News and press releases

Deputy Head of the Fraunhofer IZI Department of Drug Design and Target Validation Dr. Holger Cynis has been appointed Junior Professor for "Immunomodulation in Pathophysiological Processes" at the Medical Faculty of Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), effective November 1, 2023. Jun.-Prof. Dr. Holger Cynis researches how certain mechanisms of the immune system can trigger diseases, with the aim of developing novel active substances.

A doctoral scholarship from the Deutsche José Carreras Leukämie-Stiftung for Keshia Aerchlimann (Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology) supports the development of an organ-on-a-chip model for the cultivation and investigation of leukemia cells.

A new research center, CREATIC, has been launched at Masaryk University's Faculty of Medicine. Here, ATMPs are to be developed for the treatment of rare life-threatening or chronic diseases that are currently considered incurable. Fraunhofer IZI contributes its expertise in the development and production of gene and cell therapies in an advisory capacity and is involved in pilot projects within CREATIC. The project is funded by the European Commission as part of the Horizon Europe Teaming for Excellence program with 15 million euros over the next six years.

In close cooperation with the Rostock University Medical Center and various academic and industrial partners, the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI is conducting intensive research on extracorporeal therapy systems.

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.