Helmholtz Zentrum München

Infection of Epstein Barr Virus shown to be more complex

Fri, 04 May 2012 09:29:00 +0200

Neuherberg, 04.05.2012. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) not only causes various infectious diseases in... The research team led by Professor Reinhard Zeidler, of LMU Munich University Hospitals and the Helmholtz Center Munich, has now deciphered the function of viral RNA molecules brought to human cell upon infection with Ebstein Barr virus. “We were able to show that they allow the virus to manipulate host cell function during the early stages of infection. And this process is clearly essential to ensure that the viral DNA swiftly established within the host cell.” The results thus reveal a new layer of complexity in the life cycle of herpes viruses.
Effective therapies for Epstein-Barr infections have so far been elusive. With funding provided by German Cancer Aid (Deutsche Krebshilfe), Zeidler and his colleagues are currently working to develop a vaccine specifically directed against EBV. Such a vaccine would be of special benefit to immunocompromized patients, who have a relatively higher risk of developing EBV-induced lymphomas than immunocompetent individuals.
The family of herpes viruses comprises several members which are responsible for conditions such as chickenpox, shingles and cold sores. Herpes virus infections literally last a lifetime. EBV is a ubiquitous herpes virus, which is the causative agent of infectious mononucleosis (glandular fever), but is also implicated in the development of lymphomas and other types of cancer. The genetic material of herpes viruses is made up of DNA that stably persists in infected cells.

Additional Information

Original papers:

Jochum S. et al (2012): RNAs in Epstein-Barr virions control early steps of infection. PNAS, April 27; doi: 10.1073/pnas.1115906109
Link to publication Jochum S. et al (2012): The EBV immunoevasins vIL-10 and BNLF2a protect newly infected B cells from immune recognition and elimination. PLoS Pathogens, in press.
As German Research Center for Environmental Health, Helmholtz Zentrum München pursues the goal of developing personalized medical approaches for the diagnosis, therapy and prevention of major common diseases such as diabetes mellitus and lung diseases. To achieve this, it investigates the interaction of genetics, environmental factors and lifestyle. Helmholtz Zentrum München has about 1,900 staff members and is headquartered in Neuherberg in the north of Munich. Helmholtz Zentrum München is a member of the Helmholtz Association, a community of 18 scientific-technical and medical-biological research centers with a total of about 31,000 staff members. www.helmholtz-muenchen.de

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Contact for media representatives

Sven Winkler, Helmholtz Zentrum München – German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg - Tel.: +49 89-3187-3946 - Fax: +49 89-3187-3324 - E-Mail: presse@helmholtz-muenchen.de

Scientific contact

Prof. Dr. Reinhard Zeidler, Klinikum der Universität München und Helmholtz Zentrum München – – German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Marchioninistr. 25, 81377 München, Tel.: +49 89-7099-239 - Fax +49 89-7099-225 - E-Mail: zeidler@helmholtz-muenchen.de

Commitment to the Development of Young Scientists: New Research School of Radiation Sciences at Helmholtz Zentrum München

Fri, 11 May 2012 09:11:00 +0200

Neuherberg, May 3, 2012. In a joint endeavor with the two elite universities in Munich, Helmholtz... Starting in 2012 the Helmholtz Association will fund the Helmholtz Research School of Radiation Sciences, which Helmholtz Zentrum München is building up in cooperation with Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Technische Universität München. The new graduate school will enable tomorrow’s leading scientists to gain an extensive understanding of the environmental impact of radiation and to explore its effects on human health.

“HELENA is the only graduate school in Europe where doctoral students can study the interactions between the environment and human health. The new graduate school will make a significant contribution to this field," said Professor Günther Wess, CEO and Scientific Director of Helmholtz Zentrum München. Organizationally, the Helmholtz Research School of Radiation Sciences – RS2 will become part of Helmholtz Graduate School Environmental Health (HELENA), which is located at Helmholtz Zentrum München. HELENA offers doctoral students a structured education and training program focusing on the interaction of genetic predisposition, environmental factors and lifestyle. Besides providing an outstanding research infrastructure and networks, Helmholtz Zentrum München and its graduate schools offer doctoral students the opportunity to plan and advance their careers in a systematic way.

More information

More Information to Helmholtz Graduate School Environmental Health (HELENA): http://www.helmholtz-helena.de

As German Research Center for Environmental Health, Helmholtz Zentrum München pursues the goal of developing personalized medical approaches for the diagnosis, therapy and prevention of major common diseases such as diabetes mellitus and lung diseases. To achieve this, it investigates the interaction of genetics, environmental factors and lifestyle. Helmholtz Zentrum München has about 1,900 staff members and is headquartered in Neuherberg in the north of Munich. Helmholtz Zentrum München is a member of the Helmholtz Association, a community of 18 scientific-technical and medical-biological research centers with a total of about 31,000 staff members. www.helmholtz-muenchen.en The Helmholtz Association is a community of 18 scientific-technical and biological-medical research centres. These centres have been commissioned with pursuing long-term research goals on behalf of the state and society. The Association strives to gain insights and knowledge so that it can help to preserve and improve the foundations of human life. It does this by identifying and working on the grand challenges faced by society, science and industry. Helmholtz Centres perform top-class research in strategic programmes in six core fields: Energy, Earth and Environment, Health, Key Technologies, Structure of Matter, Aeronautics, Space and Transport. www.helmholtz.de/en

Contact for media representatives

Sven Winkler, Helmholtz Zentrum München – German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg - Tel.: +49 89-3187-3946 - Fax: +49 89-3187-3324 - E-Mail: presse@helmholtz-muenchen.de

Scientific contact

Prof. Dr. Michael Atkinson, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center of Environmental Health, Institue for Radiation Biology, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg - Tel.: 089-3187-2983 - E-Mail: atkinson@helmholtz-muenchen.de

German Center for Lung Research develops new approaches to lung disease

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 11:46:00 +0200

Prof. Dr. Ardeschir Ghofrani, Prof. Dr. Oliver Eickelberg (CPC), Prof. Dr. Klaus F. Rabe (ARCN), Prof. Dr. Tobias Welte (BREATH), Dr. Sylvia Hartl, Prof. Dr. Werner Seeger (UGMLC), Dr. Helge Braun (Federal Ministry of Education and Research), Prof. Dr. Marcus Mall (TLRC-H), Prof. Dr. Dr. Axel Haverich, scientific podium on lung disease (from the left)
Berlin, 27 March 2012. Parliamentary State Secretary Dr. Helge Braun today presented the first... “Only when research is people centered will science attain longstanding success. I am very pleased that the German Center for Lung Research was the first of the “new” German centers to be founded on this principle,” Dr. Helge Braun, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, noted at the scientific podium on lung disease held by the German Center for Lung Research in Berlin on 27 March.

