from previous studies that the bacterium disturbs the balance of growth signals in the stomach lining. What we were missing was the link between the inflammation that had been triggered and tissue remodeling. This is because the mucous membrane does not behave the way one would actually expect. It grows rapidly, though without stem cells multiplying in the process. ​“We thought there must be another program at work that has been overlooked until now,” explains Sigal.

Stepwise like a game of chess

The researchers harnessed single-cell sequencing to analyze tens of thousands of cells from the diseased stomach lining and determined, for each cell type, which genes are turned on during an infection. In order to identify the cause and effect, they used animal models in which specific genes in certain cells were selectively inactivated. Tiny, laboratory-grown miniature versions of the gastric mucosa, known as organoids, and assembloids — combinations of mucosal and connective tissue cells developed specifically for this purpose — were used in subsequent investigations to simulate communication between the different cell types and to selectively interrupt this communication. In this way, the researchers were able to observe which cells in the tissue are actually located adjacent to one another and exchange signals. They then used publicly available datasets to verify whether these findings also apply to human tissue.

The research team encountered a program that works similar to a game of chess: Each step paves the way for the next. The chain culminates in precancerous lesions and then cancer, explains Dr. Giulia Beccaceci, first author of the study and an early-career researcher in Sigal’s lab. ​“The infected stomach lining doesn’t just grow faster, but actually transitions to a fundamentally different state. A process is gradually activated that normally occurs only during embryonic development and wound healing.​”This is the reason why the tissue undergoes such lasting changes.

The process sets in when H.pylori overcomes the stomach’s natural defense system. A signal fails to be transmitted that normally ensures the controlled renewal of the surface cells of the mucous membrane and their tolerance of bacteria. Consequently, the immune system is alerted; immune cells migrate to the site and produce pro-inflammatory mediators, primarily interleukin-1β. This, in turn, does not affect the mucous membrane itself, but rather the underlying connective tissue. From there, the decisive signal is finally transmitted: A tissue hormone that normally helps heal injuries switches the mucous membrane into repair mode. As a result, the cells grow uncontrollably and divide more frequently. ​“So connective tissue isn’t just a bystander, but the actual switch,” Beccaceci adds.

Disease progression can be halted

Now that researchers better understand how H. pylori infection leads to chronic gastritis, precancerous lesions and ultimately cancer, they may be able to prevent disease progression. ​“People with an increased risk — for example, due to a family history of stomach cancer, symptoms, or a known infection — should be tested for the stomach bacterium and, if the test is positive, treated with antibiotics,” says Sigal. ​“This is simple and has been proven to reduce the risk of stomach cancer. This is due to the fact that it removes persistent irritation from the tissue.”

The gastric mucosa, however, does not fully return to normal after antibiotic treatment in all affected individuals. In some cases, the tissue has already been permanently reprogrammed, and the risk that cancer will develop remains. ​“In order to reliably identify these individuals, we are currently developing markers that can detect, in mucosal tissue samples, whether the tissue is on its way to becoming precancerous,” explains Sigal. ​“In addition, we now understand the individual steps in the chain and, as a result, the potential targets for drugs.” Consequently, this triangular communication via connective tissue could be disrupted by making these cells unresponsive to the inflammatory mediator interleukin-1β. That would prevent tissue changes and abnormal mucosal growth.”

Researchers are also encouraged by findings from previous population studies, which showed that regular use of known anti-inflammatory drugs was associated with a lower risk of gastrointestinal tumors. These medications also block a component of the pathway now identified: the enzyme COX‑2. This confirms that the mechanism works, and the new findings will help interrupt the pathway in an even more targeted manner and with fewer side effects.

About the study

In addition to scientists at Charité, MDC-BIMSB and the ImmunoPreCept Excellence Cluster, other collaborators included: The Institute for Experimental Internal Medicine at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité, the BIH Charité Clinician Scientist Program, and the Berlin School of Integrative Oncology (BSIO) at Charité. The research was funded by, among others, the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant REVERT), the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space, the Einstein Center 3R, and the ImmunoPreCept Excellence Cluster.

Joint press release by Charité — Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Max Delbrück Center
Text: Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Further information

Sigal Lab
Gastrointestinal Barrier, Regeneration and Carcinogenesis 

Using cryo-electron microscopy, the Kudryashev lab has revealed how muscle cell calcium channels open synchronously. The findings, published in ​“Nature Communications,” may explain a mechanism behind serious muscle diseases.

Every step we take begins with a burst of calcium inside our muscle cells, causing them to contract. To prepare for action, the cells keep calcium locked in an internal compartment, the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Studding its membrane are thousands of RyR1 channels — the largest known ion channels — that contain pores that release the calcium. For a muscle to contract properly, RyR1 channels must open synchronously via a mechanism known as ​“coupled gating.” How they accomplish this has been unclear since it was described almost 30 years ago.

A team led by Dr. Vasilii Mikirtumov, a former doctoral student in the In Situ Structural Biology Lab of Dr. Misha Kudryashev at the Max Delbrück Center, has now captured the first high-resolution 3D images of RyR1 at six stages of opening inside the intact sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane. The work is published in ​“Nature Communications.”

Although the structure of RyR1 has been described before, previous studies used channels that had been removed from the membrane. Instead, the Kudryashev lab studied the structure of RyR1 in its natural environment using the advanced imaging techniques of cryo-electron microscopy and tomography. ​“Because RyR1 is a membrane protein, you have to pull it out with detergents to purify it. But that environment can be disruptive to such a sensitive protein,” says Mikirtumov, who is now a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Christian Spahn at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. ​“We wanted to capture the structure of the channel in its native membrane and find out whether its opening mechanism looks different there.”

The researchers found that it does. The images show that neighboring channels remain in contact with each other when transitioning from the closed to open states. This contact, or interface, mediates coupled gating: as one channel rotates open, it strains the interface with its neighbor, making it easier for that channel to rotate and open too. ​“It’s like the cogs in a clock,” says Kudryashev, senior author of the paper. ​“Once one cog turns, it primes its neighbors to turn, too.”

Six snapshots of an opening channel

The team isolated the sarcoplasmic reticulum from rabbit muscle and imaged it at the Core Facility for Cryo-Electron Microscopy, which is run jointly by Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Max Delbrück Center and the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP). The Kudryashev lab has specialized expertise in cryo-electron microscopy and tomography and the computational tools necessary to analyze the resulting data.

“We shoot electrons through the sample and take thousands of pictures, each with many copies of the same protein,” explains Mikirtumov. ​“Then we average them all together, and that gives us a high-resolution 3D reconstruction.”

By adding small molecules to initiate channel opening, the researchers caught RyR1 at six stages between fully closed and fully open. Comparing the structures revealed the full opening motion: The bulky outer part rotates within the plane of the membrane, like turning the ring of a camera lens, while the pore in the channel widens to roughly twice its original width.

Using cryo-electron tomography, the team also imaged pairs of neighboring channels at five stages of opening. They found neighboring channels were more likely to be synchronized, and that two interacting closed channels were more stable than two closed channels in isolation. These findings support coupled gating and suggest that channels hold each other shut.

A target for treating muscle disease

Mutations in the RyR1 gene cause malignant hyperthermia, a life-threatening reaction to some anesthetics, and congenital myopathies that weaken muscles. Many of these mutations alter the channel exactly where it touches its neighbor.

“A lot of these mutations don’t seem to affect how a single channel opens, but rather how channels cooperate with their neighbors,” says Mikirtumov. ​“We mapped several of them onto the interface, and we think that in these cases, it’s the cooperation between channels that breaks down.”

The researchers propose that disruption at the interface between channels makes them leaky, releasing calcium when they should retain it. This makes the interface itself a target for therapies.

The team is already testing the idea. ​“We need to prevent the channels from opening spontaneously,” says Kudryashev. ​“Now that we know how the inactive state is organized, we can design biologics or small molecules to stabilize this closed state.”

Text: Anita Waltho

Image:  Two ryanodine receptor 1 (RyR1) channels interacting side-by-side in their native sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane. This cryo-EM structure reveals how neighboring calcium-release channels physically touch, coordinating their opening for a fast, synchronized calcium signal that triggers muscle contraction. Credit: Vasilii Mikirtumov, Kudryashev Lab, Max Delbrück Center

Source: Press Release Max Delbrück Center
How calcium channels in muscle cells open together

Prof. Dr. Christian Hackenberger of the Leibniz Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) and Humboldt University of Berlin has been awarded the UNIPRENEURS Prize. He is now one of 20 professors nationwide to be honored for their commitment to spin-off companies. The prize recognizes individuals who, in addition to their research and teaching, have made a significant contribution to transferring innovations to the business sector.

“I am incredibly delighted about this award; it is a fantastic recognition for my colleagues and me, especially since it underscores the importance of basic academic research. And of course, I am immensely proud to be part of such a great founding team that set Tubulis’ success story in motion,” says Prof. Dr. Christian Hackenberger.

Christian Hackenberger has been conducting research on methods for modifying peptides and proteins since 2005. After moving to the FMP and Humboldt University of Berlin, his team developed the so-called P5-labeling method in 2017 for the production of novel antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). The method provides easy access to ADCs that are more stable and effective than other molecules on the market—without the need for additional genetic modification of the antibodies.

From P5-labeling to Tubulis 

Hackenberger has received numerous awards for his research, which includes the development of cell-permeable antibodies, including the DFG’s Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize, the Max Bergmann Medal, the UCB-Ehrlich Award for Excellence in Medicinal Chemistry, and, in 2020, as the very first recipient, the “Breakthrough of the Year” Award from the Falling Walls Foundation in the life sciences.

This year, UNIPRENEURS honored 20 professors across Germany from more than 800 nominations. Together, they have supported around 600 startups as mentors, advisory board members, or investors; 90 percent of the honorees have founded a company themselves.

About UNIPRENEURS

UNIPRENEURS is an initiative aimed at strengthening spin-offs at German universities and non-university research institutions, led by the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft. The Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space, as well as the Federal Ministry of Economics, are joint patrons of the initiative. UNIPRENEURS presents its award every three years.

More Information:
https://www.hu-berlin.de/en/news/detail/christian-hackenberger-receives-the-unipreneurs-award-for-outstanding-commitment-to-entrepreneurship

Source: Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie

An international team has created a detailed molecular map of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, one of the most common forms of heart disease. Their findings, published in ​“Science Translational Medicine,” identify biological pathways that could pave the way for more precise treatments.

Heart muscle disease comes in many forms, the most common of which are hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), which causes the heart muscle to become thick and stiff, and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), in which the left ventricle balloons, thinning the chamber’s walls. Both types make it hard for the heart to pump properly and can eventually cause it to fail.

A team led by researchers at the Max Delbrück Center and Brigham and Women’s Hospital now shows in ​“Science Translational Medicine” the detailed molecular activity underlying HCM, including which pathways it shares with DCM.What’s more, they were able to distinguish early stage from late stage, and genetic from non-genetic HCM. 

The research was co-led by Dr. Eleonora Adami (Max Delbrück Center, Hübner lab) and Dr. Yuri Kim (Brigham and Women’s Hospital) as part of an international collaboration that included researchers at Harvard (Seidman Lab), Imperial College London (Noseda Lab), the University of Alberta (Oudit Lab), Helmholtz Munich, TU Munich (Heinig Lab), and Herz und Diabeteszentrum NRW (Milting Lab).

Studying disease one cell at a time

To characterize the cellular and molecular signatures of HCM, the researchers used single-nucleus RNA sequencing to analyze heart tissue from 47 patients spanning early stage to end-stage HCM, including people with non-genetic forms of the disease. The researchers then compared these gene expression profiles with data from healthy donor hearts and heart tissue affected by DCM. 

