News and press releases

The first patient was treated with a new CAR-T cell therapy as part of the LION-1 phase I clinical trial at the University Hospital of Würzburg.

Leipzig, April 29, 2025: The Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI) marked its 20th anniversary in Leipzig, celebrating the milestone with over 400 guests and employees. Invited had been representatives from academia, industry, and politics The event included congratulatory messages from Saxony’s Minister President Michael Kretschmer and Leipzig’s Lord Mayor Burkhard Jung, among others.

Together with Primogene GmbH, a Leipzig-based biotech company, the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI is investigating whether breast milk could be significant in the prevention of serious infections beyond infancy.

On April 1 and 2, 2025, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI) hosted the AAV Meeting in Leipzig, which brought together researchers and representatives from business and the healthcare sector to exchange the latest findings and innovations in the field of AAV technologies.

Researchers have discovered and analyzed a rare, yet serious, side effect of an innovative treatment against leukemia. The results of this study have now been published by scientists from Leipzig University Hospital, the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, and Cologne University Hospital in the prestigious medical journal “Nature Medicine”.

Prof. Dr. Frank Emmrich, founder of the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, was presented with the Leipziger Lerche award on January 31st, 2025. This award modelled on the famous "Leipzig lark" pastry is endowed by Verein Gemeinsam für Leipzig e.V.

The International Laboratory Animal Technician Week (TechWeek) was held in Germany from January 27th to 31st, 2025. This annual series of events recognizes the work of animal keepers in experimental research involving animals. This year, the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI took part for the first time.

In November 2024, the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology obtained the DIN ISO 50001 certification. This certification confirms the successful implementation of an energy management system for the institute’s sites in Leipzig, Halle (Saale) and Rostock.

Researchers of Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology have published a review of the current global research and development status of non-viral vectors for producing CAR-T cells in the Nature Reviews Methods Primers journal.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI is a practice partner of the QualiBioPharma qualification program. The program, which is initiated and coordinated by biosaxony Management GmbH, was honored as "ClusterERFOLG" – cluster success – of the year 2024 at the "go-cluster" conference at the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) on September 12, 2024.