Medizin

The development of the cation channel channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by Prof. Ernst Bamberg and his colleagues and its application to light-induced modulation of neurons paved the way for the field of optogenetics.
Over time the light-gated cation channel channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) has become an indispensable tool in neuroscience. Based on the pioneering work on ChR2 new variants have emerged, differing in their spectrum of light absorption, their kinetic ...

Natural extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid vesicles that carry a plethora of biologically active molecules including soluble and membrane proteins, nucleic acids and metabolites. They have recently been recognized as a promising cell-free alternative to cell transplantation or as a novel therapeutic tool in various diseases. Many in vitro and in vivo studies have shown beneficial effects of EVs from different cell types in diseases ranging from cardiovascular conditions to ...

Many viruses use programmed ribosome frameshifting (FS) to increase genome-coding capacity and to regulate the stoichiometric ratio between viral proteins. Among them are human-pathogenic viruses HIV-1, SARS-CoV-2 and alphaviruses such as Semliki Forest virus (SFV). Synthesis of two major HIV-1 genes, gag and pol, requires –1FS. The ratio between Gag and Gag-Pol is crucial for virus propagation and its dysregulation is detrimental for replication, particle formation and infectivity of HIV-1. ...

The development of the cation channel channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by Prof. Ernst Bamberg and his colleagues, and its application to light-induced modulation of neurons paved the way for the field of optogenetics.
Over time the light-gated cation channel channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) has become an indispensable tool in neuroscience. Based on the pioneering work on ChR2 new variants have emerged, differing in their spectrum of light absorption, their kinetic ...

The RNA-programmable DNA-endonuclease Cas9 is widely used for genome engineering, where a high degree of specificity is required. Though this is a mechanism well controlled by canonical base-pairing, there is evidence that Cas9 does accept mismatches under certain circumstances.
This might be seen as a threat to precision needed in genome engineering at least in environments where such high precision is ultimately needed and acceptance of mismatches needs to be avoided, e.g.: cellular gene ...

A Cas nuclease such as Cas9 can introduce a DNA double strand break in a sequence target that is complementary to a 20-nt spacer sequence of its bound guide RNA (gRNA) when a protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) is present. The gRNA can be provided as duplex of spacer containing CRISPR RNA (crRNA) and trans-activating crRNA (tracrRNA). Or as a single gRNA (sgRNA) where crRNA and tracrRNA are fused by an artificial loop.
Hence a gRNA consists of the target-specific spacer and a constant part typically ...

The LITESEC-T3SS (Light-induced translocation of effectors through sequestration of endogenous components of the T3SS) system represents a novel, fast, specific, and reversible method to control protein secretion into eukaryotic cells, enabling various medicinal and biotechnological applications, such as targeted drug delivery for tumor therapy.

A tRNA^ALA heteroplasmy mouse model to study mitochondrial disorders such as encephalomyophathies, that recapitulates symptoms as observed in human patients with disease-causing mutation in the same mitochondrial gene.

We present an extremely sensitive, reliable and fast novel Lysine deacetylase (KDAC) assay, which can be performed in a continuous format. This novel KDAC assay is based on Firefly luciferase harboring an acetylation on an essential active site lysine, incorporated by genetic code expansion.

We furthermore offer a bacterial selection system that can help engineer KDACs. The selection system uses a reporter enzyme inactivated by lysine modifications at an essential active site residue, thereby ...

Biomarkers of ageing have long been sought after to help assess the biological age and general health status of individuals. Considerable efforts have been invested to identify such biomarkers, including physiologic readouts, metabolic parameters, glycomic profiles and others. Nevertheless, markers with strong predictive power have remained elusive.

Work in model organisms has identified several conserved signaling pathways that extend life span, such as reduced insulin/IGF signaling and ...

Autoimmune diseases affect approximately 5%–8% of the global population, causing immense suffering and posing a significant socioeconomic burden.

Over 80 autoimmune diseases have been identified so far, including Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, and Systemic Erythematosus Lupus.

Current immune-modulatory drugs used in treating autoimmune diseases are non-specific and often ...

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common non-traumatic disabling disease among young adults. It affects approximately 2.8 million individuals worldwide, with increasing incidence and prevalence in both developed and developing countries.

The current immunomodulatory treatments for MS primarily address inflammation but fall short in promoting myelin repair and neurological function restoration.

Therefore, ...

RNA plays a vital role in gene expression regulation, and its dysregulation is linked to diseases such as cancer, neurodegeneration, and viral infections. Targeting RNA-binding proteins or RNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and mRNAs, represents an emerging area in drug discovery. However, traditional RNA-binding small molecules often rely on linear hydrophobic aromatic scaffolds, which limit chemical diversity and therapeutic potential. This invention introduces azetidine-based small molecules, ...

Lytic bacteriophages, or phages, possess a unique ability to replicate by infecting and destroying bacterial hosts, offering vast potential in medical and biotechnological fields. Their applications span across clinical and industrial sectors, including phage therapy for treating and preventing bacterial infections in humans, such as enteric diseases, skin infections, chronic conditions, and sepsis. Beyond healthcare, phages can help reduce bacterial virulence and antibiotic resistance, preserve ...