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

Plants do not wait hours to respond to intense sunlight—they react within minutes. Researchers at Bielefeld University and the Australian National University have discovered a new signaling pathway that enables plants to directly adjust their protein production before genes in the cell nucleus change their activity. The findings open new perspectives for climate-resilient crops. Key facts at a glance: Under high light, plants specifically regulate their protein production within ten minutes. Short sequence elements in the messenger RNA act as molecular switches. The mechanism could help make crops more resilient to climate stress. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

Inside the cell nucleus, genes must be turned on and off with precision to regulate biological processes. The first models of gene regulation were developed in the 1960s, yet modern science continues to uncover new layers of control. A new study involving researchers from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), the Institut Pasteur, and Princeton University, published in PNAS, now suggests that genes obey an optimal switching principle—random at any given moment, yet precise on average. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

DZNE researchers have uncovered a mechanism that determines why a neuron usually forms a single, long extension called “axon” – a phenomenon that is fundamental to how our brain functions. Contrary to the common view that external cues drive axon formation, the team of scientists comes to the conclusion that its growth originates primarily inside the cell. Their work, based on cell cultures and published in the journal “Nature” with collaborators from other institutions in Germany, Austria, and Japan, reveals how a neuron’s structure is remodeled to generate the axon. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

TiHo researchers induce cell death in 3D mini-tumors and discover that forcing cancer cells to die can also alert the immune system and enhance anti-tumor attack. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

Wie Pflanzen die winzigen Öffnungen, die auf ihren Blättern für Gasaustausch und Wasserregulation zuständig sind, entwickeln und damit ihren Wasserhaushalt steuern, hat ein Team der Ruhr-Universität unter Leitung von Prof. Dr. Christopher Grefen herausgefunden. Das Team identifizierte die beiden Lipid-modifizierenden Enzyme GELP80 und GELP100 als entscheidende Faktoren für die Ausbildung funktionsfähiger Spaltöffnungen (Stomata). Die Ergebnisse wurden in der Fachzeitschrift The Plant Cell am 26. Mai 2026 veröffentlicht. Sie liefern neue Einblicke in die Mechanik der Pflanzenentwicklung und könnten langfristig dazu beitragen, Nutzpflanzen widerstandsfähiger gegen Trockenheit zu machen. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

A research team from the University of Cologne has identified a new approach for treating particularly aggressive pancreatic cancer. It makes use of a genetic mutation that allows the immune system to attack the cancer cells again / publication in ‘Nature Communications’ Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

Anti-T-lymphocyte globulin (ATLG) for the prevention of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) reduces complications and infection-related mortality compared to post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from unrelated donors [1]. Although PTCy was associated with fewer cases of acute (Grade II–IV) and chronic GvHD, this did not result in a survival benefit for patients with blood cancer [1]. These initial results from the GRAPPA study were presented by DKMS as a late-breaking abstract at the European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress in Stockholm. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

Our parents’ genes, even the ones we didn’t inherit, leave a measurable lasting imprint on our lives. An international team led by researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health developed a new approach to analyze genetic data from tens of thousands of families. The study, published this Tuesday in Cell Genomics, found that for height, body weight, and school test performance, the environment shaped by our parents’ genes can be nearly as important as the genes we actually inherited from them. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

Die Gene unserer Eltern – auch jene, die wir nicht geerbt haben – hinterlassen einen messbaren, dauerhaften Abdruck in unserem Leben. Ein internationales Team unter der Leitung von Forschenden des Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) und des norwegischen Folkehelseinstituttet (Volksgesundheitsinstitut, FHI) hat einen neuen Ansatz entwickelt, um genetische Daten von Zehntausenden Familien zu analysieren. Die Studie, die diesen Dienstag in Cell Genomics veröffentlicht wurde, zeigt: Bei Körpergröße, Körpergewicht und schulischer Leistung kann das von den elterlichen Genen geprägte Umfeld nahezu genauso wichtig sein wie die Gene, die wir tatsächlich von ihnen geerbt haben. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