The DZL is one of the six German Centers for Health Research that are dedicated to fighting the most common diseases such as diabetes, infectious diseases, cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and lung disease. It brings together more than 170 scientists from 18 university and extramural research institutes at five separate locations.

“The German Centers form the core of the health research program. They bring together the best minds in Germany – outside the boundaries of their institutes and disciplines – in order to develop new approaches to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the most important common diseases and to bring rapid benefits for patients,” Braun explained. The DZL focuses on eight diseases or groups of diseases: asthma and allergies, chronic-obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis (mucoviscidosis), pneumonia, institial lung disease, including pulmonary lung fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, respiratory distress syndrome and lung cancer.

According to Prof. Werner Seeger, spokesman for the DZL, one of the objectives of the Center is to provide immediate benefits for patients: “We aspire to develop new, qualitative methods that go far beyond the treatment options currently available.” To illustrate this point, the latest results achieved by the DZL were presented: the use of cancer medication to treat pulmonary hypertension, the use of artificial lungs in intensive care and the interplay of environment and genes as the cause of asthma in children.

Further information

Brochure of the German Center for Lung Research (pdf download)
Flyer about the German Center for Lung Research (pdf download)
Press photos of the opening:

Background
The German Center for Lung Research (DZL) pools German expertise in the field of pulmonology research and clinical pulmonology. The association’s head office is in Giessen. The aim of the DZL is to find answers to open questions in research into lung diseases by adopting an innovative, integrated approach and thus to make a sizeable contribution to improving the prevention, diagnosis and individualized treatment of lung disease and to ensure optimum patient care. www.dzg-lungenforschung.de
The six German Centers for Health Research (DZG) pool existing expertise and thus help significantly to close gaps in knowledge and to make improvements in terms of prevention, diagnosis and therapy. The aim is to achieve the highest possible degree of therapeutic effectiveness for each patient. The research policy is based on close cooperation between all the partners involved in both basic research and clinical research, and is geared towards patient needs and indications. Close integration and the resulting expansion of existing research structures will enable a faster transfer of research results into daily clinical practice. www.bmbf.de/de/gesundheitszentren.php
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Contact for media representatives
Sven Winkler, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg - Tel.: +49 89-3187-3946 - Fax: +49 89-3187-3324 - e-mail: presse@helmholtz-muenchen.de

Different mechanisms trigger type 1 diabetes autoimmunity – methionine levels considered as new biomarker for type 1 diabetes

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:33:00 +0100

[Translate to Englisch:] Prof. Dr. Anette-Gabriele Ziegler, Leiterin des Instituts für Diabetesforschung, Helmholtz Zentrum München
Neuherberg, 14.03.2012. The Institute for Diabetes Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München, which is... Autoantibody formation is a precursor of type 1 diabetes. The study also revealed that methionine levels in the blood of children who form these antibodies at an early age are fifty per cent lower than those in individuals who develop antibodies in puberty or not at all. Methionine is an essential amino acid that must be ingested through food because the body cannot make it itself. However, diet does not seem to be the only key factor here. Rather the researchers assume that various trigger mechanisms determine whether islet autoimmunity occurs and, if so, at what age. Methionine, they believe, should therefore be considered as a biomarker for type 1 diabetes. The team led by Prof. Anette-Gabriele Ziegler will now examine the biological mechanisms underlying the various trigger mechanisms for islet autoimmunity with a view to developing primary prevention strategies and immune therapies that can be used in early childhood.

Further information

Original publication: Pflüger, m. et al. (2011): Age and islet autoimmunity – associated differences in amino acid and lipid metabolites in children at risk for type 1 diabetes. Diabetes 60: 2740
Link to publication

The Helmholtz Zentrum München, the German Research Center for Environmental Health, pursues the goal of developing personalized medical approaches for the prevention and therapy of major common diseases such as diabetes and lung diseases. To achieve this, it investigates the interaction of genetics, environmental factors and lifestyle. The Helmholtz Zentrum München has about 1,900 staff members and is headquartered in Neuherberg in the north of Munich. It is a member of the Helmholtz Association, a community of 17 scientific-technical and medical-biological research centers with a total of about 31,000 staff members. www.helmholtz-muenchen.de The Institute of Diabetes Research (IDF1) focuses on the pathogenesis and prevention of type 1 diabetes and gestational diabetes. For this purpose, it is investigating the molecular mechanisms of disease development, in particular the interaction of the environment, genes and the immune system. The aim is to identify markers for early diagnosis and the development of therapies to prevent and cure diabetes. IDF1 is part of the Diabetes Research Department. www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/idf1/index.html _______________________________________________________________________________

Contact for media representatives

Sven Winkler, Helmholtz Zentrum München – German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Neuherberg . Tel: +49 89-3187-3946 . Fax +49 89-3187-3324. E-Mail: presse@helmholtz-muenchen.de
Specialist contact
Prof. Anette-G. Ziegler, Helmholtz Zentrum München – German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Institute for Diabetes Research (IDF1), Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Neuherberg - Tel.: +49 89-3187-2896 - E-Mail: prevent.diabetes@lrz.uni-muenchen.de

DIRECT – Working Together in the Fight against Diabetes

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:32:00 +0100

Neuherberg, 09.03.2012. Personalized medicine in the field of diabetes is the goal of DIRECT*, a... Diabetes mellitus, as a major disease that is widespread in the population, is one of the key research areas of Helmholtz Zentrum München. For this reason, Helmholtz Zentrum München is one of 21 academic and four pharmaceutical institutions participating in the DIRECT* initiative.

The objective of DIRECT* is to define various subtypes of type 2 diabetes mellitus, to identify and develop biomarkers or tests for early diagnosis and to derive personalized treatment strategies. To achieve this, 150 scientists from nine research areas will join forces to evaluate genetic and phenotypic data from more than 100,000 samples of type 2 diabetes patients. The seven-year project is funded by the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI).

At Helmholtz Zentrum München, the institutes and departments foremost engaged in the initiative are the Genome Analysis Center headed by Prof. Dr. Jerzy Adamski, the Department of Molecular Epidemiology under Acting Department Head Prof. Dr. Annette Peters and the research group Diabetic Epidemiology with its group leader, Dr. Barbara Thorand. Their goal is to focus on genomic, epigenomic and metabolic research questions and to advance the selection and validation of diabetes biomarkers.

