News and press releases

Researchers at the ICCAS of the University of Leipzig and the Fraunhofer IZI were able to show that a significant reduction in tumor growth is achieved by combining targeted induced hyperthermia and radiation treatment.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI conducts research on neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases at its Halle (Saale) site. With their approach of using endogenous retroviruses as target structures for new therapies against neurological diseases, the scientists qualified for the finals of this year's HUGO JUNKERS AWARD in the category "Most Innovative Basic Research Projects".

During the Public Spring Session of the Saxon Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Leipzig, in the Festival Hall of the Old Town Hall, Professor Ulrike Köhl, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, was admitted to the Academy of Sciences in Leipzig as one of three new members on April 14, 2023.

PerioTrap Pharmaceuticals GmbH, a spin-off of the Fraunhofer IZI, is developing novel therapeutics against periodontitis under the name Paropaste. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding the preparation of a clinical trial with 3 million euros as part of the KMU-Innovativ program.

CAR-T cell therapy is based on the principle of equipping immune cells (T cells) with an artificial chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) by genetic modification. This enables the immune cells to identify specific surface structures (antigens) on cancer or other target cells and to activate a corresponding immune response.

Funded by the European Union and the Czech Republic with 35 million euros, the Central European Advanced Therapy and Immunotherapy Centre (CREATIC) will start operations on September 1, 2023. The center, which will focus on rare diseases, is being coordinated and established by Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. Fraunhofer IZI is participating in the form of consulting, training and a pilot project.

On April 3, 2023, Professor Hans-Ulrich Demuth was given a ceremonial farewell by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI at a specialist symposium. More than 60 invited guests attended the event at the Fraunhofer IZI Leipzig.

The interdisciplinary joint project CuliFo combines field and laboratory research on mosquitoes, Latin Culicidae, in Germany. Climatic changes increase the risk that exotic mosquitoes occur in our latitudes.

The GLP test facility of the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology has been certified for testing category 9 "Safety testing of ATMPs - immunotoxicity / immunogenicity, biodistribution and tumorigenicity in vitro / in vivo" since 2009. Since January 2023, the testing category 2 "Toxicity studies" is now also part of the portfolio.

Audit confirms RIBOLUTION Biomarker Center at Fraunhofer IZI the successful implementation of software development processes for medical devices software (according to IEC 62304 and ISO 14971).