The technology allowed them to document which genes were active in nearly one million individual heart cells. They created a comprehensive molecular map detailing gene activity according to stage of disease and genetic status. 

They found a few ​“surprising” differences, says Adami. In early-stage HCM, for example, fibroblasts — which produce and maintain the extracellular matrix that surrounds cells — expressed less collagen IV. In effect, this would likely destabilize the matrix. They also found that patients with genetic HCM had proportionally fewer cardiomyocytes compared to healthy donors, along with elevated expression of genes related to irregular heartbeat and scar tissue formation.

“It has long been known that HCM patients with a known genetic cause tend to suffer more severe disease, yet the molecular mechanisms accounting for this have remained unknown,” says Adami. ​“We show that these patients have a distinct pattern of gene activity in their hearts.” 

Additionally, the researchers identified the gene PRR16 as a potential contributor to the enlarged muscle cells that are characteristic of HCM.

HCM, not just a disease of muscle cells

In a final step, the team showed that an AI model trained on the gene expression data from heart muscle cells could accurately distinguish early stage from late-stage HCM, separate HCM from DCM, and correctly identify patients with genetic versus non-genetic HCM. 

Based on gene expression data from fibroblasts alone, the model was also able to make the same distinctions. ​“This was interesting,” explains Kim, ​“because cardiomyopathies are usually thought of as diseases of heart muscle cells only.”

“It was intriguing to see that the unbiased multiomics factor analysis revealed that so many different cell types contribute to the signatures that distinguish between patient groups and controls,” says Dr. Matthias Heinig, an author at Helmholtz Munich and TU Munich. 

“By mapping gene expression at single-cell resolution across disease stages and genetic subtypes, we’ve built a molecular signature of HCM’s clinical spectrum,” Hübner adds. ​“This should provide a foundation for future work on more targeted treatments.”

Text: Gunjan Sinha

Source: Press Release Max Delbrück Center
Mapping the molecular pathways of heart disease

Invaginations of the cell membrane called caveolae protect cells from mechanical stress, allow nutrients to enter the cell, and serve as signaling hubs. The teams of Oliver Daumke and Misha Kudryashev now describe in ​“Nature Communications” the structure of a protein chain that stabilizes caveolae.

Our cells’ membranes have many functions. They not only provide mechanical protection, but also precisely control which substances enter or leave the cells. If they fail to perform these tasks, disease can result. Their structure is correspondingly complex: The outer cell membrane, for example, often features bottle-shaped invaginations called caveolae. Among others, they protect the cells of blood vessels, which are frequently exposed to strong mechanical forces. In addition, caveolae serve as signaling centers that help regulate blood pressure. Cells also absorb nutrients — especially fatty acids — via caveolae. 

Researchers at the Max Delbrück Center have now discovered how caveolae — which are found in nearly all cells of our body — are stabilized to the outer cell membrane. ​“A chain of protein molecules wraps around the neck of these bottle-shaped structures to support them,” explains Dr. Oliver Daumke, Group Leader of the Structural Biology of Membrane-Associated Processes lab. Together with Dr. Misha Kudryashev, Group Leader of the In Situ Structural Biology lab, they have now elucidated the structure of this protein chain. Daumke had previously shown that without the protein EHD2 — of which the chain is composed — caveolae are not securely anchored in the cell membrane.

The authors hope that the new study could help, for example, to regulate fat uptake by cells and thus lead to better treatment of lipid metabolism disorders. The work is published in ​“Nature Communications.” Most of the experiments were conducted by first author Dr. Elena Vázquez-Sarandeses, a former doctoral student in Daumke’s lab, and Dr. Vasilii Mikirtumov, a former doctoral student in Kudryashev’s lab.

A chain with many links

Kudryashev and his team have developed new cryo-electron microscopy methods, which enabled them to resolve how two molecules of the EHD2 protein combine to form a dimer, thereby creating the individual chain links. ​“Certain parts of these EHD2 links then attach to one another, forming a chain,” explains Vázquez-Sarandeses. ​“We were able to observe how this chain wrapped itself around the tubular membrane structures we used for our experiments.”

EHD2 is a protein composed of 540 amino acids. As the researchers have now discovered, the first 19 amino acids act as a spacer. They ensure that only one chain at a time wraps around the neck of the caveolae. ​“Without it, multiple chains align side by side, causing the caveolae to lose their typical shape and function,” says Daumke. And without functioning EHD2 chains, the bottlenecks become increasingly thinner and longer and eventually detach from the cell membrane.

“This study was technically very challenging. But it helps us understand how proteins come together to perform a specific task within the cell — in other words, how molecular functions become cellular functions,” Daumke adds. This is a key focus of Helmholtz research.

Essential for muscles, the heart and blood vessels 

Next, the scientists will try to visualize the EHD2 chains in living cells — precisely at the neck of a caveola. ​“If we succeed, we’ll also examine the protein chains in cells with altered caveola function. Then we might better understand the resulting diseases,” Daumke says.

In addition to lipid metabolism disorders, defective caveolae can cause diseases of the muscles, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and kidneys. ​“Without these invaginations, cells are less able to withstand mechanical stress. They’re also less able to regulate signaling processes,” explains Daumke. ​“That’s why tissues such as muscles, the heart, and blood vessels — which are constantly exposed to stress — are particularly vulnerable.”

Text: Anke Brodmerkel

Source: Press Release Max Delbrück Center
How a protein shapes the cell membrane

Nikolaus Rajewsky and his team have built a search engine that can scan data from millions of single cells from thousands of experiments worldwide in seconds. The tool, described in ​“Nature,” makes it possible to answer previously impossible questions about RNA biology.

Imagine doctors had the potential to understand exactly what cells caused a patient’s cancer, or whether pathogens contributed to the disease. They could then use the information to tailor a treatment plan to the patient’s specific cancer. But answering such questions would mean wading through data from thousands of experiments locked in massive databases around the globe. Moreover, the search would take several days at the very least. 

Now, researchers at the Berlin Institute of Medical Systems Biology of the Max Delbrück Center (MDC-BIMSB) present a search engine that radically simplifies such tasks: ​“Malva.” It is the first platform that can quickly sort through massive single-cell data using sequence information only, explains Daniel León-Periñán, first author of the study in ​“Nature.” León-Periñán is a doctoral student in the Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements lab of Dr. Nikolaus Rajewsky, Director of MDC-BIMSB. 

“Like Google did for the internet 30 years ago, Malva allows scientists and AI tools to search across millions of cells in seconds — without downloading huge files or needing a reference genome, and without deep computational expertise,” adds Rajewsky, senior author of the paper. ​“Malva transforms static transcriptomic atlases into dynamic resources, which will further our understanding of RNA biology. It will also be potentially transformative in helping researchers understand how health slides into disease, or how and which cells respond to specific medical treatments.”

The need for a tool to search RNA data 

Single-cell RNA sequencing gives researchers a remarkably detailed view of what is happening inside individual cells at any given point in time. Over the past decade, researchers around the world have amassed terabytes of data. But anyone wishing to mine it to learn more about a DNA or RNA sequence of interest faces multiple hurdles. They would need to download and reprocess petabytes of raw files, which no single lab has the capacity to do, and figure out how to standardize data from different sources.

What’s more, because of the way the data is indexed, information about RNA isoforms — multiple RNA variants coded by the same gene — is extremely limited. 

To simplify the task and to expand the types of questions the data can answer, León-Periñán and co-first author Dr. Nikos Karaiskos, also from the Rajewsky lab, have reprocessed data from public repositories and made it searchable by nucleotide sequence. Additionally, Malva indexes spatial data, so researchers can also find where in a tissue section a particular RNA is located.

Malva is designed to expand continuously. Every time new single-cell RNA data becomes available in the literature, it gets downloaded to a server located at the Max Delbrück Center, processed and added to existing data. 

Broad application 

There are innumerable use-case scenarios, says Karaiskos. ​“They can range from the very simple, like: ​‘In what cell type is this particular gene expressed?’ to much more complex.”

Other platforms can also be used to answer simple questions, Karaiskos adds. But they can’t, for example, answer questions about RNA biology. This is because RNA isoforms are not each indexed to a reference gene individually, but rather treated as a single entity. This makes it impossible to distinguish whether any particular RNA isoform is expressed in any specific cell type, he says. ​“Having the flexibility to search by RNA sequence in Malva gives us the ability to answer questions from this data that were previously not answerable.” 

Moreover, because these platforms map their data to a reference genome, which is a composite of a few individual human DNA samples, anyone looking for information about RNA produced from rare or unique gene variants may not find much. Malva, on the other hand, enables access to a much more diverse RNA dataset. 

The Malva platform also includes sequence information from multiple species, including bacteria, viruses and fungi. Thus, researchers can study how these microorganisms affect human cells and cause disease. 

The platform is currently freely available to scientists. The three researchers are in the early phases of launching a start-up to make Malva commercially available. A patent on the technology is pending.

Text: Gunjan Sinha

Source: Press Release Max Delbrück Center
A Google-like search engine for single-cell RNA

One week, two topics, and plenty of new experiences: 25 young people take a deep dive into research on rare diseases and immunology at the Life Science Learning Lab “Gläsernes Labor,” including by analyzing their own genes.

Stella stares intently at the reaction tube in her hand. The tall girl is standing at a lab bench in the Gläsernes Labor on the Buch campus. The “Rare Diseases” group is conducting its final experiment during the Gläsernes Labor project week. The 25 teenagers, aged 13 to 19 — most from Berlin and some from the surrounding Brandenburg area — want to find out how much a sample can be diluted while still yielding results from the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The group’s concentration is palpable: For the experiment to work, they have to pipette precisely and carefully. But it’s also fun. “The vortexing was definitely the coolest part of this week,” says Stella, laughing as she tosses her long blonde ponytail over her shoulder. To “vortex,” samples are placed on an electric shaker or vortex mixer, which causes the container to vibrate rapidly. This ensures that the components of the liquid mix thoroughly.

This project week is special. Unlike the Gläsernes Labor’s usual course program, it does not take place as part of the school curriculum during the year, but rather during summer vacation. “Young people sign up out of their own interest, which creates a completely different dynamic,” says Ulrike Mittmann, a biotechnologist. The scientist oversees the molecular biology program at the Gläsernes Labor. The subjects of the project week — rare diseases and immunology — are also key focus areas for the German Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DZKJ), which launched and designed the project week in collaboration with the Gläsernes Labor and the Max Delbrück Center in 2025. “It’s important to us that young people get to know what everyday research is like and understand what concrete steps are being taken to advance research to improve children’s health,” says Dr. Nancy Freitag, scientific project manager at the DZKJ.

A visit to a research lab

The final day of project week is heading into the home stretch with plenty of energy and a good dose of scientific input. Over the past few days, Stella and the other teens have learned and applied the fundamentals of current research. Now they’re discovering how this knowledge is put to use in everyday research.

Dr. Kerstin Fentker, a postdoctoral researcher in the Proteomics Research Group at the Max Delbrück Center, presented her DZKJ-funded work on cystic fibrosis, a disease that, like many rare diseases, begins in childhood or adolescence. About three to five out of every 10,000 children develop the disease. “The cause is a genetic defect that impairs an ion channel on cell surfaces. This throws the salt-water balance out of equilibrium: too little water reaches the mucosal surface, and thick mucus forms in the lungs,” explains the researcher. Bacteria multiply in this mucus, leading to repeated infections and inflammation.

Fentker has been investigating how two specific medications influence these processes. Her findings can be used to further improve treatment and help young patients in the long term.