Further information

Background *DIRECT: Diabetes REsearCH for patient stratification (http://www.direct-diabetes.org)*IMI: The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) is a joint initiative of the European Union and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations EFPIA. IMI’s goal is to develop innovative, safe drugs in order to accelerate pharmaceutical innovation in Europe. (www.imi.europa.eu)

As German Research Center for Environmental Health, Helmholtz Zentrum München pursues the goal of developing personalized medical approaches for the diagnosis, therapy and prevention of major common diseases such as diabetes mellitus and lung diseases. To achieve this, it investigates the interaction of genetics, environmental factors and lifestyle. Helmholtz Zentrum München has about 1,900 staff members and is headquartered in Neuherberg in the north of Munich. Helmholtz Zentrum München is a member of the Helmholtz Association, a community of 18 scientific-technical and medical-biological research centers with a total of about 31,000 staff members. www.helmholtz-muenchen.de
The Diabetes Research Department (DRD) at Helmholtz Zentrum München views diabetes as a system in which genetics and environmental influences – especially lifestyle – interact. The focus is on an integrated research approach in which basic research and clinical research are closely interconnected. The goal is to find new approaches to therapy, prevention and diagnosis. For this reason, the research center cooperates closely with the two Munich universities. www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/drd _______________________________________________________________________________
Contact for media representatives
Sven Winkler, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstraße 1 85764 Neuherberg, Germany – Phone: +49(0)89-3187-3946 - Fax: +49(0)89-3187-3324 - email: presse@helmholtz-muenchen.de

Incidence of type 1 diabetes-associated autoantibodies is particularly high in early childhood

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:23:00 +0100

Prof. Dr. Anette-Gabriele Ziegler, Head of Institute for Diabetes Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München
Neuherberg, 14.02.2012. The incidence of autoantibodies against antigens of the insulin-producing... The development of type 1 diabetes, one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood and adolescence, is preceded by a pre-clinical period of islet autoimmunity*. Prof. Anette-G. Ziegler from the Institute of Diabetes Research at the Helmholtz Zentrum München and her colleagues from the Forschergruppe Diabetes at the Technical University of Munich succeeded in narrowing down the period during which autoantibodies most frequently develop. According to their research, the incidence is highest between the ages of nine months and two years. “The other new piece of knowledge we acquired is that autoantibodies at ages 6 months or younger are rare.” Ziegler says. Autoantibodies are produced against certain antigens of the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas – resulting in the destruction of these cells.

“These results clearly demonstrate the need to develop preventive strategies and immunotherapies for young children,” Ziegler explains. The researchers hope that this will help to reduce the incidence of type 1 diabetes.

Further information

Background
* Islet autoimmunity: The presence of autoantibodies against antigens of the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas

Original publication
Ziegler, AG et al. (2012), Age-related islet autoantibody incidence in offspring of patients with type 1 diabetes, Diabetologia, Epub ahead of print.
Link to publication The Helmholtz Zentrum München, the German Research Center for Environmental Health, pursues the goal of developing personalized medical approaches for the prevention and therapy of major common diseases such as diabetes and lung diseases. To achieve this, it investigates the interaction of genetics, environmental factors and lifestyle. The Helmholtz Zentrum München has about 1,900 staff members and is headquartered in Neuherberg in the north of Munich. It is a member of the Helmholtz Association, a community of 17 scientific-technical and medical-biological research centers with a total of about 31,000 staff members. www.helmholtz-muenchen.de

The main research area of the Institute for Diabetes Research (IDF1) is the pathogenesis and prevention of type 1 diabetes and gestational diabetes. Researchers examine the mechanisms that are responsible for the initiation and progression of these diseases and explore the gene-environment interactions that lead to the development of diabetes. Preclinical models are used to initiate islet autoimmunity and conduct prevention research. The aim is to identify markers that enable the early diagnosis of type 1 and type 2 diabetes and the development of intervention strategies.

The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is one of the leading universities in Europe. It has roughly 460 professors, 7,500 academic and non-academic staff (including those at the Rechts der Isar university teaching hospital) and 26,000 students. It focuses on the engineering sciences, natural sciences, life sciences, medicine and economic sciences. After winning numerous awards, it was named a Center of Excellence in 2006 by the Council of Science and Humanities, one of the leading science policy advisory bodies in Germany, and the DFG, the central, self-governing research-funding organization in Germany. TUM’s worldwide network also encompasses a research center in Singapore. TUM is committed to the idea of an entrepreneurial university. www.tum.de

The German Center for Diabetes Research e.V. brings together experts in the field of diabetes research and combines basic research, epidemiology and clinical applications. The members of the association are the German Diabetes Center (DDZ) in Düsseldorf, the German Institute of Human Nutrition (DifE) in Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Helmholtz Zentrum München – the German Research Center for Environmental Health, the Paul Langerhans Institutes of the Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital in Dresden and the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen as well as the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Research Association and the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers. The aim of the DZD is to find answers to unsolved questions in diabetes research by adopting a novel, integrative approach and to make a significant contribution towards improving the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diabetes mellitus. www.dzd-ev.de

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Contact for media representatives

Sven Winkler, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Neuherberg - Phone: 089-3187-3946 - Fax: 089-3187-3324 - email: presse@helmholtz-muenchen.de

Scientist contact
Prof. Anette-Gabriele Ziegler, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Institute for Diabetes Research (IDF1), Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Neuherberg - Phone: 089-3187-2896
email: prevent.diabetes@lrz.uni-muenchen.de

Disturbed lipid balance in mitochondria can cause cardiomyopathy

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:39:00 +0100

Dr. Holger Prokisch, Institute for Human Genetics at the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technical University of Munich
Neuherberg, 27.01.12. Disturbances in the lipid balance of mitochondria* and the related functional... Disorders of lipid metabolism and the lipid membranes of mitochondria impair cellular energy generation and can cause cardiomyopathy, as Dr. Holger Prokisch of the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technical University of Munich discovered when – working in close cooperation with Dr. Hans Mayr of Salzburg University Hospital – he examined the genetics of Sengers syndrome*. The scientist had determined the complete sequence of all the 20,000 genes of a patient with Sengers syndrome from the University of Freiburg in order to decode the genetic cause of the disease.

