Press releases

Research into new endogenous mechanisms of tissue regeneration is an innovative research avenue in cardiac regeneration. This is the central goal of the REANIMA project (New‐generation cardiac therapeutic strategies directed to the activation of endogenous regenerative mechanisms), a research program coordinated by the Madrid-located Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) and supported by €8 million funding over 5 years. The project will launch in January 2020. The Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI is part of the project consortium.

Leipzig / Nuremberg, 07/10/2019 – Just over a year ago, on 27 August 2018, the European Commission gave their approval for the CAR-T cells developed by Novartis to be used in Germany. Since then, patients with certain types of life-threatening blood cancer and extremely limited survival prospects may, for the first time, have an opportunity to prolong their life thanks to the CAR-T cell therapy developed by Novartis. In Germany, more than 15 hospitals1 are now certified to carry out this treatment. Novartis worked in close collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI to establish a complex process for CAR-T cells.

People who suffer from end stage renal desease frequently undergo dialysis on a fixed schedule. For patients this artificial washing of the blood is a major burden. To remove toxins from the blood, large quantities of dialysis water for clearance are required. Until now there has been no solution so far to recover this dialysate cost-effectively. Therefore a cryo-purification method is being developed by Fraunhofer researchers that clears the water without loosing it. This approach not only reduces costs – it may even pave the way for a wearable artificial kidney by milder long-term dialysis treatment at complete water autonomy.

Dr. Alexandra Rockstroh from the Department of Immunology at the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI received one of the PhD prizes awarded in 2019 by the Faculty of Medicine at Leipzig University for her doctoral thesis entitled “Development of procedures for the specific, serological diagnosis of dengue and Zika virus infections using modified envelope proteins”. Handed out every year in recognition of outstanding scientific achievements in the fields of medicine and dentistry, the prize was presented on September 17, 2019, by faculty dean Prof. Christoph Josten during the faculty council meeting.

On September 16 and 17, 2019, just under 200 distinguished international experts and junior researchers from the field of cell and gene therapy will come together at Leipzig's Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, where they will discuss the latest developments in immuno-oncology as part of the DG-GT theme day “CAR-T cells and beyond”.

Julia Penk, degree candidate at the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI received one of the 2019 Karl Schügerl Awards in recognition of her thesis.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI welcomed Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer and Novartis Oncology Germany on Tuesday June 11, 2019.

A test system has been developed at Fraunhofer IZI to assess the health of dairy cows and identify sick animals in the herd at an early stage based on immunological biomarkers in the milk. With the company NovaTec Immundiagnostica GmbH, an industry partner has now been found that will market the test from fall 2019.

On February 20, 2019, the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI and the South Korean Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding. By this both institutions confirm their willingness to cooperate in the future.

Producing vaccines is a tricky task – especially in the case of inactivated vaccines, in which pathogens must be killed without altering their structure. Until now, this task has generally involved the use of toxic chemicals. Now, however, an innovative new technology developed by Fraunhofer researchers – the first solution of its kind – will use electron beams to produce inactivated vaccines quickly, reproducibly and without the use of chemicals.