Die chemische Verbindung Methyleugenol kommt natürlicherweise in Gewürzpflanzen wie Basilikum vor und wird über die Nahrung in den menschlichen Körper aufgenommen. In der Leber kann der Stoff durch Enzyme aktiviert werden und Erbgutschäden verursachen. Ein Forschungsteam der Rheinland-Pfälzischen Technischen Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU) um den Toxikologen Jörg Fahrer hat nun entscheidende Mechanismen aufgeklärt, mit denen Zellen solche Schäden erkennen und reparieren. Die Ergebnisse wurden in der renommierten Fachzeitschrift Cell Death & Disease veröffentlicht. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

The chemical compound methyleugenol naturally occurs in culinary herbs such as basil and is ingested by humans through food. In the liver, the substance can be activated by enzymes and cause genetic damage. A research team at the RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau, led by toxicologist Jörg Fahrer, has now elucidated key mechanisms by which cells recognize and repair such damage. The results were published in the renowned scientific journal Cell Death & Disease. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

The loss of an enzyme can reprogram cellular metabolism in a way that protects cells from a specific form of cell death. Paradoxically, the presumed blockade of this enzyme has the opposite effect, as demonstrated by a study from the University of Würzburg. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft Hier jetzt das aktuell Außergewöhnliche auswählen …

Living systems such as cells rely on membrane pores and channels to transport molecules, exchange signals, and organize biochemical reactions. These functions emerge from dynamic interactions between molecular components. Researchers at the University of Stuttgart have used DNA nanotechnology to develop a synthetic membrane architecture that mimics such interactions. The new platform enables coordinated molecular transport and programmable biochemical reactions inside an artificial compartment. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft Hier jetzt das aktuell Außergewöhnliche auswählen …

Scientists at the Institute of Anatomy at Leipzig University, working together with international research institutions, have identified a previously unknown group of immune cells in the brain tissue of people with Alzheimer’s disease. This discovery was made possible by a newly developed microscopy technique that has, for the first time, been specifically optimised for the human brain. The findings have been published in the prestigious journal Nature Neuroscience. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft Hier jetzt das aktuell Außergewöhnliche auswählen …

Whether it’s new treatment options for cancer, rare diseases, or age-related conditions—leading researchers and experts from clinical practice and industry are gathering in Frankfurt am Main to share their knowledge on modern gene and cell therapies. JOINT PRESS RELEASE by the Berlin Institute of Health in der Charité (BIH) and ForTra gGmbH für Forschungstransfer der Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (ForTra) Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft Hier jetzt das aktuell Außergewöhnliche auswählen …

Every human cell is surrounded by a sugar coating known as the glycocalyx. It not only interacts with its environment but also reveals a great deal about cells’ internal states. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL) have mapped sugar structures on cell surfaces using high-resolution microscopy. In initial studies, they were able to correlate the spatial arrangement of the sugar structures with specific physiological cell states. The results, recently published in Nature Nanotechnology, could pave the way for new diagnostic approaches, such as tumor detection. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft Hier jetzt das aktuell Außergewöhnliche…

In a condition known as “IgLON5 encephalitis”, the immune system mistakenly attacks cells in the brain. This leads to brain inflammation and neuronal damage, which can manifest as sleep disturbances, cognitive impairment, and movement disorders. Researchers at DZNE and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin have now identified fundamental mechanisms underlying this rare but severe neurodegenerative disease. Their findings, based on applying antibodies from affected individuals in neuronal cell cultures and mice, have been published in the journal “Science Advances”. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft Hier jetzt das aktuell Außergewöhnliche auswählen …