“Our work not only describes a genetic cause of Sengers syndrome but also underlines the importance of the lipid balance. Disturbances have serious effects on the mitochondrion and the entire cell,“ Prokisch explains. The scientists will now determine the lipid components and their dynamics in the biological membranes more precisely in order to gain a better understanding of their role in energy metabolism. This could throw light on possible connections to other human diseases and provide starting points for new treatments.

Further information

Background
* Mitochondria: cell organelles that provide energy in cells. Energy is generated within the inner lipid membranes of the mitochondria.
* Cardiomyopathy: disease of the heart muscle.
* Sengers syndrome: an autosomal recessive condition characterized by congenital cataracts, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and lactic acidosis, generally without any involvement of the central nervous system. About 50 cases have been documented worldwide.

Original publication:
Mayr, J.A. et al. (2012). Lack of the mitochondrial protein acylglycerol kinase causes Sengers syndrome, American Journal of Human Genetics, Online ahead of print Link to publication

The Helmholtz Zentrum München, the German Research Center for Environmental Health, pursues the goal of developing personalized medical approaches for the prevention and therapy of major common diseases such as diabetes and lung diseases. To achieve this, it investigates the interaction of genetics, environmental factors and lifestyle. The Helmholtz Zentrum München has about 1,900 staff members and is headquartered in Neuherberg in the north of Munich. It is a member of the Helmholtz Association, a community of 17 scientific-technical and medical-biological research centers with a total of about 31,000 staff members. www.helmholtz-muenchen.de
The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is one of the leading universities in Europe. It has roughly 460 professors, 7,500 academic and non-academic staff (including those at Rechts der Isar university teaching hospital) and 25,000 students. It focuses on the engineering sciences, natural sciences, life sciences, medicine and economic sciences. After winning numerous awards, it was named as a Center of Excellence in 2006 by the Council of Science and Humanities, one of the leading science policy advisory bodies in Germany, and the DFG, the central, self-governing research-funding organization in Germany. TUM’s worldwide network also encompasses a research center in Singapore. TUM is committed to the idea of an entrepreneurial university. www.tum.de
Institute of Human Genetics at the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technical University of Munich: The Institute is concerned with identifying genes associated with disease and characterizing their functions. The main aim of the research projects is to develop disease-related genetic variation in humans and mice as well as to develop chromosome analysis techniques and new methods for dealing with specific issues in the sphere of pre- and post-natal diagnostics and tumor cytogenetics.

Contact for media representatives

Sven Winkler, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstraße 1 85764 Neuherberg - Phone.: 089-3187-3946 - Fax: 089-3187-3324 - email: presse@helmholtz-muenchen.de

Scientific contact
Dr. Holger Prokisch, Institut für Humangenetik des Helmholtz Zentrums München und der Technischen Universität München, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Phonel.: 089-3187-2890, Fax: 089-3187-3297, email: prokisch@helmholtz-muenchen.de

HIV Escapes Immune Response in Macrophages

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:02:00 +0100

Dr. Michael Schindler, Institut für Virologie, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Dr. Herwig Koppensteiner, Heinrich-Pette-Institut, Hamburg
Neuherberg, 18.01.2012. HIV uses macrophages of the immune system as a hideout, where viral... HIV persists in macrophages, the scavenger cells of the immune system. Within these cells HIV is transferred to other organs and even passes through the blood-brain barrier into the human brain and the central nervous system. The research team led by Dr. Michael Schindler at the Institute of Virology of the Helmholtz Zentrum München has now described the mechanism responsible for this persistence used by the AIDS-causing virus: Within a macrophage internal membrane system the virus is protected from attacks by the immune system.
“The results of our study show how reservoirs are formed in which HIV can persist in the human body. This is another important finding in the fight against the incurable infection with the AIDS virus,” said Herwig Koppensteiner, first author of the publication. “The next step will be to identify potential therapeutic targets by investigating how viral and cellular proteins are involved in this persistence.” In October 2011 Michael Schindler moved with his research group from the Heinrich Pette Institute in Hamburg to the Helmholtz Zentrum München.

Further information

Background
Anti-retroviral drugs can suppress the infection with the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus, the causative agent of AIDS, but they cannot cure the disease. One reason for this is that the virus persists in cellular reservoirs. Only through a better understanding of how cellular reservoirs are formed and how HIV escapes the immune response a therapy with the aim to cure the infection can be developed.
Original publication:
Koppensteiner H. et al (2011): Macrophage internal HIV-1 is protected from neutralizing antibodies. J. Virol. published ahead of print December 28, 2011 , doi:10.1128/JVI.05915-11
Link to journal publication: http://jvi.asm.org/content/early/2011/12/21/JVI.05915-11.abstract

Contact for the Media
Sven Winkler, Helmholtz Zentrum München - Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstraße 1 - 85764 Neuherberg Tel.: 089-3187-3946 - Fax: 089-3187-3324 - E-Mail: presse@helmholtz-muenchen.de Scientific Contact
Dr. Michael Schindler, Institut für Virologie, Helmholtz Zentrum München - Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstraße 1 85764 Neuherberg - Tel.: 089-3187-4609 - Fax: 089-3187-3329 E-Mail: michael.schindler@helmholtz-muenchen.de

Antipsychotic Drugs Increase the Activity of Endogenous Retroviruses in Humans

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:07:00 +0100

Prof. Dr. Christine Leib-Mösch, Institute of Virology, Helmholtz Zentrum München
Neuherberg, January 16, 2012. The activity of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) in brain cells... Antipsychotic drug treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorders* may stimulate the activity of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs)* that are natural components of the human genome. This was described by Olivia Diem, a member of the research group of Professor Christine Leib-Mösch at the Institute of Virology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, in a study published in the scientific journal PLoS ONE. Elevated expression levels of various HERV groups have been repeatedly described in patients with schizophrenia and associated with the disease. Now for the first time, the research team at Helmholtz Zentrum München has shown that this stimulation may be caused at least partially by the patients’ medication. The researchers conclude that the medication may influences the epigenetic* state of some but not all HERV types.

“Our results show that medication should be generally tested for epigenetic effects on the target cells. Not only endogenous retroviruses, but also cellular genes may be activated or inactivated leading to severe side effects,” said Professor Leib-Mösch, explaining the background of the study.

Schizophrenia is a multifactorial neuropsychiatric disorder. Besides genetic predisposition, various environmental factors such as infections during pregnancy, but also endogenous retroviruses may play a role. The identification of some HERVs that are activated in schizophrenia independent of drug treatment could therefore help to understand the pathomechanisms of the disease. The goals of the Helmholtz Zentrum München are to understand the pathomechanisms of common human diseases and to derive new targets for diagnosis, therapy and prevention.