The teenagers also learned about challenges that can arise in everyday research. “Blood samples we receive from partner hospitals can vary considerably in quality. We notice immediately if there are major differences in how the samples were processed,” says doctoral candidate Pauline Fahjen during a discussion with the students. With large sample sizes, such technical differences can be statistically accounted for. Sometimes, however, samples must be excluded from further analysis if the quality is too poor. “This is especially painful when it comes to samples of heart tissue or rare tumors,” says the researchers.

Analyzing DNA

Stella finds these insights and the many new discoveries “really cool overall.” The student, who traveled all the way from Eberswalde in Brandenburg specifically for each project day, chose the topic of rare diseases because she believes it’s important to help sick children, even when only a few people are affected. “I especially like that we could really delve into the topics and ask follow-up questions,” says Stella. She also found it fascinating that the program covered “background knowledge”— for example, who invented PCR and how it was further developed.

PCR is an important technique for analyzing genetic material. During the project week, students learned how to use it and applied it themselves on multiple occasions. For Valentina, an 11th-grader at a Berlin high school, PCR was also one of the highlights: “It was great to learn and apply a technique that we had previously only heard about in theory in class. I also really liked analyzing my own genome,” she says. Valentina came across the Gläsernes Labor’s summer program online. To avoid the boredom that loomed during her school break, she had specifically searched for “something involving biology and chemistry.”

The project weeks will continue to evolve

At the end of project week, the Rare Diseases and Immunology groups presented their findings to one another. The program focusing on the body’s immune system was also diverse. The students visited the Molecular Genetics of Allergic Diseases research group at the Max Delbrück Center, determined their own blood types, analyzed white blood cells, detected peanut DNA in various products, and tested themselves for specific allergies.

When Mittmann asks the group: “Would you have liked to have had one more day?” a unanimous “Yes!” rings out. “More time would be better,” agrees Mittmann. “I had to cut short some exciting discussions so we could finish and at least take a short break in between,” she adds.

In May 2027, feedback meetings will be held with the DZKJ to further refine project week programs. The Max Delbrück Center will continue to help organize and fund project weeks for another five years, initially. “For this phase, we hope there will also be programs for children affected by rare diseases and their families,” says Nancy Freitag of the DZKJ. Stella is also eager for more: She has already decided to take part in another project week during the next summer vacation.

Text: Wiebke Peters

Source: Gläsernes Labor
„Am coolsten ist das Vortexen“

As of August 15, 2026, Kirstin Bodensiek has officially taken the helm as Administrative Director of the Max Delbrück Center. She is stepping into the permanent position after leading the center on an interim basis.

Following a successful transition period, Kirstin Bodensiek has officially taken over as Administrative Director of the Max Delbrück Center as of August 15, 2026. She succeeds Dr. Heike Graßmann, who was appointed State Secretary of the Saxon State Ministry for Science, Culture and Tourism on February 1, 2025.

“Science and administration are not separate worlds. Both contribute to our center’s success. I am extremely pleased to continue leading the Max Delbrück Center with Kirstin. I greatly value her perspective and her commitment to preparing the Max Delbrück Center for the future,” says Dr. Maike Sander, Scientific Director of the Max Delbrück Center.

“An important factor in my decision to officially continue as Administrative Director was the team-spirit I have experienced working with Maike. We look at all aspects of our center as a whole and work together across areas of responsibility and organizational structures to find the best solutions,” says Bodensiek. ​“The department heads have also given me their full support from the very beginning. I have not taken that for granted.”

Ultimately, every employee at the Max Delbrück Center contributes to improving the health of society. ​“That is a worthwhile goal — and I feel that I can make a contribution,” adds Bodensiek. ​“I want to empower people to take responsibility. That requires close dialogue with colleagues from all areas of the center. It’s an exercise I find particularly valuable.”

About Kirstin Bodensiek

Kirstin Bodensiek studied law at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and European law at Leiden University. She completed Germany’s second state examination in law in 2001. From 2002 onward, she held various positions at Deutsche Verkehrs-Assekuranz-Vermittlungs GmbH in Bad Homburg, a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG. She was officially admitted to practice law in July 2018.

At the Max Delbrück Center, Bodensiek gradually took on increasing responsibility. From October 2018 to January 2025, she headed the Legal Department and served as deputy to Administrative Director Professor Heike Graßmann. When Graßmann was appointed State Secretary of the Saxon State Ministry for Science, Culture and Tourism, Bodensiek took over as interim Administrative Director. Following a successful transition period, she officially became Administrative Director of the Max Delbrück Center on August 15, 2026.

In addition to her role at the Max Delbrück Center, Bodensiek has coordinated the Helmholtz Association’s working group on Kaufmännische Informationsverarbeitung (commercial information processing) since April 2026. She is also active in the Genshagen Circle, serves as Chair of the Association Court of the Berlin Volleyball Association, and volunteers at sporting events such as the Special Olympics.

Further information

• Max Delbrück Center website
• Max Delbrück Center Strategy 2030
• Heike Graßmann, new State Secretary in Sachsen
• “We at the MDC” with Kirstin Bodensiek, 2021

Max Delbrück Center

The Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association lays the foundation for the medicine of tomorrow through our discoveries of today. At locations in Berlin-Buch, Berlin-Mitte, Heidelberg, and Mannheim, interdisciplinary teams investigate the complexity of disease at the systems level – from molecules and cells to organs and entire organisms. Together with academic, clinical, and industry partners, and as part of global networks, we turn biological insights into innovations for early detection, personalized therapies, and disease prevention. Founded in 1992, the Max Delbrück Center is home to a vibrant, international research community of around 1,800 people from over 70 countries. We are 90 percent funded by the German federal government and 10 percent by the state of Berlin.

2nd Quarter 2026:

• Sales: €76.4 million (PY: €80.6million)
• EBIT before special items: €17.4 million (PY: €19.2 million)
• Net income: €12.1 million (PY: €11.8 million)

1st Half Year 2026:

• Sales: €149.3 million (PY: €148.8 million)
• EBIT before special items: €33.3 million (PY: €35.4 million)
• Net income: €22.4 million (PY: €21.4 million)

Forecast 2026:

• Sales of around €320 million (confirmed)
• EBIT before special items of around €80 million (confirmed)

Berlin, 13 August 2026. Eckert & Ziegler SE (ISIN DE0005659700, TecDAX) reported sales of €149.3 million in the first half of 2026. The group’s adjusted EBIT dropped by just under 6% to €33.3 million. Adjusted EBIT in the Medical segment rose by nearly 7% to €24.9 million. Net income grew by approximately 5% to €22.4 million, or €0.36 per share. Adjusted for the extraordinary licensing revenue in the same period of the previous year, group sales increased by 4% and earnings by as much as 9%. The licensing business had not yet generated revenues in 2026.

In the Medical segment, sales in the first half of the year totaled €80.9 million, slightly above the prior-year level (€80.5 million). The pharmaceutical radioisotopes business remains the most important revenue driver. The Isotope Products segment generated sales of €68.5 million, which were nearly unchanged compared with the prior year.

For the current fiscal year 2026, the Executive Board confirms its profit forecast published on
26 March 2026, with sales of around €320 million and an adjusted EBIT of around €80 million.

The complete quarterly report can be viewed here: https://www.ezag.com/Q22026en

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.
 

Bringing a new CAR‑T cell therapy from promising results in the lab to critically ill cancer patients is anything but straightforward. A Tagesspiegel podcast featuring, among others, Armin Rehm explores the hurdles that must be overcome along the way and why the process is often faster in the United States.

The two-hour conversation with experts — including cancer researcher Dr. Armin Rehm of the Max Delbrück Center, Professor Lars Bullinger, Head of Tumor Immunology at Charité, and Dr. Anne Kerber, Senior Vice President and Head of Development for Hematology, Oncology, and Cell Therapy at the U.S. pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb — concludes the series ​“Cancer research: How ideas become life-saving therapies.”

The twelve-part series is a joint project of the Health & Science section of the Tagesspiegel (Sascha Karberg and Alexander Schlichter) and the Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Tumor Immunology at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Lars Bullinger). It was funded by Stiftung Charité as a ​“science x media Tandem.”

The journalists show how an idea in the lab can eventually become a new treatment in the clinic, using the example of new cancer immunotherapies being developed in Berlin at the Charité and the Max Delbrück Center. And they highlight the different perspectives: the hard work in the lab that lays the groundwork, the motivation of the doctors, the hope of the patients, and the system that sets the rules leading up to market approval.

Source: Max Delbrück Center
The path of new immunotherapies to the clinic

Berlin, Germany, July 21, 2026

• Feedback from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) supports acceleration of OMT-28’s development path directly into a pivotal Phase 3 study

• With the vast majority of PMD patients having no FDA-approved therapeutic option, OMT-28 addresses a significant unmet medical need in mitochondrial disease space

• Results from Phase 2a PMD-OPTION Study were recently presented at Euromit 2026 and
  Mito MED 2026, the two largest international conferences on mitochondrial pathologies

OMEICOS, a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company developing first-in-class small-molecule therapeutics for mitochondrial and inflammatory disorders, today announced the successful completion of the End-of-Phase 2 (EOP2) meeting with the FDA regarding the development of OMT-28 in Primary Mitochondrial Diseases (PMD). During the meeting, the FDA expressed strong support for OMEICOS’ plans to advance the program into
late-stage clinical development and provided clear, constructive guidance to structure the next steps efficiently. As a result, OMEICOS is now positioned to advance its proprietary, fully owned lead product candidate OMT-28 directly into a pivotal Phase 3 study.

The EOP2 meeting with the FDA was supported by results from the successfully concluded multicentre, open-label Phase 2a PMD-OPTION Study in patients with PMD. The PMD-OPTION Study demonstrated
OMT-28’s therapeutic potential to improve physical condition in patients with PMD based on significant recovery of the impaired mitochondrial function in the responding patients. The study also further underscored the excellent safety and tolerability profile of OMT-28, which has been evaluated in more than 190 individuals to date.

OMT-28 has the potential to be a first-in-class and best-in-class therapy and is clearly differentiated from competing approaches in PMD through its unique dual mechanism, targeting both redox balance and mitochondrial restoration, addressing core disease biology more comprehensively than single-pathway approaches. OMT-28 leverages the activation of mitochondrial sirtuin family members SIRT1 and SIRT3, mainly through biased modulation of S1PR1 (Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Receptor 1) signalling.

As a once-daily oral small molecule, OMT-28 would offer superior convenience and adherence compared to currently evaluated injectables or twice-daily future alternatives. Moreover, cardiomyopathy patients—a subgroup often excluded in other clinical development programs—highlights OMT-28’s potentially broader target population further reinforcing its best-in-class product profile. Beyond PMD, OMEICOS is pursuing a ‘pipeline-in-a-drug’ strategy with OMT-28 and sees potential for expansion into larger disease areas.

“The strong endorsement from the FDA marks a significant milestone for OMEICOS as a company and for our mission to address Primary Mitochondrial Disease. The meeting’s outcome even surpassed our expectations, as we are now able to advance directly from our concluded Phase 2a study into a pivotal Phase 3 study,” said Dr. Robert Fischer, CEO/CSO of OMEICOS Therapeutics. “Our goal now is to bring a much-needed new treatment option into the final stages of development—and hopefully into medical practice—as quickly as possible. We are currently evaluating the best possible infrastructure, strategic partners, and resources to achieve this goal efficiently.”