• Multi-day gene activity profiles from the same cells • Long-term analysis of cell communication in mixed cultures • Potential applications in organoids and tumor microenvironments Until now, studying the genetic processes in cells required destroying them – making it impossible to observe these processes over extended periods of time. A team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Helmholtz Munich has developed a new method to repeatedly obtain up-to-date genetic information from living cells. In the future, this will enable better monitoring of stem cells for therapies or the effects of drugs within cells. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft…

Pflanzen sind ständig Stress ausgesetzt – durch Krankheitserreger, Hitze oder andere Umweltfaktoren. Dabei können Proteine beschädigt werden, und die Zellfunktion gerät aus dem Gleichgewicht. Forschende der Ruhr-Universität Bochum um Prof. Dr. Suayb Üstün haben entdeckt, wie Pflanzenzellen auf diesen sogenannten Proteinstress reagieren und ihre inneren Prozesse gezielt anpassen. Sie zeigen, dass Zellen unter Stress dem Abbau beschädigter Proteine den Vorzug vor der Energiegewinnung durch Photosynthese geben. Die Erkenntnis dieser Zusammenhänge könnte helfen, Pflanzen robuster zu machen. Die Studie ist in der Zeitschrift Molecular Cell vom 30. April 2026 veröffentlicht. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft Hier jetzt das aktuell Außergewöhnliche auswählen …

Stem-cell memory T (TSCM) cells are able to self-renew, persist long term, and mount potent anti-tumor responses. These properties make them attractive for next-generation CAR T-cell therapies. However, their clinical potential has not previously been demonstrated in humans. A team of researchers co-led by Professor Luca Gattinoni from the Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy (LIT) and Dr. James Kochenderfer from the National Cancer Institute has published a new study in Cell reporting, for the first time, that CAR T cells designed to acquire a TSCM phenotype demonstrate a favorable safety profile and can induce complete remissions at remarkably low doses without…

T-Stammgedächtniszellen (TSCM) erneuern sich selbst, überleben langfristig und können starke Anti-Tumor-Reaktionen erzeugen. Deshalb sind sie vielversprechende Kandidaten für CAR T Zelltherapien der nächsten Generation. Bisher fehlte der Nachweis für die Wirksamkeit beim Menschen. Ein Team unter Leitung von Prof. Luca Gattinoni vom Leibniz-Institut für Immuntherapie (LIT) und Dr. James Kochenderfer vom National Cancer Institute berichtet in der Fachzeitschrift Cell, dass CAR T Zellen mit TSCM Phänotyp in einer frühen klinischen Studie sicher und verträglich waren. Zudem bewirkten sie in niedrigen Dosen komplette Tumorrückbildungen – und das ohne eine chemotherapeutische Vorbehandlung. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft Hier jetzt das aktuell Außergewöhnliche auswählen…

Researchers have discovered that a key protein, cFLIP, is essential for regulating programmed cell death in lymphoma cells. This discovery provides insights into the mechanisms of this cancer’s cell death evasion and could open up new therapeutic routes for patients who do not respond to therapies / publication in “Blood” Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft Hier jetzt das aktuell Außergewöhnliche auswählen …

Biology: Breakthrough publication in Nucleic Acids Research Just like in a huge factory, components must also arrive in the right place at exactly the right time in living cells. A research team headed by Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) has examined how the transport protein Rrm4 acts as a highly precise logistics expert in the fungus Ustilago maydis. Due to its significance, the work has been published as a “breakthrough manuscript” in the renowned scientific journal Nucleic Acids Research (NAR). Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft Hier jetzt das aktuell Außergewöhnliche auswählen …

Photosynthetic bacteria helped shape Planet Earth. Among them are cyanobacteria that produced the oxygen in our atmosphere and made complex life possible, captivating scientists for decades. Now, researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) report a surprising new discovery—a system thought to separate DNA has developed to sculpt the shape of the cell in cyanobacteria instead. The results, published in Science, shed light on how protein systems evolve and how multicellularity emerged in this type of ecologically essential bacteria. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft Hier jetzt das aktuell Außergewöhnliche auswählen …