Further information

Background
* Neuropsychiatric disorders are often treated with drugs such as valproic acid, which can modulate the epigenetic status of cells through the inhibition of histone deacetylases.

* Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) constitute about 9% of the genome and are remnants of germ line infections by exogenous retroviruses about 30 to 40 million years ago. Since that time HERVs have been amplified and spread throughout our genome by retrotransposition and reinfection. The expression of HERVs is normally restricted by epigenetic mechanisms of the host cell. However, HERVs can be reactivated by environmental factors such as radiation or chemicals. The group of HERV-K(HML-2) elements represents the youngest and most active HERVs in humans. Along with several other HERV groups, HERV-K(HML-2) has been repeatedly associated with schizophrenia – interestingly, the activity of these HERVs in brain cells is not influenced by valproic acid.

* Epigenetics describes characteristics of the genome that are not determined by the nucleotide sequence of the DNA but by its chemical state (e.g. methylation level) or marks of the chromatin environment (e.g. histone acetylation or methylation). Epigenetic alterations contribute to the activation or inactivation of genes. Epigenetic characteristics can be altered by environmental influences and passed on during cell division. Original-Publikation:
Olivia Diem et al. (2012): Influence of Antipsychotic Drugs on Human Endogenous Retrovirus (HERV) Transcription in Brain Cells. PLoS ONE, in press.

The Helmholtz Zentrum München, the German Research Center for Environmental Health, pursues the goal of developing personalized medical approaches for the prevention and therapy of major common diseases such as diabetes and lung diseases. To achieve this, it investigates the interaction of genetics, environmental factors and lifestyle. The Helmholtz Zentrum München has about 1,900 staff members and is headquartered in Neuherberg in the north of Munich on a 50-hectare research campus. It is a member of the Helmholtz Association, a community of 18 scientific-technical and medical-biological research centers with a total of about 31,750 staff members www.helmholtz-muenchen.de

Contact for media representatives

Sven Winkler, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstraße 1 85764 Neuherberg - Phone: +49 89-3187-3946 - Fax: 089-3187-3324 - email: presse@helmholtz-muenchen.de

Scientific contact:
Prof. Dr. Leib-Mösch, Institut für Virologie, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH) (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstraße 1 85764 Neuherberg - Phone.: +49 89-3187-3270 - Fax: + 49 89-3187-3329 - email: leib@helmholtz-muenchen.de

New Institute for Allergy Research set up at Helmholtz Zentrum München under the direction of Prof. Carsten Schmidt-Weber

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:51:00 +0100

Prof. Dr. Carsten Schmidt-Weber, Director Institute of Allergy Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München
Neuherberg, 12.01.2012. Prof. Carsten Schmidt-Weber has taken up his position as Director of the... The Helmholtz Zentrum München is increasing its research activities in the field of allergic diseases. Prof. Carsten Schmidt-Weber has been appointed Director of the new Institute for Allergy Research at the Helmholtz Zentrum München, effective 1 January 2012. “In order to be able to offer better treatment for allergies we must understand how genetic predisposition, the immune system and environmental factors interact in the development of allergies,” says Prof. Günther Wess, CEO of the Helmholtz Zentrum München. “Carsten Schmidt-Weber has both excellent basic research experience and close ties to the clinical world. His institute will play a substantial role in expanding the longstanding cooperation with the Rechts der Isar university teaching hospital in the field of allergy research and in achieving rapid results in translational research.”

The Helmholtz Zentrum München aims to gain understanding of the mechanisms that trigger widespread diseases and to develop new approaches to their diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

Prof. Schmidt-Weber has recognized expertise in the mechanisms that underlie allergies and allergy tolerances and is experienced in the translation of his knowledge into medical practice. He has previously held positions at a number of institutes, including the Royal Brompton Hospital & National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College in London, where he worked on the mechanisms of tolerance in special immunotherapies of the respiratory tract, the Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF) and the Harvard Medical School in Boston, where his work was dedicated to cellular and molecular mechanisms of allergic disease.

Further information

Allergies are one of the biggest challenges facing healthcare in most modern societies. The number of sufferers, particularly among children, has risen so sharply over the last 50 years that allergies are now considered one of the most common diseases affecting humans. In order to examine the causes and possible treatments more closely, the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) agreed to expand the longstanding, successful cooperation project ZAUM to form MARC, the Munich Allergy Research Center (www.marc-allergy.de). Its work focuses on translating new findings into medical practice. This association of allergy research groups creates a unique concentration of academics whose joint aim is to combat the allergy epidemic.

The Helmholtz Zentrum München, the German Research Center for Environmental Health, pursues the goal of developing personalized medical approaches for the prevention and therapy of major common diseases such as diabetes and lung diseases. To achieve this, it investigates the interaction of genetics, environmental factors and lifestyle. The Helmholtz Zentrum München has about 1,900 staff members and is headquartered in Neuherberg in the north of Munich. It is a member of the Helmholtz Association, a community of 18 scientific-technical and medical-biological research centers with a total of about 31,000 staff members. www.helmholtz-muenchen.de
The Center of Allergy & Environment (ZAUM) in Munich is a joint undertaking by the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technical University of Munich (TUM). This cooperation, which is the only one of its kind in the German research landscape, is dedicated to interdisciplinary basic research and forms a link between clinicians at the hospital and clinical research staff at the university. Thanks to this approach, findings about the mechanisms that lie behind allergies are translated into preventive and therapeutic measures. The development of effective, individually tailored treatments enables better care to be provided for allergy-sufferers. www.zaum-online.de

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Contact for media representives

Sven Winkler, Helmholtz Zentrum München – German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg . Phone: +49 89-3187-3946 . Fax +49 89-3187-3324. email: presse@helmholtz-muenchen.de
Scientific contact
Prof. Carsten B. Schmidt-Weber – Director of the Center of Allergy and Environment (ZAUM) - Helmholtz Zentrum München and Technical University of Munich (TUM), Biedersteiner Str. 29, 80802 Munich - Phone: +49 89-4140 3450 - Fax: +49 89-4140-3452 - email: zaum@tum.de

Early menarche can increase the risk of diabetes

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:18:00 +0100

Dr. Doris Stöckl, Dr. Christine Meisinger
Neuherberg, 20.12.2011. The younger girls are at the onset of menstruation, the greater their risk... In future it will be possible to identify women who are at greater risk of developing diabetes on the basis of their age at menarche. Dr. Christine Meisinger, Dr. Doris Stöckl and their colleagues at the Helmholtz Zentrum München have now discovered that the earlier girls experience the onset of menarche, the more likely they are to develop prediabetes or diabetes at some point in their lives. The researchers reached this conclusion after examining 1,503 women aged between 32 and 81 years as part of the KORA F4 Study. The average age at the onset of menarche was 13. In contrast to previous assumptions, the link between age at menarche and diabetes was evident irrespective of the current body mass index (BMI) of the adults participating in the study.