PMD patients suffer from debilitating and life-threatening health consequences, such as severely limited physical stamina and disease-related changes in the heart and skeletal muscles, as well as associated neurological disorders. The disease represents a heterogeneous group of conditions including the most prevalent subtypes MELAS, non-MELAS, and MIDD. The upcoming pivotal Phase 3 study is planned to enrol up to 160 adult patients stratified by these three common PMD subgroups and will evaluate the efficacy of OMT-28 at a 24 mg once-daily dose over 24 weeks, with an option to extend treatment up to 104 weeks. The trial will employ an adaptive design, allowing adjustments to sample size and treatment duration based on interim analyses, ensuring flexibility and efficiency in this rare disease setting. The primary endpoint is a composite measure combining the 12-Minute Walk Test (12MWT) and the 5x Sit-to-Stand Test (5xSST), with secondary endpoints including quality-of-life assessments and exploratory biomarkers such as NAD⁺, GSH, and their ratios. This design reflects the FDA’s constructive guidance and underscores the potential of OMT-28 to transform the treatment landscape for patients in need.

About OMEICOS

OMEICOS Therapeutics has discovered a series of metabolically robust synthetic analogues of omega-3 fatty acid-derived epoxyeicosanoids that have the potential to treat mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammatory, cardiovascular and other diseases. Epoxyeicosanoids activate cell type-specific endogenous pathways that promote organ and tissue protection. OMEICOS’ small molecules are orally available and show improved biological activity and pharmacokinetic properties compared to their natural counterparts. The Company’s most advanced development program OMT-28 is headed for a pivotal Phase 3 clinical study in Primary Mitochondrial Diseases (PMD). For more, please visit: www.omeicos.com

Contacts

OMEICOS Therapeutics GmbH
Dr. Robert Fischer, CEO, CSO
Phone: +49 (0) 30 9489 4810
E-Mail: r.fischer@omeicos.com
www.omeicos.com

Quelle: Omeicos Therapeutics GmbH

Researchers led by Ana Pombo have found that just one exposure to the drug can create changes in mouse brain cells that persist for at least two weeks. Their findings were presented at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies Forum on July 7, 2026.

Cocaine is a highly addictive drug that can cause anxiety and paranoia in users, and can lead to heart damage, impotence and poor mental health in the long term. According to the U.N Office on Drugs and Crime, cocaine use is at an all-time high, with an estimated 25 million users worldwide.

“We know that cocaine hijacks the reward machinery of the brain,” said Dr. Ana Pombo, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins University, during the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum on July 7, 2026. Pombo also has a joint appointment as Guest Group Leader of the Epigenetic Regulation and Chromatin Architecture lab at the Berlin Institute of Medical Systems Biology of the Max Delbrück Center. ​“Most people do not become addicted after using cocaine once, but many do after a second use or repeated exposures. However, we don’t know enough about what is happening to brain cells exposed to cocaine and whether these effects are long-lasting.”

Her team has been using mice to see where the brain stores the memory of taking cocaine for the first time, and to understand why addiction occurs after repeated use, even when cocaine use is months or years apart.

Mapping effects in the brain

The researchers used a technique called genome architecture mapping to understand the effects of cocaine on mouse brains. This approach makes it possible to study how genetic material is organized inside a cell. Although genes provide a blueprint for all cells in the body, their three-dimensional organization can dictate when genes are switched on or off in any individual cell.

Compared to mice not exposed to cocaine, researchers found that the 3D structure of the genome was extensively altered in brain cells called dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental region of the midbrain. This part of the brain is known to play an important role in reward and motivation. The changes could be seen 24 hours after exposure to cocaine, and persisted. Some changes were even greater two weeks after exposure.

For example, among these changes, they found that a single cocaine exposure prompts the development of around 1,700 new ​‘chromatin domain insulation areas’ — parts of the genome that can help regulate the activity of genes — and the loss of around another 1,100 of these areas.

The researchers also looked in detail at which genes were active and which were inactive in mouse brain cells exposed to cocaine compared with brain cells not exposed to cocaine.

This showed that exposed cells were producing more of some of the brain’s signalling molecules, called neuropeptides, that have been linked to addiction in humans. Other genes that help the brain cell function normally had become less active.

Implications for addiction

“Our results suggest that a single exposure to cocaine ​‘rewires’ the genome of these important brain cells,” says Pombo. ​“The fact that we found such big changes that persist for two weeks is unexpected and it suggests that the drug is leaving a longer-term ​‘scar’ in the genome of the brain cells.”

She adds: ​“These persistent changes may be setting the stage for a stronger response after a second dose of cocaine, which could help explain why the brain becomes susceptible to cocaine addiction. We still need to investigate how long these changes last. Are they permanent, or can the brain cells recover over time? We also need to investigate how these changes translate to the risk of addiction.”

“Cocaine use is a serious and growing problem around the world. We need to understand the effects of this drug and how people become addicted, but it’s almost impossible to study these mechanisms in detail in the human brain, so instead we look at mice,” said Professor Christina Dalla from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, chair of the FENS Forum communication committee and who was not involved in the research.

“In this study, scientists have identified profound and lasting changes in mouse brain cells after just one exposure to cocaine,” she added. ​“This shows that cocaine can alter the structure of the genome in these cells and this alteration may persist over time. These findings challenge the idea that occasional recreational use of cocaine may be harmless as they suggest that one use could change our brains and raise the risk of addiction in the future.”

Researching these changes in greater detail could help us understand why some people are more likely than others to become addicted. This could also help us to find new ways to treat addiction.

Text: FENS Forum 2026

Researchers in the lab of James Poulet have uncovered how the nervous system senses cool and warm temperatures. The findings, published in ​“Neuron” challenge a long-standing view of temperature sensing and could guide future research into pain and sensory disorders.

Whether we hold a warm mug or step onto a cool floor, specialized nerve cells in the skin constantly report temperature to the brain. Scientists have long assumed that separate groups of sensory cells detect non-painful cool and warm temperatures. Now researchers led by Drs. Phillip Bokiniec and Clarissa Whitmire in the Neural Circuits and Behavior Lab of Dr. James Poulet at the Max Delbrück Center have found that this assumption is too simplistic.

“Rather than relying on separate ​“warm” and ​“cool” sensors, we found that the nervous system appears to use one population of cells that signals both directions of temperature change,” explains Bokiniec, who shares first authorship of the study with Whitmire. Bokiniec is a now researcher in the Sensory Neural Coding lab of Dr. Clarissa Whitmire at the Queensland Brain Institute.

Using advanced imaging in mice, the team report in ​“Neuron” that most temperature-sensitive nerve cells are activated by cooling, and merely reduce their activity when the skin warms. The researchers also showed that these cells react to the actual temperature of the skin rather than simply detecting how much it has changed. This finding reshapes scientists’ understanding of one of the body’s most fundamental senses.

“Scientists have known about these neurons for years,” notes Poulet, ​“but they were thought to be relatively rare. What surprised us was discovering that they make up most of the temperature-sensing cells.”

Imaging neurons in live mice

The researchers developed a method to image hundreds of temperature-sensing nerve cells in the spinal sensory ganglia of awake mice over time. They gently warmed and cooled the animals’ paws while recording the activity of individual neurons using two-photon microscopy. They also performed this experiment in anesthetized mice and found the same result. This proved that that the anesthetic itself did not affect their results.

The team then selectively blocked or activated temperature-sensitive ion channels. Blocking the protein TRPM8 — long known as the body’s main sensor for detecting cool temperatures — eliminated both the response to cooling and the dampening effect that warming has on these nerve cells. This showed that a single molecular sensor can generate signals for both cool and warm, challenging the traditional view that separate receptors are needed for each sensation.

The team also developed a computer model to test their hypothesis. It showed that simply changing the activity of a TRPM8 was enough to reproduce the different response patterns seen in the experiments.

Understanding sensory disorders

Temperature sensation is essential for everyday life, but it is also disrupted in many medical conditions, including neuropathic pain, diabetic neuropathy, chemotherapy-induced nerve damage and disorders that cause abnormal sensitivity to cold. ​“Understanding how healthy temperature sensing works is a prerequisite for understanding what goes wrong in disease,” says Whitmire.

The researchers next plan to investigate how these signals are processed in the spinal cord, how painful temperatures are encoded, and whether the same principles apply in humans.

Text: Gunjan Sinha

Figure: A cluster of nerve cells from a mouse that carries sensory information from the hind leg to the spinal cord. Some of these nerve cells detect temperature, while others respond to different sensations such as touch or pain. The different colors highlight specific groups of cells.

Further information

• How the brain encodes warm and cool

The Successful Transformation of a Startup: An Interview with Dr. Christian Regenbrecht, Vice President of Translational Oncology at GSK and Founder of CELLphenomics

Your startup, CELLphenomics, has been successfully conducting pharmacological research on patient-derived tumor organoids at the Berlin-Buch campus for more than ten years. It has been part of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) since 2025. What was the background to this?

3D cell culture models, also known as organoids, are becoming increasingly sophisticated and reliable for testing therapeutic compounds. In certain cases and when supported by robust data, regulatory authorities are even willing to forgo animal testing. These models play a key role in making new, better drugs available more quickly. Our startup has advanced organoid research and earned an international reputation. We were the first commercial biobank in Germany to receive ISO certification. We cleared this hurdle with such flying colors that we have since been helping to shape, as part of the ISO commission, how pharmaceutical research with organoids will be conducted in the future.

We had already carried out joint projects with GSK. They were impressed by our research, the high quality of our data, and the volume of data and models we produced. The rule is: The higher the data quality, the higher the predictive value, and the better the foundation for machine learning. They wanted to bring that expertise into their company.

What motivated you to sell?

GSK’s corporate culture was a good fit for us, and ultimately, the deciding factor for me was that together we could have a far greater impact. We share their commitment to putting patients first and providing them with the best possible medications as quickly as possible.

Now we not only have greater resources at our disposal, but we’re also getting much more of a hearing from regulatory agencies like the FDA and EMA. Another very important point: Our entire team remained intact under the new structure. All 18 of us have good, secure jobs.

How did the transition to becoming part of GSK go?

It wasn’t easy at all to preserve the core and identity of CELLphenomics—that is, the reason why people enjoy coming to work here—while still adopting GSK’s corporate culture. It involved many small details, such as strict occupational safety requirements or the shorter work hours typical in England. Overall, there’s a much greater need for coordination in an international pharmaceutical company. They look very closely at whether things are actually needed to address the company’s most pressing issues.

Many things are becoming easier within GSK’s organizational structure: Thanks to legally sound contracts with international partners, for example, we can use tissue from all over the world to grow organoids for our projects.

We’ve expanded, upgraded our labs, and acquired a lot of new laboratory equipment. This allows us to conduct even better research, offer higher throughput, and deliver even better quality. GSK’s strong structure enables continuity—we’re working at full capacity, but no longer partially overburdened as we were in the startup phase.

Has your research changed?

Yes, I would definitely say so. GSK has many collaborations and partnerships. We are now part of a transnational tumor network in which leading scientists in Tokyo, Oxford, and Cambridge discuss joint projects and research questions, evaluate data, and design new experiments. We benefit enormously from this.

How are you settling into your new role?

I have time again to read papers, think about the best possible solution to a scientific question, and develop exciting projects.

Because GSK’s strong support team backs us up in every way, I don’t have to worry as much about things like tax returns, legal issues, or getting the best offers from manufacturers. I was even able to take three weeks of vacation.

ASC Oncology was your second startup, which offered personalized drug testing on tumor organoids.

We no longer help individual patients, but rather a group of individuals. As part of clinical development, we can contribute our expertise in a much more structured way and ensure that active ingredients reach the market faster.

Looking back at your early days?

In 2014, we were a very small startup in a “Shared Lab.” How unlikely was the transformation into something much bigger? Many startups fail during this early growth phase in today’s increasingly complex, globalized world—and no one is to blame for that.

We’ve always been very well supported—even through the straightforward, quick solutions provided by campus management.

Text and Photo: Christine Minkewitz / Campus Berlin-Buch GmbH

Dieses Interview erschien zuerst im Standortjournal buchinside 02/2026.

