A research team from Tel Aviv University and the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (IPF), led by Ayala Lampel and Carsten Werner, has developed a peptide-glycosaminoglycan hydrogel system that creates a programmable niche for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). The system mimics key biochemical and mechanical cues of the bone marrow microenvironment, enabling researchers to investigate how these signals influence stem cell behavior. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

In a study recently published in Nature Communications, researchers from Berlin, Potsdam, and Jena present a new method for analyzing the epigenome. The machine-learning method identifies differentially methylated DNA regions without sample labels – a prerequisite for many existing algorithms. This makes it possible to identify previously hidden biological patterns as well as new subgroups of cells or diseases. Analyses of blood cells, pancreatic cancer, and brain tumors confirms known biological relationships and reveals new regulatory processes. The metilene3 method opens up new possibilities for better understanding disease mechanisms and identifying potential biomarkers. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

Tuebingen, August 14, 2026. The foundation DKMS Stiftung Leben Spenden has opened the new application round for the DKMS John Hansen Research Grant. Up to four outstanding projects by early-career researchers worldwide will be funded, with each receiving up to €240,000 over a three-year period. The focus is on research projects related to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and cell therapy for hematological diseases. Applications for the DKMS John Hansen Research Grant 2027 can be submitted through November 16, 2026. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

A research team from Experimental Biomedicine I at Würzburg University Hospital (UKW) presents a novel approach to prevent arterial thrombosis and inflammatory tissue damage, so-called thrombo-inflammatory diseases, without increasing the risk of bleeding in the renowned journal “Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy”. Instead of blocking the platelet receptor glycoprotein VI (GPVI), the researchers partially downregulated it. A targeted reduction in receptor density on the surface of platelets could weaken pathological signals that lead to blood clot formation while largely preserving normal blood clotting. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

Macrophages formed in the bone marrow can only assume the function of embryonal phagocytes, or “scavenger cells,” to a certain degree according to a study by the University of Bonn and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity at the University of Melbourne. The researchers have demonstrated that malaria infection causes permanent damage to resident CD163 macrophages in the spleen, which are responsible for cleaning the blood, recycling iron and communicating with other cells involved in the body’s immune response. Their findings could harbor potential not only for more effective malaria vaccines but also for developing drugs and treatments…

With the aid of physical forces – in this case, sound – it is possible to actively steer the formation of engineered tissue. For example, sound waves can be used to create functional vascular networks with blood vessel-like structures in vitro. Scientists at the Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University have demonstrated this through their methodology for acoustic manipulation. The team headed by Junior Professor Dr Daniela Duarte Campos also defines quality requirements for generating complex multi-cell-type vascularized 3D tissue that is, for example, relevant for biomedical studies. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

In the event of a severe heart attack, immature immune cells are released into the bloodstream from the bone marrow. A research team led by the University of Münster has demonstrated that the maturity level of neutrophils can be used to determine the short-term risk of death, and this can be assessed through a simple blood test. These findings have been published in the journal Nature Cardiovascular Research. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

Why is it rare for dangerous blood clots to form in our blood? What happens if this safety mechanism fails? An international team of researchers involving the University of Greifswald has taken a major step towards finding the answer to this central medical question. The results were published recently in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

Muhammad A Shah, Emily L Denton, Cheryl H Arrowsmith, Mathieu Lupien and Matthieu Schapira Abstract Background The notion that epigenetic mechanisms may be central to cancer initiation and progression is supported by recent next-generation sequencing efforts revealing that genes involved in chromatin-mediated signaling are recurrently mutated in cancer patients. Results Here, we analyze mutational and transcriptional profiles from TCGA and the ICGC across a collection 441 chromatin factors and histones. Chromatin factors essential for rapid replication are frequently overexpressed, and those that maintain genome stability frequently mutated. We identify novel mutation hotspots such as K36M in histone H3.1, and uncover…

Susanne Rittinghausen, Anja Hackbarth, Otto Creutzenberg, Heinrich Ernst, Uwe Heinrich, Albrecht Leonhardt and Dirk Schaudien Abstract Background Biological effects of tailor-made multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) without functionalization were investigated in vivo in a two-year carcinogenicity study. In the past, intraperitoneal carcinogenicity studies in rats using biopersistent granular dusts had always been negative, whereas a number of such studies with different asbestos fibers had shown tumor induction. The aim of this study was to identify possible carcinogenic effects of MWCNTs. We compared induced tumors with asbestos-induced mesotheliomas and evaluated their relevance for humans by immunohistochemical methods. Methods A total of 500…