”We hope that it will thus be possible to identify individuals with an increased risk of diabetes in good time and to take preventive measures,” says Doris Stöckl. She and her colleagues are now examining the extent to which the link they have discovered is based on genetic or socio-economic factors. The Helmholtz Zentrum München aims to gain understanding of the mechanisms that trigger widespread diseases and to develop new approaches to their diagnosis, treatment and prevention.”

Further information

Background
More than six million people in Germany suffer from Type 2 diabetes, and the number of unreported cases could be equally high. To date there is no cure for this common disease. Type 2 diabetes is a disorder of glucose metabolism. Characteristically, the body fails to produce enough insulin or cannot use it properly. The mechanisms that trigger the disease have not yet been clarified completely. It is, however, known that diabetes is due to a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors. Understanding the mechanisms that cause common diseases and developing new approaches with regard to their diagnosis, treatment and prevention are key objectives of the Helmholtz Zentrum München.

Original publication:
Stöckl, D. et al. (2011). Age at menarche is associated with prediabetes and diabetes in women (aged 32–81 years) from the general population: the KORA F4 Study, Diabetologia, DOI: 10.1007/s00125-011-2410-3
Link to publication The Helmholtz Zentrum München, the German Research Center for Environmental Health, pursues the goal of developing personalized medical approaches for the prevention and therapy of major common diseases such as diabetes and lung diseases. To achieve this, it investigates the interaction of genetics, environmental factors and lifestyle. The Helmholtz Zentrum München has about 1,900 staff members and is headquartered in Neuherberg in the north of Munich on a 50-hectare research campus. It is a member of the Helmholtz Association, a community of 17 scientific-technical and medical-biological research centers with a total of about 31,000 staff members. www.helmholtz-muenchen.de
The Helmholtz Zentrum München is a partner in the German Center for Diabetes Research (www.dzd-ev.de) and in the Diabetes Competence Network (www.helmholtz-muenchen.de)

For more than 20 years, the Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg (KORA) study has been examining the health of thousands of citizens in Augsburg and environs. The aim of the project is to increase understanding of the impact of environmental factors, behavior and genes on human health. The KORA studies focus on matters relating to the development and progression of chronic diseases, in particular myocardial infarction and diabetes. To that end, research is conducted into risk factors arising from lifestyle factors (including smoking, diet and exercise), environmental factors (including air pollution and noise) and genetics. Questions relating to the use and cost of health services are examined from the point of view of health services research. www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/kora

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Contact for media representatives

Sven Winkler, Helmholtz Zentrum München – German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1 85764 Neuherberg - Tel: +49 89-3187-3946 - Fax: +49 89-3187-3324 - E-Mail: presse@helmholtz-muenchen.de

Scientific contact:
Dr. med Doris Stöckl, Helmholtz Zentrum München – German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Neuherberg – Tel: +49 89-3187-4153 – E-Mail: doris.stoeckl@helmholtz-muenchen.de

"A beacon in our scientific landscape”

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0100

f.l.t.r: Prof. Dr. Hans Hauner, Prof. Dr. Heiko Lickert, Prof. Dr. Matthias Tschöp, Mathias Steiner, Dr. Wolfgang Heubisch, Prof. Dr. Günther Wess, Horst Seehofer, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mlynek, Prof. Dr. Anette-Gabriele Ziegler, Prof. Dr. Martin Hrabě de Angelis, Prof. Dr. Jochen Seißler
The Minister-President of Bavaria, Horst Seehofer, opens the Diabetes Research Department at the... Neuherberg, 16.11.2010. The Minister-President of Bavaria, Horst Seehofer, officially opened the Diabetes Research Department at the Helmholtz Zentrum München today. The department pools expertise in the field of diabetes research at the centre, enabling it to now also assume a leading role in diabetes research in Germany.

An estimated 366 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes mellitus; in Germany about ten per cent of the population is affected by the disease. Diabetes therefore poses major challenges for society and for scientists. Although lifestyle factors combined with specific genes are known to cause diabetes, the exact mechanisms that trigger its development remain unknown. The Helmholtz Zentrum München addresses this unsatisfactory situation by shedding light on this multifactorial disease from the point of view of various scientific disciplines. An ongoing scientific exchange takes place in the Diabetes Research Department with a view to obtaining a thorough understanding of this complex disease. The expertise of the scientists involved, most of whom hold joint appointments with the Technical University of Munich, covers the entire value creation chain from basic research through to hospitals. The aim is to develop personalised medical options for the diagnosis, therapy and prevention of diabetes mellitus.

The Minister President of Bavaria, Horst Seehofer, praised the Helmholtz Zentrum München, calling it a “pioneer of innovation and a beacon in our scientific landscape whose light shines well beyond Bavaria“. The Diabetes Research Department focuses on excellent basic research as well as on intensive cooperation with hospitals, universities and other research institutes. It is here – in the field of biomedical research – that the future of our country is shaped.”

Dr. Wolfgang Heubisch, Bavarian Minister of State for Science, Research and the Arts, is delighted that the Diabetes Research Department has forged a strong alliance with the two universities in Munich that are recognised as centres of excellence. Munich as a base for scientific research will thus continue to be a top partner in global diabetes research in the future. The Helmholtz Zentrum München is the focal point for diabetes research in Munich!“

The President of the Helmholtz Association, Professor Jürgen Mlynek, explained that the Helmholtz Zentrum München with its new Diabetes Research Department was once again making “an exemplary contribution towards fulfilling the association’s mission. As one of the world’s leading research centres in the field of environmental health, the centre also uniquely combines health research and the study of relevant environmental influences – and thus tackles the major, pressing health issues facing society.”