PARIS / BERLIN / FREIBURG — 23.6.2026

Deep-tech biotech innovator Alithea Bio has achieved a spectacular double victory at VivaTech 2026, Europe’s largest startup and tech event, taking home both the coveted “Tech for Change” Jury Prize and the Audience Favorite Award. Selected by an elite panel of global investors and corporate leaders—and backed by overwhelming public support—the awards recognize Alithea Bio’s pioneering work in eliminating toxicity risks at the preclinical stage to dramatically increase clinical trial success rates.

Historically, promising cancer therapies and vaccines fail during human trials due to unforeseen toxicities and adverse immune reactions that standard models miss. Alithea Bio’s proprietary platform, HLA-Compass AI, solves this multi-billion-dollar bottleneck during preclinical development by mapping complex Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) interactions. Unlike purely digital AI startups, Alithea Bio utilizes a unique hybrid model—combining its own active wet lab with an advanced computational engine to accurately predict and filter out toxicity risks long before an asset ever enters human clinical trials.

The company’s commercial traction matches its scientific breakthrough. Fully bootstrapped to date, Alithea Bio amassed 22 million proprietary datapoints and generated €1.6M in revenue in 2025 through active preclinical validation partnerships with global pharmaceutical leaders.

“Sweeping both the jury and audience awards at VivaTech is an incredible validation of our mission, our impact and our scalable commercial model. Too many life-saving therapies are derailed late in development because traditional preclinical models fail to predict human toxicity. HLA-Compass isn’t just about saving pharma companies millions in failed trials; it’s about ensuring that only the safest, most precise assets advance to human clinical trials. The crowd and the jury both sent a clear message: the industry is ready for this change,” says Fanny Giannou, CEO of Alithea Bio.

The double accolade comes at a pivotal moment of global scaling for Alithea Bio. The company is currently expanding its strategic partnerships with global pharmaceutical leaders and launching an institutional Seed funding round to transition its proven data-service capabilities into a highly scalable software platform while expanding its footprint into the US market.

For more information about Alithea Bio and the HLA-Compass platform, visit www.alithea-bio.com or contact news@alithea-bio.com.

About Alithea Bio

Alithea Bio is a Freiburg/Berlin-based biotechnology company dedicated to transforming the safety and predictability landscape of preclinical oncology and vaccine therapeutics. By utilizing advanced predictive modeling driven by a 22-million node wet-lab and AI hybrid data engine, Alithea Bio enables pharmaceutical developers to identify and mitigate toxicity risks at the preclinical stage, ensuring safer, more effective treatments successfully advance through clinical pipelines to reach patients worldwide.

Media Contact
Fanny Giannou
CEO, Alithea Bio
news@alithea-bio.com

Source: Press release from Alithea Bio

The Annual General Meeting of Eckert & Ziegler SE (ISIN DE0005659700) today approved the proposal of the Executive Board and Supervisory Board and resolved to pay a dividend of € 0.22 per share (previous year: € 0.17) for the 2025 fiscal year. As in previous years, the Annual General Meeting was held as an in-person event, right next to the Eckert & Ziegler SE headquarters in Berlin. In total, 55.37 % of the company’s share capital was represented. The Annual General Meeting endorsed the members of the Executive Board and the Supervisory Board of Eckert & Ziegler SE for the 2025 fiscal year and approved all items on the agenda by a large majority.

The detailed voting results of the Annual General Meeting and the CEO’s presentation are available on the Eckert & Ziegler SE website:
https://www.ezag.com/investors/annual-general-meeting/

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.
 

ERC Advanced Grants awarded to two Berlin researchers

Uwe Ohler and Gaetano Gargiulo have been awarded prestigious ERC Advanced Grants. With funding of €2.5 million each, they will spend the next five years investigating how protein synthesis is regulated and identifying vulnerabilities in pediatric brain tumors.

Two Max Delbrück Center scientists have secured prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grants, one of Europe’s highest honors for established researchers: Dr. Uwe Ohler, Group Leader of the Computational Regulatory Genomics lab, and Dr. Gaetano Gargiulo, Group Leader of the Molecular Oncology lab.

The ERC supports ambitious projects by outstanding researchers who have already achieved significant success in their fields. Recipients receive up to €2.5 million over five years to pursue promising research ideas. This year only 319 researchers were selected from 3,329 who applied from across Europe.

Designing RNA with precision

Ohler won funding for project TRANS-DECODE. With his team, he will investigate how cells regulate translation — the process by which cells use the messenger RNA transcripts of our genetic material — to produce proteins. ​“Many genetic diseases are not caused by changes in protein-coding genes but by errors in translation,” says Ohler. ​“We want to better understand this finely tuned process in which regulatory regions in messenger RNA play an important role, and develop molecular tools that allow us to intervene in a more targeted way.”

The Ohler lab will combine machine learning — a type of artificial intelligence (AI) — with advanced molecular biology techniques. These methods enable researchers to measure the activity of thousands of regulatory RNA segments simultaneously, modify them in very specific ways, and generate snapshots of all proteins produced in a cell. 

The team will use explainable AI (XAI) to find regulatory elements hidden within messenger RNA and to understand how manipulating them affects translation. ​“With XAI, we can ensure that the models’ predictions remain transparent and understandable to us,” explains Ohler. For their experiments, the researchers will use both human cells and zebrafish, which serve as a vertebrate model.

“With TRANS-DECODE, we not only want to unravel the molecular logic of translation step by step, we also want to identify new ways to correct defects in regulatory RNA segments that contribute to human disease,” says Ohler. ​“Our long-term goal is to rationally design RNA molecules for both therapeutic and synthetic biology applications, such as developing better vaccines.”

Avatars of brain tumors

Gargiulo will use his grant to create highly realistic models of pediatric brain tumors in a project called MOIRA. He and his team plan to replicate in detail the transformation of a healthy, maturing brain cell into a tumor cell within a brain organoid — a type of miniature organ. These tumor avatars will help his team better understand how these cancers develop and identify potential treatment strategies.

The grant marks Gargiulo’s fourth ERC award. He won a Starting Grant in 2016, which he used to begin creating models of brain tumors. This was followed by two Proof of Concept grants in 2022 and 2024 that helped his team further develop a new technology called synthetic genetic tracing. The method uses artificial DNA molecules, called reporter genes, to visualize specific cellular activities within tissues.

In MOIRA, these two fields of research are now being brought together: Gargiulo and his colleagues aim to develop reporter genes that turn on as soon as a cell activates a tumor-like program. ​“In human brain organoids, the reporter genes will help us determine which cells exhibit characteristics of brain tumors, which type of brain tumor they resemble, and when these changes occur,” explains Gargiulo. His team plans to purify the cells and use them to develop models that, step by step, increasingly resemble a real tumor. The project will combine synthetic biology with organoid research and AI-supported validation.

“With MOIRA, we want to reconstruct exactly how pediatric brain tumors arise,” says Gargiulo. ​“If we succeed in creating faithful tumor avatars, we can say that we have truly come much closer to understanding these diseases. In addition, our models will allow us to systematically search for tumor vulnerabilities — and thus identify potential targets for new drugs.”

Text: Anke Brodmerkel
 

Further information

Ohler Lab

Computational Regulatory Genomics 

Gargiulo Lab

Molecular Oncology 

Photo left side: Gaetano Gargiulo © David Ausserhofer, Max Delbrück Center

Photo right side: © Felix Petermann, Max Delbrück Center

Eckert & Ziegler SE (ISIN DE0005659700, TecDAX) today officially opened the new medical isotope production site of its joint venture Qi Kang Medical Technology (Changzhou) Co., Ltd. (QKM) in the Jintan district of Changzhou, China. With the opening, Eckert & Ziegler and its Chinese partner DongCheng Pharma (DC Pharma) take a decisive step toward local supply of medical isotopes for cancer diagnostics and therapy in the growing Chinese market. Production will start with Germanium-68 (Ge-68), the parent isotope used to produce Gallium-68 (Ga-68), a crucial isotope for diagnostic imaging.

Around 60 invited guests attended the opening ceremony, including representatives of both joint venture partners, as well as government officials. To support production, the company acquired and successfully installed a cyclotron in late 2025. The facility offers 9,500 m² of usable floor space, and production is scheduled to begin in early 2027. In a planned second phase, the site will also become the first in China dedicated to the commercial production of Actinium-225 (Ac-225), a key isotope for next-generation targeted cancer therapies.

"The opening of our site in Jintan is an important milestone for our growth strategy in China and for Eckert & Ziegler's position as a global supplier of vital radioisotopes," said Dr. Harald Hasselmann, CEO of Eckert & Ziegler SE. "Producing Ge-68 locally gives clinicians across China a reliable domestic supply of the parent isotope behind the Ga-68 generators that power modern PET diagnostics. This reflects the kind of integrated, end-to-end capability we have built over decades."

“For China, the Jintan site marks a turning point," said Zhigang Luo, Group CEO of DC Pharma. "With local production of Ge-68 and, in the next phase, Ac-225, we are bringing a steady supply of key medical isotopes to Chinese patients and strengthening the resilience of the entire nuclear medicine value chain. Together with Eckert & Ziegler, we are laying the foundation for a new generation of precision diagnostics and therapies in China."

Eckert & Ziegler reliably supplies Gallium-68, Lutetium-177, Yttrium-90, and Actinium-225 to leading pharmaceutical companies and research institutions worldwide. With expertise in radioisotope production as well as global logistics and CDMO services, the company is committed to continuously supporting the development and delivery of innovative radiopharmaceuticals.

About Qi Kang Medical Technology (Changzhou) Co., Ltd. (QKM)
Qi Kang Medical Technology (Changzhou) Co., Ltd. (QKM) is a 50:50 joint venture between Eckert & Ziegler SE and DongCheng Pharma headquartered in the Jintan district of Changzhou, China. QKM operates a state-of-the-art production site for cyclotron-based medical isotopes including Germanium-68 and is committed to establishing the first commercial Actinium-225 production in China. The venture is dedicated to supplying the Chinese radiopharmaceutical market with key radioisotopes for cancer diagnostics and therapy.

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 DongCheng Pharma
Yantai Dongcheng Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. (DC Pharma), founded in 1998 and headquartered in Yantai, China, is one of the country's leading pharmaceutical groups and a recognized leader in nuclear medicine in China. The group develops, manufactures and sells biochemical active pharmaceutical ingredients, finished dosage forms, nuclide drugs and health products for therapeutic areas including oncology, cardiovascular, urology and orthopedics, and exports its products to more than 40 countries. DC Pharma is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (002675.SZ).

Source: Pressemitteilung Eckert & Ziegler SE
Eckert & Ziegler and DC Pharma Open Commercial Medical Isotope Production Site in Jintan

This year, for the first time, a Deep Tech Award was presented in the Bio & Health Tech category. The winner is MyoPax, a spin-off of the Max Delbrück Center and Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin.

AI-powered fact-checking to combat disinformation, novel cell therapies for muscle tissue regeneration, sustainable 3D printing, and decentralized satellite communications: On the evening of Wednesday, May 20, 2026, the Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises presented the Deep Tech Award to five outstanding Berlin-based companies. For the eleventh consecutive year, the administration is thus recognizing technological, research-based innovations from Berlin that stand out for their practical application, societal relevance, and added value. The awards ceremony, attended by Senator for Economic Affairs Franziska Giffey and Permanent Secretary for Economic Affairs Michael Biel, took place for the first time as part of the Deep Tech Momentum conference at Wilhelm Studios in Berlin.

