News and press releases

The Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI and BioNTech have signed a framework agreement in April 2022.

At the Fraunhofer Center for Microelectronic and Optical Systems for Biomedicine (MEOS) in Erfurt, the MEOS Innovation Center for Precision Analysis of Cell Therapy Products, or MIC-PreCell for short, is being established until summer 2023. Funded with 750,000 euros from the Free State of Thuringia, this center will then support the development of new analysis methods for quality assurance and process control for the manufacturing of cell-based therapeutic products.

A preclinical study led at the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI demonstrated that activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) induced by the air pollutant benzo(a)pyrene influences the immune response during systemic bacterial infection.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI and Nomad Bioscience GmbH have extended and expanded their collaboration. In July 2020, both had concluded an initial research and development agreement. The Fraunhofer IZI Molecular Drug Biochemistry and Therapeutics Development Branch in Halle (Saale) supports the Munich-based company in the identification and preclinical development of pharmaceutical product candidates, in particular through assay development, pharmacological and toxicological studies, and the development of preclinical models.

Lukas Nöltner, a student at Biberach University of Applied Sciences, was honored for his bachelor's thesis on "Characterization of monoclonal antibodies against the HERV Fc1 envelope protein", which was written at the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI. Biberach University of Applied Sciences honors students for outstanding achievements twice a year. The 500 euro prize in the field of pharmaceutical biotechnology was sponsored by the company Boehringer Ingelheim.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology are working on developing a tissue that can be used to filter and inactivate airborne pathogens. On November 11, 2021, the project team from Leipzig received a funding commitment from the Else Kröner-Fresenius Stiftung (EKFS) for the "Aerocatch" project.

Research and innovation help to generate and secure economic growth and prosperity. However, the conditions for successful innovation processes vary widely. In Germany's structurally weak regions, where around 40 percent of the population lives, society and stakeholders face particular challenges.

Fraunhofer bundles competencies for the targeted development of digital diagnostics solutions. In the Potsdam model region, new solutions and fields of application for digital diagnostics are being researched and developed in order to effectively support patient care and realize value-added potential in the region.

Are algae the superfood and active ingredient suppliers of the future? Under the direction of Professor Carola Griehl, researchers at the Competence Center Algal Biotechnology at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences have been working on this question for many years. On May 27, 2021 the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences and the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI open the Center for Natural Product-Based Therapeutics (ZNT). In addition to the invited guests on site, all interested parties are invited via live stream to the ceremonial opening.

CAR T-cell therapy, a novel cancer immunotherapy, uses patients' own T cells, which have been genetically engineered, for treatment. Currently, this therapy is used for some forms of blood cancer and lymphoma. In order to assess both the success and side effects of CAR T-cell therapies, intensive monitoring after administration is necessary.