Prof. Dr. Günther Wess, Scientific Director of the Helmholtz Zentrum München, emphasised the close cooperation between the Helmholtz Zentrum München and Munich’s research establishments. “The Helmholtz Zentrum München has forged a very close strategic alliance with the Technical University of Munich, as three successful joint appointments in the field of diabetes research show. The new Diabetes Research Department is visible proof of this successful partnership and establishes the necessary framework for pooling cutting-edge scientific expertise at this location.”

The new Diabetes Research Department includes the following institutes and clinical cooperation groups:

Institute of Experimental Genetics, Director: Professor Martin Hrabe de Angelis (Chair of Experimental Genetics, Technical University of Munich (TUM); joint appointment)

Institute of Diabetes Research, Director: Professor Anette-Gabriele Ziegler (Chair of Diabetes and Gestational Diabetes, Technical University of Munich; joint appointment)

Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Director: Professor Matthias Tschöp (Chair of Metabolic Diseases, Technical University of Munich; Alexander von Humboldt Professorship; joint appointment)

Institute for Diabetes and Regeneration Research, Director: Professor Heiko Lickert (Chair of Diabetes Research / Beta Cell Research, Technical University of Munich; joint appointment)

Clinical Cooperation Group Nutrigenomics and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Director: Professor Hans Hauner (set up jointly with the Technical University of Munich)

Clinical Cooperation Group Prediction and Sub-Classification of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Director: Professor Jochen Seissler (set up jointly with the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich)

German weightlifter Matthias Steiner, a special guest at the opening of the department, spoke about how he copes with diabetes mellitus. The world champion and Olympic gold medallist has been injecting himself several times a day with insulin for the past ten years or so. His hope that a medicine that is tailored to his specific needs – a field of basic research at the Helmholtz Zentrum München – motivates him to champion research into diabetes. Here, as in all the areas of his life, his motto is: Don’t dream your life, live your dreams.”

In order to pool research into important common diseases and to speed up translation (i.e. the translation of research results into clinical trials ), the Federal German government has established German Centres for Health Research. The Helmholtz Zentrum München assumes a leading role in the Munich-based German Centre for Diabetes Research, in which a further four renowned research institutes participate: the German Diabetes Centre, the German Institute of Human Nutrition and the Paul Langerhans Institutes of the Universities of Tübingen and Dresden.

Further information

The Helmholtz Zentrum München, the German Research Centre for Environmental Health, aims to develop personalised medical solutions for the diagnosis, therapy and prevention of common diseases such as diabetes mellitus and lung diseases. To that end, it examines the interaction of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors. The Helmholtz Zentrum München is based in Neuherberg in the north of Munich and has a staff of approximately 1,900. It is a member of the Helmholtz Association, a community of 17 scientific and technical plus medical and biological research centres, with a total of 31,000 staff. The Helmholtz Zentrum München is a partner of the German Centre for Diabetes Research. www.helmholtz-muenchen.de Pictures of the opening

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Contact for media representatives

New approaches to the treatment of early-stage liver cancer

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 09:57:00 +0100

Interaction between CD4+ T cells (pink), monocytes/macrophages (green) that are in close contact to senescent hepatocytes (red) on the way to kill the heptocytes. Caption: Kang TW et al.
Neuherberg, 10.11.2011. Scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum München have played a major role in two... Two studies in top-ranking journals show new approaches to the treatment of early-stage liver cancer – the type of cancer that accounts for one third of all cancer patients. The team headed by Professor Mathias Heikenwälder of the Institute for Virology at the Helmholtz Zentrum München contributed to both studies.

In collaboration with the University Hospital Zurich and the Singapore Immunology Network, he developed a method enabling individual predictions to be made in the very early stages of cancer as to how aggressive a patient’s hepatocellular carcinoma will be. Immune cells infiltrate early-stage tumours and leave their signature there. Scientists use this pattern of chemokines* and immune markers for their prognosis. The team headed by Professor Heikenwälder examined European samples and was able to show that the signature is universally valid. “Our findings mark an significant step towards novel approaches to apply personalised medicine,” says Professor Heikenwälder. ”We can now determine at a very early stage of liver cancer which therapy is particularly well suited to individual patients.”

The second study, which was published on 9th of September by Nature, shows for the first time that it is the immune cells – or to be more precise, the T helper cells, monocytes and macrophages – that remove the precursor cells of the hepatocellular carcinoma from the body. “In case we could determine how to strengthen this immune reaction, we probably will be able to develop new treatment options,“ Professor Heikenwälder adds. During this study he worked, amongst others, with Professor Lars Zender of the Helmholtz Zentrum München for Infection Research in Brunswick.

Cancer is a widespread disease and is the leading cause of death worldwide. 800,000 people worldwide die of liver cancer every year. The objective of the Helmholtz Zentrum München is to understand the mechanisms that cause common diseases and to develop new approaches with regard to their diagnosis, therapy and prevention.

Further information

Original publication:
Study on the aggressiveness of liver cancer: Kang TW et al (2011), Senescence surveillance of premalignant hepatocytes limits liver cancer development. Nature DOI: 10.1038/nature10599

Link to publication

Press release from Helmholtz Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, Braunschweig

Study on immune mechanism: Chew V. et al (2011), Chemokine-driven lymphocyte infiltration: an early intratumoural event determining long-term survival in resectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Gut Sept. 19, Epub ahead of print

Link to publication The Helmholtz Zentrum München, the German Research Centre for Environmental Health, aims to develop personalised medicine for the diagnosis, therapy and prevention of common diseases such as diabetes mellitus and lung diseases. To that end, it examines the interaction of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors. The Helmholtz Zentrum München is based in Neuherberg in the north of Munich and has about 1,900 staff members. It is a member of the Helmholtz Association, a community of 17 scientific-technical and medical-biological research centres with a total of 31,000 staff. www.helmholtz-muenchen.de
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Contact for media representatives

Sven Winkler, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Centre for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstraße 1 85764 Neuherberg - Phone: + 49 (0) 89-3187-3946 - Fax: 089-3187-3324 - email: presse@helmholtz-muenchen.de Scientific contact
Professor Mathias Heikenwälder, Helmholtz Zentrum München – German Research Center for Environmental Health and the Technical University of Munich, Institute for Virology, , Schneckenburgerstr. 8, 81675 München - Phone: + 49 (0) 89-4140-7440 – Fax: 089-4140-7444 – email: heikenwaelder@helmholtz-muenchen.de

Protection against Epstein-Barr virus: new approach towards an effective vaccine

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:33:00 +0100

EM-Images varify the structural resemblance of virus-like particles (VLPs) with Epstein-Barr virus. Image: Prof. Dr. Gerhard Wanner, LMU
Neuherberg, 08.11.11. Scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Ludwig Maximilian... A team of scientists led by Professor Wolfgang Hammerschmidt, Head of the Department of Gene Vectors, and Professor Reinhard Zeidler of the Ludwig Maximilian University Hospital in Munich has succeeded in developing the world’s first vaccine against the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) based on virus-like particles (VLPs). VLPs have the same structure as the EBV but lack the viral genome and are therefore not infectious.