Franziska Giffey, Mayor and Senator for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises: “We want to make Berlin the number one hub for innovation in Europe. The companies honored today are turning cutting-edge technological research into practical applications and offering solutions to current challenges. In doing so, they impressively demonstrate the immense innovative potential that Berlin possesses. With the Deep Tech Award, we recognize the courage and excellence of our founders. Through our new partnership with the Deep Tech Momentum conference, we are also creating a platform that connects Berlin’s brightest minds even more closely with industry partners and international investors. In doing so, we are ensuring sustainable growth and technological sovereignty for Berlin as a hub.”

The Deep Tech Award offers a total prize pool of 50,000 euros and is presented in five categories: “Advanced Manufacturing,” “Bio- & Healthtech,” “Artificial Intelligence,” “Quantum Technologies, Photonics & Microelectronics,” and “Web3 & Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT).” From over 84 applications, expert juries selected five winning companies, each of which will receive prize money of 10,000 euros.
With the Deep Tech Award being integrated into Deep Tech Momentum for the first time, the prize is being positioned even more strongly on the international stage. The conference is considered one of Europe’s leading platforms for connecting deep-tech startups with companies and investors. The new partnership underscores the award’s mission to not only honor Berlin’s most innovative technology companies but also to connect them even more closely with the European innovation ecosystem. In this context, the special “Deep Tech Award for Breakthrough Momentum” was also presented for the first time this year. It is aimed at European startups curated by Deep Tech Momentum that combine excellent scientific innovation with exceptional scaling potential.

The winners of the 2026 Deep Tech Award at a glance:

Deep Tech Star in the “Advanced Manufacturing” category: Endless Industries GmbH
Endless Industries is revolutionizing the manufacturing of fiber-reinforced composites—materials in which carbon fibers are embedded in a binding resin—with a 3D printing solution. This makes it possible to replace complex and expensive manufacturing processes and reduce waste. Website:
www.endless.industries

Deep Tech Star in the “Bio- & Healthtech” category: MyoPax GmbH
MyoPax’s work focuses on innovative cell therapies and gene corrections for the regeneration of muscle tissue. In doing so, the company specifically targets severe muscle injuries and diseases, offering patients promising new treatment options. Website
: www.myopax.com

Deep Tech Star in the “Artificial Intelligence” category: Gretchen AI GmbH
Gretchen AI develops state-of-the-art AI to detect deepfakes and fake news and can reconstruct their dissemination history. This enables the Berlin-based company to help major media organizations conduct fact-checks up to six times faster while maintaining the same level of reliability—a crucial contribution to safeguarding the public information space.
Website: www.gretchen-ai.com

Deep Tech Star in the “Quantum Technologies, Photonics & Microelectronics” category: Xavveo GmbH
Xavveo develops photonic radar sensors that set new standards in fields such as navigation and measurement technology, for example in environmental sensing for automobiles. The technology enables unprecedented precision and has the potential to fundamentally replace existing sensor solutions across a wide range of industries.
Website: www.xavveo.com

Deep Tech Star in the “Web3 & Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT)” category: Decen Space UG
The startup Decen Space is developing a decentralized coordination network consisting of software and hardware components for the secure and efficient synchronization of data streams between satellites and ground stations. This solution enables higher data transfer rates at significantly lower costs and also allows satellite operators more contact time with their satellites. Website
: www.decenspace.com

Deep Tech Star of the Special Prize “Deep Tech Award for Breakthrough Momentum”: Six Robotics AS
Six Robotics AS is a Norwegian company specializing in the development of autonomy software for fleets of unmanned aerial vehicles. The software is based on innovative swarm intelligence algorithms and real-time mission control architectures that ensure a high degree of autonomy and efficiency for the aircraft. This enables the company’s drones to coordinate and execute missions as intelligent teams. As a result, the use of networked autonomous systems in modern defense operations is being advanced. Website: www.sixrobotics.com

For more information about Deep Tech Berlin and the Deep Tech Award, please visit: www.berlin.de/deeptech/

Source: Press release of the Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises

Eckert & Ziegler SE (ISIN DE0005659700) has won the “Best Managed Companies Award” for the third time in a row. With this honor, Deloitte Private, UBS, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and the Federation of German Industries (BDI) recognize excellently managed medium-sized companies.

“Good corporate leadership is of central importance, especially in economically challenging times. The Best Managed Companies Award is a well‑deserved recognition for companies that successfully combine responsibility, foresight, and sustainable action,” says Tobias Vogel, CEO of UBS Europe SE.

“This award is both recognition and motivation for us. It confirms that we are on the right path with a clear strategy in the growing nuclear medicine market—together with a fantastic team around the world,” added Dr Dirk W. Becker, a member of the Group Executive Committee of Eckert & Ziegler SE, who accepted the corporate trophy on behalf of the company at the awards ceremony in Frankfurt am Main.

The award is the result of a comprehensive, multi-stage application process in which companies are assessed for their excellence in the core areas of strategy, productivity and innovation, culture and commitment as well as finance and governance. A consistently high level of performance in all four categories is a prerequisite for selection. The final decision is made by an independent jury made up of renowned experts from business, science and the media.

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.
 

1st Quarter 2026:

• Sales of €72.9 million (previous year: €68.2 million)
• EBIT before special items of €16.0 million (previous year: €16.2 million)
• Net income of €10.4 Mio.  (previous year: €9.7 million)

 Forecast 2026:

• Sales of around €320 million (confirmed)
• EBIT before special items of around €80 million (confirmed) 
   

Eckert & Ziegler SE (ISIN DE0005659700, TecDAX) increased its sales in the first quarter of 2026 by 7% to €72.9 million compared with the same period last year. Due to a slightly weaker product mix in the Isotope Products segment during the first two months of the year, adjusted Group EBIT decreased by 2% to €16.0 million. Net income increased by 7% to €10.4 million, or €0.17 per share.

Sales in the Medical segment were significantly higher in the first three months of the year at €41.5 million compared to the previous year (€34.4 million). The pharmaceutical radioisotope business remains the most important revenue driver. In particular, the development of sales of generators and in the Contract Manufacturing & Development (CDMO) segment is worth noting.

The Isotope Products segment generated sales of €31.5 million, which was €2.3 million, or approximately 7%, lower than in the first three months of the previous year. A strong fourth quarter of 2025 was followed by a subdued start to the year, which regained significant momentum in March.

The forecast for fiscal year 2026, published on 26 March 2026, remains unchanged. The Executive Board continues to anticipate revenue of approximately €320 million and adjusted EBIT of approximately €80 million.

The complete quarterly report can be viewed here: https://www.ezag.com/Q12026en
 

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.

The Max Delbrück Center’s Career Day, held in cooperation with the operator of the Berlin-Buch Campus, offered young researchers insights into the working world of startups and biotech companies 

April 16 was a packed day for participants in the Max Delbrück Center’s Career Day, titled “Transition Possible – Explore Careers Beyond R&D.” Numerous doctoral students and postdocs gained insights into potential careers outside the academic world.

The event was opened by biologist Lars Dittrich, who works as a science editor at MaiThink X. In the morning, there were virtual presentations across the Helmholtz Association on career paths outside of research. The speakers presented concrete entry-level and development opportunities and shared their experiences of transitioning from science to other professional fields. 

In the afternoon, the Max Delbrück Center and Campus Berlin-Buch GmbH hosted an event at the BerlinBioCube startup center. Here, the Berlin BioScience Academy and the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Department of the Max Delbrück Center presented themselves. This was followed by lab tours at biotech companies and a workshop on the application process.

Pathways into the Biotech and Pharmaceutical Industries

How can you gain in-depth insights into the biotech and pharmaceutical industries without actually working in them? The Berlin BioScience Academy (BBA) offers exactly this opportunity. Its courses cover biotechnological and pharmacological processes, including Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Good Clinical Practice (GCP). “Anyone considering a move into the industry or wanting to take the leap into a startup will gain an overview of the entire drug development process—from concept to market—in a very short time at the Biotech & Pharma Summer School,” said Dr. Uwe Lohmeier, who heads the BBA. Through its “Talk im Cube” event series, the BBA regularly brings together science and industry, offering panel discussions on topics such as financing strategies, female founders, CROs, and IP strategies in biotechnology. Here, too, participants have an easy opportunity to engage with biotech companies.

At the Max Delbrück Center, the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Department serves as a springboard for careers in spin-offs. Dr. Nevine Shalaby highlighted funding opportunities for future “sciencepreneurs” to develop innovative diagnostic or therapeutic approaches for practical application. The Innovation Office provides support through programs such as BOOST and PreGoBio to validate ideas and their basic feasibility, helps secure funding, offers mentoring, establishes contacts with industry and investors, and proactively supports business development.

How do biotech companies operate? 

Over 50 biotech and medtech companies have set up their business in the BiotechPark Berlin-Buch, including numerous startups. Four of them opened their doors on Career Day to show participants how they work and what their mission is. T-knife, a spin-off of the Max Delbrück Center and Charité, introduced itself as a young biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation T-cell therapies to fight cancer. 
CheckImmune, a spin-off of Charité, provided information about its work as an accredited specialized laboratory that supports the clinical development of new therapeutics through immunological studies, among other activities. 
In the Biosynth laboratories, participants learned about the technologies used to develop and manufacture polymer-based excipients for drug delivery as well as bioconjugate drugs. Last but not least, the FyoniBio team presented its range of contract development and clinical laboratory services.

“There are surprisingly many different companies here,” said one participant, who could well imagine working at one of the biotech firms: “The labs in the BioCube are similar to those at research institutions, and the building feels very spacious, especially thanks to the large shared large common areas with a kitchen.” One of the participants noted with pleasant surprise how diverse the age range of employees in startups can be. Many found it fascinating to learn how the work culture in a startup functions and that the tasks there are different and more varied than in pure scientific research.

How successful is my application?

To wrap up the event, Career Day offered participants the chance to step into the shoes of a hiring manager during a group workshop. Anita Überheim, Head of Human Resources Europe at the global company Eckert & Ziegler SE, had the participants evaluate three anonymized CVs and cover letters and then explained which aspects matter in the selection process. She described how HR professionals proceed, how much time they have to review applications, which skills are important to mention, and what mistakes are common. Finally, the expert conducted a brief mock interview with one of the participants. During the joint evaluation with the audience, she explained how applicants should best communicate and respond. In addition to many helpful tips, a key insight for the young talents was this: It is not always necessary to meet 90 percent of the desired qualifications. What is far more important is that the person fits into the team and has the potential to continue developing.

The joint Career Day was very well received. “We are delighted to have had the opportunity to help organize this event. The Career Day offers concrete insights into the biotech industry and connects young talent with potential employers in the area, which is valuable for everyone involved,” says Dr. Ulrich Scheller, Managing Director of Campus Berlin-Buch GmbH.

A tiny antibody component could fundamentally transform the treatment of cystic fibrosis: For the first time, researchers have succeeded in developing a so-called nanobody that penetrates directly into human cells and can repair the chloride channel most commonly affected in cystic fibrosis. The innovative therapeutic approach was developed in collaboration between teams from the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin.The first authors of the study, which was recently published in the renowned journal Nature Chemical Biology, are Luise Franz (FMP) and Tihomir Rubil (Charité).

The clinical picture of cystic fibrosis—also known as CF—is caused by genetic defects in the so-called CFTR channel. This channel regulates water and salt transport in the lung mucosa and ensures the production of sufficiently fluid mucus. 

In about 90 percent of cystic fibrosis patients, a mutation known as F580del is present in the CFTR channel, meaning that a single amino acid is missing at position 508 in its protein chain. This change causes CFTR to fold incorrectly and be broken down prematurely inside the cell, rather than functioning as a channel in the cell membrane of the airways. As a result, patients have thick mucus in their lungs, and pathogens can no longer be effectively cleared. The consequence is chronic infection and inflammation of the airways, leading to a progressive loss of lung function—in the worst-case scenario, this necessitates a lung transplant.

