The DKLM 2025 started today in Leipzig and for the first time combines science and medicine as a congress theme. Shortly before the start of the event, MedLabPortal spoke with conference president and chemist Prof. Uta Ceglarek, as well as with conference president and physician Prof. Berend Isermann.

MedLabPortal: Prof. Ceglarek, Prof. Isermann, you are the conference president of this year’s DKLM. For laboratory medicine, the focus on the scientific part of the discipline is completely new at a congress – why was this aspect so important to you?

Isermann: It’s simply about translation. Without science, there are no medical diagnoses and no laboratory results.

MedLabPortal: Are you alluding to the analytical methods and procedures?

Ceglarek: It’s not about how an HPLC or an MS works. It’s about the research work that we can do with it to develop new diagnostic procedures. An MS is, figuratively speaking, the piano. We can use it to compose our pieces. At the end of the respective process, in the best case, there is a new diagnostic procedure…

Isermann:… or the optimization of existing methods. If you want to ask us what this is good for: Good therapy is useless without good diagnostics.

MedLabPortal: In this respect, you are at the forefront of research. And the newborn screening in your company shows that the advances in laboratory medicine directly benefit the new citizens of the world.

Ceglarek: Newborn screening at Leipzig University Hospital is methodical, which is unusual for Germany. There is systemic recording, and every child has a right to it.

MedLabPortal: Concrete?

Ceglarek: A maximum of 1 day passes from the arrival of the sample to the findings. If a life-threatening illness is detected at the time of diagnosis, we ensure that the child receives therapy as soon as possible. In extreme cases, a helicopter will pick up the child.

MedLabPortal: And the parents? Not everyone will be pleased when the helicopter lands in the garden at breakfast to pick up the newborn.

Ceglarek: No one ends up in the garden. And newborns are usually still in the maternity clinic at that time. But you are right, it has to happen very quickly and parents are often in shock after this information – especially because no symptoms of the disease are yet visible. Ultimately, however, the parents are happy when they learn that our diagnosis leads to therapy. Our goal is for the children to thrive healthily.

MedLabPortal: Are you looking for the best biomarkers for such diagnoses?

Isermann: Greatly simplified, yes. And for this we need the new type of instrumental analytics. For example, we have developed better analytical methods for steroid hormones or immunosuppressants, to name just two examples.

MedLabPortal: What the diagnostics industry is probably queuing up for, because such patents are worth millions or even billions of euros in the end.

Ceglarek: In fact, we could have started our own companies long ago, and we might have made money with the developments as a spin-off. But we haven’t done that, and we don’t want to do that. On the contrary, our developments are freely available to everyone, comprehensible and serve scientific progress and direct benefit for patients.

MedLabPortal: So you’re doing open source research?

Isermann: It is a question of ethics. And in our view, basic research is the engine of all progress, including in laboratory medicine. We have nothing against developing new findings and diagnostics together with companies. In the end, however, it is important to us that we can carry out our studies independently of companies. Scientific freedom, which brings real innovation, is a great asset for us.

MedLabPortal: And that always works smoothly?

Isermann: By no means. In one case, we built up a cohort over 15 years, then there was no follow-up funding. But we rely on federal, state funds and grants. Even though we can clearly say that we are currently missing around 10 million euros to be able to push ahead with substantial research projects.

MedLabPortal: Biobanks and omics, for example?

Isermann: Omics promise better diagnostics, and omics technologies reduce healthcare costs when they are used. As far as biobanks are concerned, we can learn from the UK Biobank and see what it brings.

MedLabPortal: For laymen, this doesn’t sound very exciting…

Isermann: Let’s take the example of oncology. Omics and biobanks provide the data basis for providing patients with a tailor-made therapy. Without these tools, the same therapy would be prescribed to all patients – but this may only work for 40 percent of those affected. Then perhaps another therapy will be tried. We want to prevent this with better diagnostics.

MedLabPortal: Robotics and AI will also play a major role at the congress…

Ceglarek: Which brings us back to the core issue. Without science, there is no functioning laboratory diagnostics, and without it, there are no therapies.

MedLabPortal: You yourself are a chemist and are therefore familiar with Holleman-Wiberg’s standard work on inorganics. In it, the great French writer Victor Hugo is quoted: “Science is looking for a perpetual motion machine. She has found it: she is herself.”

Ceglarek: There is nothing to add to that.

MedLabPortal: Prof. Ceglarek, Prof. Isermann, thank you very much for this interview.

The interview was conducted by Vlad Georgescu in Leipzig.

The German Congress of Laboratory Medicine (DKLM) 2025 promises exciting insights into the interface between science and clinical practice. Under the motto “Science for Precision Medicine”, the German Society for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (DGKL) and the Umbrella Association for Technologists and Analysts in Medicine Germany (DVTA) invite experts from research, clinics and industry to meet on October 23 and 24 at the Congress Center Leipzig (CCL). The two-day event is aimed at laboratory physicians, biomedical analysts and decision-makers to discuss current advances in diagnostics and strengthen networks. The MedLabAwards ceremony took place in the Salles de Pologne on 22 October.

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

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