“Using virus-like particles we can cause a strong immune reaction, which protects against infection with the Epstein-Barr virus,“ says Zeidler. “Above all, patients whose immune system is not fully functional could benefit from this because they have an increased risk of developing lymphoma caused by EBV.” The scientists will now conduct preclinical trials on the vaccine in order to prove the mechanism of action and at the same time optimize production of the vaccine.

A very large section of the population has a latent (i.e. symptom-free) form of EBV infection. Acute EBV infection, however, can cause infectious mononucleosis. While the disease is usually harmless in childhood, it can lead to serious illness in adolescents and adults, and increases the risk of contracting certain types of lymphoma. EBV is also involved in the development of various types of cancer. Primary EBV infection poses a particularly high risk for immuno-compromised patients, such as transplant recipients. As their immune system is not intact, EBV can induce post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD), which can have a fatal outcome. Prophylactic vaccination prior to transplant could significantly reduce the risk of developing PTLD. Understanding the mechanisms that cause common diseases and developing new approaches with regard to their diagnosis, therapy and prevention are key objectives of the Helmholtz Zentrum München.

Further information

Original publication:
Ruiss R. et al: A VLP-based Epstein-Barr Virus vaccine. J. Virol. doi:10.1128/JVI.05598-11
Link to publication

The Helmholtz Zentrum München, the German Research Centre for Environmental Health, aims to develop personalised medicine for the diagnosis, therapy and prevention of common diseases such as diabetes mellitus and lung diseases. To that end, it examines the interaction of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors. The Helmholtz Zentrum München is based in Neuherberg in the north of Munich and has about 1,900 staff members. It is a member of the Helmholtz Association, a community of 17 scientific-technical and medical-biological research centres with a total of 31,000 staff. www.helmholtz-muenchen.de
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Contact for media representatives

Sven Winkler, Helmholtz Zentrum München – German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg – Phone: +49 89-3187-3946 - Fax: +49 89-3187-3324 - email: presse@helmholtz-muenchen.de

Scientific contact
Professor Wolfgang Hammerschmidt, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Department of Gene Vectors, Marchioninistr. 25, D-81377 Munich – Phone: +49 8 7099-506 – Fax: +49 89 7099-500 – email: hammerschmidt@helmholtz-muenchen.de Professor Reinhard Zeidler , Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Department of Gene Vectors, Marchioninistr. 25, D-81377 Munich - Phone: +49 89 7099-239 – Fax: +49 89 7099-225 – email: zeidler@helmholtz-muenchen.de

New therapy for hepatitis B combats virus and stimulates immune system

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 07:37:00 +0200

[Translate to Englisch:] Prof. Dr. Ulrike Protzer
Neuherberg, 11 October 2011. Scientists have developed a new treatment approach for chronic... The team, headed by Professor Ulrike Protzer, Director of the Institutes for Virology at the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technical University of Munich, worked together with Dr. Hendrik Poeck from the Klinikum rechts der Isar at the Technical University of Munich and Professor Gunther Hartmann from the University of Bonn to develop a new treatment option for chronic hepatitis B. The study, which was published in Gastroenterology, describes the use of specially modified siRNAs*. The designer RNA fragments inhibit replication of the hepatitis B virus in the body but they also have another function: they stimulate the innate immune system, enabling it to attack the virus more efficiently.

“Our study shows that the combination of both functions– virus inhibition and immune stimulation – in one molecule is much more effective than a combination of the corresponding mono-functional nucleic acids,” says Professor Ulrike Protzer. “With this approach, we now – for the first time – have the prospect of being able to remove the hepatitis B virus completely from the body, even in the event of a chronic infection.”

If Hepatitis B is chronic, it can be controlled by common medications but it is rarely cured. With about 375 million chronic carriers worldwide, hepatitis B is one of the most important viral diseases of humans, setting them at high risk to develop liver failure or hepatic cancer. The objective of the Helmholtz Zentrum München is to understand the mechanisms that cause common diseases and to develop new approaches with regard to their diagnosis, therapy and prevention.

Further information

Background
* siRNA (short interfering Ribonucleic Acids) are short RNA fragments that cause sequentially analogous mRNAs to be broken down rather than being translated into protein. This can, for example, significantly reduce viral replication.

Original publication
Ebert G et al (2011) , 5' Triphosphorylated small interfering RNAs control replication of hepatitis B virus and induce an interferon response in human liver cells and mice. Gastroenterology 141:696 Link to publication The Helmholtz Zentrum München, the German Research Centre for Environmental Health, aims to develop personalised medicine for the diagnosis, therapy and prevention of common diseases such as diabetes mellitus and lung diseases. To that end, it examines the interaction of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors. The Helmholtz Zentrum München is based in Neuherberg in the north of Munich and has about 1,900 staff members. It is a member of the Helmholtz Association, a community of 17 scientific-technical and medical-biological research centres with a total of 31,000 staff. www.helmholtz-muenchen.de The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is one Europe’s leading technical universities. It has 460 professors, 7,500 staff members (including staff at the Klinikum rechts der Isar) and 26,000 students. Its main areas of emphasis are the engineering sciences, the natural sciences, the life sciences, medicine and economic sciences. In 2006, after receiving numerous awards, it was declared a Center of Excellence by the German Science Council and the German Research Community. TUM’s international network also includes a branch campus in Singapore. As an entrepreneurial university, TUM is committed to the principle of competitive excellence.
www.tum.de
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Contact for media representatives

Sven Winkler, Helmholtz Zentrum München – German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1 85764 Neuherberg - Phone.: +49 89-3187-3946 - Fax: +49 89-3187-3324 - email: presse@helmholtz-muenchen.de

Scientific contact
Prof. Ulrike Protzer, Helmholtz Zentrum München – German Research Center for Environmental Health and the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Institute for Virology, Trogerstr. 30, 81675 München - Phone: +49 89-4140-6821 – Fax: +49 89-4140-6823 – email: protzer@helmholtz-muenchen.de