Professor Dr. Marcus Mall, Director of the Department of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, Immunology and Critical Care Medicine at Charité, has, together with his team, made a significant contribution in recent years to noticeably improving the treatment of cystic fibrosis through therapy with three small-molecule drugs (CFTR modulators): With the help of the so-called triple therapy consisting of elexacaftor, tezacaftor, and ivacaftor (ETI), the function of the CFTR channel can be increased to about 50 percent of the normal level. However, chronic inflammation and infection of the lungs often persist, and there are also patients for whom this therapy is ineffective or whom cannot tolerate it.

An Antibody as a Repair Aid

There may be additional treatment options for this group in the future: The team led by chemist Professor Dr. Christian Hackenberger at the Leibniz-FMP has developed a new molecule in the lab that stabilizes the misfolded CFTR directly inside the cell. This is a nanobody—a tiny but stable antibody component that can bind precisely to defined surfaces of proteins. It is chemically modified with a “transport signal,” known as cell-penetrating peptides, which help it penetrate directly into the lung’s mucosal cells. There, the nanobody binds to the defective channel protein and helps it adopt the correct shape.

The researchers were able to demonstrate that the nanobody remained bound to the mutated CFTR channel in cells derived from cystic fibrosis patients for at least 24 hours. It did not damage the cells in the process. Functional studies also confirmed that the corrected channel once again transported chloride across the cell membrane.

Combination of triple therapy and nanobody

In combination with established ETI triple therapy, the nanobody demonstrates a pronounced synergistic effect in these cell cultures: While the ETI agents restored the function of the defective CFTR channel by about half on average, the channel activity could be increased to nearly 90 percent of normal levels through the additional administration of the nanobody.

The study thus demonstrates that exogenously administered cell-penetrating nanobodies can stabilize disease-relevant, misfolded proteins inside cells and restore their function. “In addition to the preclinical proof of concept for repairing the CFTR channel, this is the first example of a functional cell-permeable antibody: Until now, cell-permeable nanobodies have primarily been used to visualize intracellular target structures or for the targeted killing of cells,” says Prof. Dr. Christian Hackenberger.

“Since the nanobodies bind directly in the region of the F508del mutation, they enable even more targeted treatment of the maturation defect in CFTR channels,” says Prof. Dr. Marcus Mall. “This new mechanism of action allows CFTR function to be corrected significantly better in combination with existing CFTR modulators. Our results suggest that this new approach may even enable complete normalization of CFTR function. This would be another breakthrough for the treatment of cystic fibrosis.”

Thus, this work thus opens up new possibilities for further improving the treatment of cystic fibrosis—while also laying the groundwork for broader therapeutic applications.

Prospects beyond cystic fibrosis

However, key questions must still be resolved before the approach can be applied clinically to cystic fibrosis, such as developing a suitable formulation for inhalation and ensuring efficient penetration of the viscous CF mucus. Furthermore, it remains unclear how the nanobody acts within the body and how the immune system reacts to nanobody treatment. These challenges are currently being addressed within Collaborative Research Center 1449 “Dynamic Hydrogels at Biointerfaces,” within the framework of which the current results were also generated.

The approach of intracellular nanobody therapy could also be helpful beyond cystic fibrosis for other rare genetic diseases in which protein misfolding plays a role and for which there are currently few effective treatments.

About Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis is one of the most common fatal hereditary diseases worldwide. As many as 8,000 children, teens, and adults are living with the disease in Germany today. An imbalance in salt and water levels in the body causes people with cystic fibrosis to produce thick, sticky secretions that harm organs such as the lungs and pancreas. This leads to progressive loss of lung function and shortness of breath, which still significantly lowers life expectancy despite advances in treatment. Some 150 to 200 children are born with this rare disease in Germany each year. A test for cystic fibrosis is part of routine screening for newborns.

Publication: Franz, L., Rubil, T., Balázs, A., Overtus, M., Kemnitz-Hassanin, K., Govaerts, C., Mall, M. A., & Hackenberger, C. P. R.. A cell-permeable nanobody to restore F508del cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator activity. Nature Chemical Biology 2026. doi: 10.1038/s41589-026-02199-w

Source: Joint Press Release from the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
A fundamentally new therapeutic approach to cystic fibrosis: Nanobody repairs cellular defect

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG (Bankhaus Metzler) has started research coverage of Eckert & Ziegler SE (ISIN DE0005659700), a leading supplier of isotope-based components for nuclear medicine and measurement technology, with a buy recommendation and a price target of € 21.00. This corresponds to an upside potential of 40.8% compared to the Xetra closing price of € 14.92 on April 13, 2026.

Bankhaus Metzler thus highlights the strong market position of Eckert & Ziegler SE, which is benefiting from rising demand for diagnostic and therapeutic radioisotopes in nuclear medicine.

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.

Quelle: https://www.ezag.com

Helmholtz researchers have created the first detailed protein map of specific sensory neurons that trigger pain. Their study, published in ​“Nature Communications,” will help researchers better understand the molecular mechanisms of chronic inflammatory pain and identify new drug targets.

Joint press release by the Max Delbrück Center and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research

One in five people worldwide suffers from chronic inflammatory pain. Meanwhile, about two thirds of those affected find little relief from existing pain medications; new therapeutic approaches are urgently needed. ​“We first must understand precisely how sensory nerve cells trigger pain at the molecular level — in other words, which proteins are involved,” says Professor Gary Lewin, Group Leader of the Molecular Physiology of Somatosensory Perception lab at the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin.

To unravel these molecular processes, Lewin – who has been studying pain for four decades and recently discovered a previously unknown ion channel involved in pain perception – is working closely with systems biologist Dr. Fabian Coscia, Group Leader of the Spatial Proteomics lab at the same center. Coscia co-developed a method called Deep Visual Proteomics that makes it possible to determine the proteome — the complete set of proteins — of specific cells and to create maps detailing the spatial locations of individual proteins.

The researchers combined this technology with electrophysiological methods from Lewin’s group. This enabled them to first identify specific subtypes of pain neurons based on their function and then analyze their protein profiles. The result is a high-resolution molecular map of these nerve cells, which has been published in ​“Nature Communications.” The team also demonstrated how the technology can identify potential new drugs targets to treat chronic pain. 

Dr. Sampurna Chakrabarti is the study’s first author and a former postdoctoral researcher in the Lewin lab who now heads the Pathways in Infection and Nociception group at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig. Nociception refers to how our nerves respond to stimuli that trigger pain. Nerves in skin and other peripheral tissues – such as muscles and joints – that detect damaging stimuli are called nociceptors; they relay signals to the brain to initiate pain. 

Undiscovered signaling pathways

All nociceptors are not alike. ​“Until now, only the transcriptome – that is, the RNA level information of the different subsets of nociceptors – was known,” says Chakrabarti. ​“However, the actual functional components of all cells are the proteins formed from these transcripts – and we have now examined them in greater detail for the first time in two subtypes of nociceptors.” Using an electrophysiological method known as the patch-clamp technique, the team first identified and characterized two nociceptor subtypes – peptidergic and non-peptidergic – in the spinal ganglia of mice. Each of these subtypes respond differently to similar stimuli and may initiate pain of different quality and duration.

The researchers used around 50 neurons of each subtype to generate a specific protein map for each of the two cell types. Deep Visual Proteomics combines mass spectrometry with microscopy, artificial intelligence and robotics. Coscia and his team have so far mainly used this methodology for proteome analyses of cancer cells. ​“We have now shown for the first time that it can also be applied to nerve cells,” he says.

The team measured more than 6,000 proteins in these 50 neurons. A comparison with existing RNA data revealed that the transcriptome and proteome of the cells differ significantly in some cases – an indication that key functional processes only become visible at the protein level. ​“We provide a unique molecular map of pain-initiating neurons,” says Coscia. ​“It enables the identification of signaling pathways in these cells that have so far remained hidden.”

In an additional step, Chakrabarti and her colleagues wanted to understand which proteins sensitize nerve cells, contributing to chronic pain. They isolated both types of nociceptors from mouse dorsal root ganglia and exposed them to a molecule called Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), which is known to trigger chronic pain both animals and humans, such as in arthritis. Using Deep Visual Proteomics, the researchers were able to precisely identify the proteins produced after the cells were exposed to NGF. 

Reduced sensitivity to pain signals

Lewin and his team had already discovered that NGF plays an important role in chronic inflammatory pain more than 30 years ago. ​“In dogs and cats, pain can now be alleviated very effectively using antibodies that inhibit NGF,” says Lewin. ​“In humans, rare side effects have unfortunately prevented their use,” he adds. ​“But now we may have found an alternative approach: targeting a downstream protein responsible for NGF’s sensitizing effect.”

“We identified several proteins that were present in higher levels in a subset of nociceptors following treatment with NGF. The higher levels of these proteins could be linked to long term pain associated with inflammation,” says Chakrabarti. One of the proteins, an enzyme called B3GNT2, stood out in particular. ​“When we knocked out the corresponding gene in the cells, the inflammation-induced hyperactivity of nociceptors was reduced. Fewer cells responded to mechanical stimulus,” she says. In other words, the neurons had become less sensitive and would elicit much less pain. 

In the future, the researchers plan to validate their findings in mice and humans. ​“More than 90 percent of all approved drugs now target proteins,” says Coscia. ​“This highlights how important it is to develop a better understanding of these molecules in order to identify new targets for more effective pain therapies and treatments for other neurological diseases.”

Text: Anke Brodmerkel

Further information

Lewin Lab

Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation 

Coscia Lab

Spatial Proteomics 

• Chakrabarti lab
• Profile of Gary Lewin
• Profile of Fabian Coscia
• Creating protein maps of tumors
• Understanding the roots of chronic pain

Literature

Sampurna Chakrabarti, Anuar Makhmut, Atena Mohammadi et al. (2026): ​“Deep visual proteomics uncovers nociceptor diversity and pain targets.” Nature Communications, DOI:10.1038/s41467-026 – 71418‑8

Eckert & Ziegler BEBIG GmbH, subsidiary of Eckert & Ziegler SE with focus on brachytherapy solutions for the treatment of eye tumors and prostate cancer, obtained the MDR certificate for its Ruthenium-106 (Ru-106) Eye Applicators from competent authorities. Eckert & Ziegler is the only global provider of these eye applicators. Therefore, this important milestone is a critical safeguard against treatment shortages.

The Medical Device Regulation (MDR) is a European Union directive (EU 2017/745) with the aim of improving the quality of medical devices and increasing patient safety. Obtaining this certification guarantees the long-term availability of Ru-106 Eye Applicators within the EU. These medical devices have been manufactured and internationally marketed by Eckert & Ziegler for more than 30 years. They are actively used in almost 50 countries and contribute several million euros in annual sales to the Eckert & Ziegler Group's earnings.

During an ophthalmic brachytherapy procedure, a small radioactive plaque containing Ru-106 is used to treat uveal melanoma in adults or retinoblastoma in children. The plaque is sutured to the wall of the eye, adjacent to the tumor, and left in place for several days until the required dose of radiation has been delivered. As an alternative to the removal of the affected eye, this treatment offers a chance for patients to conserve vision and quality of life.

"The dedication of our team to achieve MDR certification for a niche product like the Ru-106 Eye Applicators demonstrates our commitment to ensure the long-term availability of this vital form of therapy to treatment centers and patients," explained Katrin Antonenko, Managing Director of Eckert & Ziegler BEBIG GmbH. “The milestone furthermore marks the durable legacy of a product that started to pave the way for the sustainable and successful growth of the Eckert & Ziegler Group more than three decades ago. The experience gained during the successful approval process is expected to expedite additional projects.”

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.
 

