Fraunhofer Health

Health research at Fraunhofer addresses the four key areas of medical science — drugs, diagnostics, devices and data, or 4D for short. Many innovations emerge at the interface between medical science, natural science, computer science and engineering. With its emphasis on transdisciplinary research, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft offers the perfect environment for close collaboration on health research and the development of cost-intelligent precision medicine for the benefit of patients.

News

 

Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM

Designer immune cells for drug discovery, potency and safety testing

To prevent testing on animals and create even more precise ways of testing therapeutics, the pharmaceutical industry is increasingly turning to human immune cells. However, the availability of cells like these has been limited to date. Now, Fraunhofer researchers have succeeded in scaling the production of customized immune cells from laboratory up to industrial level.

 

Fraunhofer-Institut für Digitale Medizin MEVIS

Using artificial intelligence to improve prostate cancer treatment

The »PROSurvival« research project started in November 2022 with the aim of making routine clinical data available for research in a data-protection-compliant manner, thus enabling improved therapy decisions for prostate cancer patients. 

 

Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI

Software development expands portfolio of RIBOLUTION Biomarker Center at Fraunhofer IZI

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).

 

LOEWE Center for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG)

Pharma research: Mild bee venom shows greater application potential

In a recently published study, researchers from the Hessian LOEWE Center for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG) show the importance of the previously little-studied toxins of wild bee species, whose milder melittin variants appear to be more useful for pharmacology.

 

Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM

1.5 million euros for rapid therapies against viral diseases

Despite successful vaccine development, there are still no effective drugs for most viral diseases. This should change as soon as possible. With the project iGUARD (integrated Guided Ultrafast Antiviral RNAi Drug development) a research team of Prof. Armin Braun, Fraunhofer ITEM, and Prof. Axel Schambach, Hannover Medical School (MHH), is developing RNA-based drugs to combat viral diseases using a natural mechanism of our body. 

 

Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT

A new generation of microimplants

They are barely the size of a thumbnail, able to communicate with each other and respond to each other, and designed to make life easier for people with functional limitations. 

 

Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Medicine MEVIS

A complete package for minimally invasive tumor therapy

License agreement and joint development: Fraunhofer MEVIS commences cooperation with Israeli partner for worldwide use of innovative software technology in ultrasound-aided tumor ablation

 

Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP

Opening of the Fraunhofer ITMP-TNM Early Clinical Trial Unit (ECTU)

The Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP opened an Early Clinical Trial Unit (ECTU) at the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) on September 15, 2022. The focus is on first clinical testing of compounds for the treatment of largely intractable (autoimmune) diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease. The goal is a rapid and targeted implementation of scientific findings to diagnostics, therapies and prevention.

 

Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP

Opening of the Fraunhofer ITMP and awarding of the Fraunhofer medal to former premier of the state of Hesse Volker Bouffier

On September 21, 2022, the Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP was officially opened. The institute, which was already transferred to an independent Fraunhofer Institute at the beginning of last year, has since developed into an important component and leading institute of Fraunhofer health research. During the opening ceremony at the University Hospital Frankfurt, Volker Bouffier was also honored with the Fraunhofer Medal.

 

Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM

Multi-organ chip detects dangerous nanoparticles

What happens when we breathe in nanoparticles emitted by a laser printer, for example? Could these nanoparticles damage the respiratory tract or perhaps even other organs? To answer these questions, Fraunhofer researchers are developing the »NanoCube« exposure device. The Nanocube’s integrated multi-organ chip set up in the laboratory of the Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin) and by its spin-off organization “TissUse” detects interaction between nanoparticles and lung cells, the uptake of nanoparticles into the bloodstream and possible effects on the liver.

 

Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM

Airway basal cells as key cells in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis

Prof. Antje Prasse, Dr. Benedikt Jäger and their team provide important insights into idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) – a fatal disease with limited treatment options – with their paper »Airway basal cells show a dedifferentiated KRT17highPhenotype and promote fibrosis in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis« published in Nature Communications.

 

Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP

Pandemic research at the Penzberg site - scientists provide insights into initial projects

 

Fraunhofer Li

MED²ICIN – Digital patient model as a basis for personalised and cost-optimised treatment

 

Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT

BioSensoLab - Biological laboratory to go

Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT have developed the “BioSensoLab“, a mobile biological laboratory with which they can demonstrate new developments to customers and test them together – on site at their companies. These new technologies rely in particular on intelligent sensors combined with artificial intelligence to perform analyses. 

 

Archive

News Archive

Further notifications from our member institutes