Source: Press Release Eckert & Ziegler
Eckert & Ziegler Secures Patient Access to Critical Eye Cancer Treatment with MDR Certification for Ru-106 Eye Applicators

U.S. biopharmaceutical company Gilead has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Tubulis GmbH. Tubulis was spun off in 2019 from the Leibniz Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) and LMU Munich and develops next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) designed to deliver various active ingredients more selectively to tumors and maximize patient benefit. The transaction expands Gilead’s oncology pipeline with several innovative programs and platform technologies, some of which originated from academic research at the Leibniz Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) in Berlin.

The acquisition includes Tubulis’ lead product, TUB-040, a NaPi2b-targeted topoisomerase I inhibitor ADC currently in Phase 1b/2 clinical development for the treatment of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Gilead will also acquire TUB-030, a 5T4-targeted ADC with promising early clinical data across various solid tumor types as well as Tubulis’ next-generation ADC platform and a promising early pipeline.

Dr. Dominik Schumacher, CEO and co-founder of Tubulis, also emphasizes the importance of combining scientific excellence with industrial development strength: „From the outset, we believed our conjugation technology platforms could have broad impact across the ADC field and the initial data from TUB-040 have reinforced that conviction,” said Dr. Dominik Schumacher, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Tubulis. „Joining Gilead allows us to build on this foundation within an organization that brings deep scientific expertise, global development capabilities, and the scale needed to translate innovation into medicines for patients worldwide. Through our existing collaboration, Gilead has already seen the potential of our technologies and together, we are well positioned to accelerate the development of our ADC pipeline. I’m deeply grateful to the Tubulis team, our Board of Directors, investors, and partners for their commitment and helping make this milestone possible.”

P5 Conjugation Technology from FMP

A key role in Tubulis’ product development is played by the innovative P5 conjugation technology, a linker chemistry that enables the precise coupling of antibodies with highly potent active ingredients. It was developed through basic research by Prof. Dr. Christian Hackenberger, one of Tubulis’ co-founders, and his team at the Leibniz Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP). Tubulis has further developed P5 technology for clinical research and application in collaboration with the research group led by Prof. Dr. Heinrich Leonhardt (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich), a co-founder of Tubulis. “This successful technological development demonstrates the potential of interdisciplinary collaboration across departmental and institutional boundaries”, says Prof. Dr. Heinrich Leonhardt. This technology forms a central platform for stable and controlled drug delivery in the company’s ADC programs. „This acquisition not only underscores the success of our conjugation technology and the performance of the Tubulis team in improving cancer therapy with new ADCs. It also demonstrates the importance and impact of basic research at universities and research institutes for translational innovation", says Prof. Dr. Christian Hackenberger. 

Upon completion of the transaction, Tubulis will operate as an independent ADC research organization within Gilead, with the Munich site serving as a hub for ADC innovations. The company will build on existing integrated capabilities in research, production, and clinical development to advance next-generation ADCs.

Gilead will acquire all of the outstanding equity of Tubulis for 3.15 billion US Dollars in upfront cash consideration on a cash-free, debt-free basis, plus up to 1.85 billion US Dollars in contingent milestone payments. The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026. Closing of the transaction is subject to expiration or termination of certain regulatory filings and other customary closing conditions.

About Tubulis

Tubulis develops tailored antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) with improved biophysical properties. In preclinical models, the ADCs have already demonstrated targeted and sustained accumulation in the tumor as well as long-lasting anti-tumor effects. The two most advanced programs in the growing pipeline are TUB-040 (targeting NaPi2b) and TUB-030 (targeting 5T4). Both programs are currently being investigated in clinical trials for cancers with high unmet medical needs. For more information, visit: www.tubulis.com

Source: Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie
Gilead acquires FMP and LMU Spin-off Tubulis and expands Oncology Pipeline with next-generation ADC

The Medicinal Chemistry Division of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh) and the Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry Division of the Deutsche Pharmazeutische Gesellschaft (DPhG) have awarded the Friedrich Stolz Award 2026 to the team from Tubulis, a spin-off of the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie and LMU Munich. Honored are Prof. Dr. Christian Hackenberger from the Leibniz-FMP as co-founder and advisor and Dr. Jonas Helma-Smets, co-founder and CSO, Dr. Marc-André Kasper, VP Chemistry and Early Discovery and Dr. Annette Vogl, VP Biology and Translational Research, from Tubulis.

The Friedrich Stolz Award recognizes exceptional dedication, scientific discoveries, or innovative technologies with proven relevance that contribute to substantial therapeutic innovation or sustainable development and go beyond early research stages.

The Tubulis team was awarded for their P5 ethynylphosphonamidate conjugation chemistry, enabling a novel type of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).The conjugation chemistry, also termed P5-labeling, was developed at FMP in the research unit of Christian Hackenberger. This new ADC class is characterized by exceptional plasma stability, favorable pharmacokinetic properties, and pronounced anti-tumor efficacy. Building on this, NaPi2b-targeting exatecan ADCs with particularly stable linkers, reduced off-target toxicity, and optimized molecular architecture were generated. The culmination of this work is the development candidate TUB-040, which in a clinical Phase 1 study in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer demonstrates promising tumor remissions, a wide therapeutic window, and good tolerability. This work shows how innovative chemistry can be directly translated into novel, potentially more effective treatment options for hard-to-treat cancers.

The prize is awarded in memory of industrial pharmacist and drug researcher Friedrich Stolz, whose visionary innovative power serves as a model for application-oriented, therapeutically relevant research.

Photo: Awarded the Friedrich Stolz Prize: Prof. Dr. Stefan Laufer (GDCh), Prof. Dr. Christian Hackenberger, Dr. Annette Vogl, Dr. Jonas Helma-Smets and Dr. Franz von Nussbaum (from left to right). © GDCh

Source: FMP
Friedrich Stolz Award for the Tubulis Team

Eckert & Ziegler SE (ISIN DE0005659700, TecDAX) set a new record in fiscal year 2025 with sales of €312.0 million. Compared to the previous year, sales rose by approximately €16 million (+5%). EBIT before special items from continuing operations (adjusted EBIT) increased by just under €12 million year-over-year to €77.7 million (+18%). Net income rose by approximately €15 million (+46%) to €48.8 million; this corresponds to earnings per share of €0.78 (previous year: €0.53, adjusted for stock split).

In the Medical segment, sales increased by €22.6 million, or 15%, to €171.3 million. The business with pharmaceutical radioisotopes remains the most important source of revenue.

The Isotope Products segment generated sales of €150.1 million, a decrease of €7.9 million (-5%) compared with the previous year. This was mainly due to a temporary shift toward lower-margin products compared with the same period last year. In addition, the cyberattack in 2025 led to project-related delays.

For the 2026 fiscal year, the Executive Board expects an adjusted EBIT of approximately €80 million. The corresponding sales forecast amounts to approximately €320 million. This forecast is based on a weighted average exchange rate of $1.20 per euro. Adjusted for currency effects and the licensing business, this corresponds to a growth of 9% in sales and 21% in earnings (adjusted EBIT).

The Executive Board and Supervisory Board will propose to the Annual General Meeting a dividend of €0.22 (previous year: €0.17, adjusted for stock split) per share entitled to dividends.

The 2025 financial statements can be found here: https://www.ezag.com/fy2025en/

Overview

FY 2025:

• Sales: €312.0 million (previous year: €295.8 million)
• adjusted EBIT: €77.7 million (previous year: €65.9 million)
• Net income: €48.8 million (previous year: €33.3 million)

Forecast 2026:

• Sales of approx. €320 million
• adjusted EBIT of approx. €80 million

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.

 

At the Einstein Center for Early Disease Interception, researchers from twelve Berlin institutions will be pooling their expertise to explore new approaches to prevention, long before symptoms appear, and bring them quickly into practice. The center opens today with a ceremony

Joint press release by the Max Delbrück Center, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité, and Technische Universität Berlin

Serious diseases often develop unnoticed over many years. By the time symptoms appear, organ damage is often too extensive to be reversed completely. In many cases, there are no effective treatments to stop diseases from progressing.

Researchers from twelve leading Berlin institutions are heading the charge to change the way we think about prevention. Using the latest technologies – including advances made by researchers from Berlin – they aim to unravel what happens inside cells at the very earliest stages of disease. Such knowledge will enable them to develop early interventions, when only individual cells are affected and diseases are still controllable.

The Einstein Center for Early Disease Interception (EC-EDI) is bringing together the necessary expertise to study such early disease mechanisms. The center is being officially inaugurated today at the Max Delbrück Center’s Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology in Mitte after a two-year preparatory phase. Invited guests include politicians, scientists and the public. The Einstein Foundation Berlin is funding the center with €6 million and is supporting the recruitment of young international talent with additional funds from the state of Berlin. 

A dynamic network for key technologies

Over the next six years, researchers will further develop, integrate, and apply key technologies to the effort. These include single-cell multiomic and spatial biology technologies, patient-specific organoids, 3D bioprinting, and AI-based modeling of mechanisms and disease trajectories. A platform for cross-institutional collaboration will also be established to help translate research findings into clinical practice more quickly in partnership with industry and investors – while generating societal and economic value for the state of Berlin. Initial focus areas include respiratory and neurological diseases, such as inflammatory lung diseases, tuberculosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.

Participants in EC-EDI include Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité, the Max Delbrück Center, Technische Universität Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and additional non-university institutions such as the Museum für Naturkunde and several Max Planck Institutes.

Statements from Einstein Center spokespersons

Professor Nikolaus Rajewsky (Head Spokesperson; Director of the Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology at the Max Delbrück Center and Professor at Charité):

“We are advancing molecular prevention and intervention – and aim to bring our research to patients as quickly as possible. Major breakthroughs do not arise solely in the clinic, in labs, or on a computer. The Einstein Center creates a shared, open platform with clear rules and short pathways. Clinicians, basic researchers, and data scientists will collaborate across institutions, as well as with companies and investors. This will enable us to work faster and will hopefully help further establish Berlin as a leading international hub in this field.”

Professor Leif Erik Sander (Project Head; Director of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Critical Care Medicine at Charité and Research Group Leader at BIH):

“Conventional methods often fail to detect the early signs of emerging diseases. Moreover, we don’t always understand what is actually going wrong at the molecular level or how we could intervene to stop these diseases. This is where early disease interception comes in: Using high-resolution technologies, we aim to understand what sets things on the wrong track and create opportunities to correct that course very early on. The train, so to speak, needs to be put back on the track to health. We want to use our findings to develop innovative solutions, such as new diagnostic tests and medications. This is how research leads to medical progress and value creation – and that strengthens Berlin as a hub for innovation and business.” 

Dr. Janine Altmüller (Head of the Core Unit Genomics at the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité, BIH):

“New methods are key to the Einstein Center’s vision: Never before has it been possible to examine characteristic features such as nucleic acids or proteins of individual cells in their natural tissue context with such precision and high resolution. Even the smallest changes that mark the onset of a disease can now be digitalized and, with the help of AI for example, better deciphered and understood. This knowledge is crucial for developing targeted interventions. At the Einstein Center, experts from various disciplines will be working together toward this goal, thereby accelerating the translation of scientific findings into clinical applications.”

Professor Jens Kurreck (Executive Director of the Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin):

“The Einstein Center for Early Disease Interception provides a unique platform for close collaboration among leading Berlin-based research institutions and enables a better understanding of the early mechanisms of disease development using various human models. It is particularly important to offer young scientists access to state-of-the-art technologies within this consortium and to create optimal conditions for them to build their scientific careers.”

Further information

• Interview with Nikolaus Rajewsky and Leif Erik Sander
• Program of the ceremonial opening on March 23, 2026
• Einstein Foundation press release about funding for the new center
• Short description of the Einstein Center for Early Disease Interception