Minimum quantity regulation for premature babies: Federal states sue, experts warn of risks
In Germany, since January 2024, hospitals have had to treat at least 25 extremely prematurely born children with a birth weight of less than 1,250 grams annually in order to be allowed to care for these particularly vulnerable newborns. This minimum quantity...
Breakthrough in tumor therapy: First treatment with radioactive ion beams
A groundbreaking advance in cancer therapy was achieved with the first successful treatment of a tumor in an animal using radioactive ion beams. The project "BARB – Biomedical Applications of Radioactive ion Beams", funded by the European Research Council (ERC) with...
REPORT: AI-supported early detection of retinal diseases at the University Hospital Bonn
Die Früherkennung von Netzhauterkrankungen wie der altersabhängigen Makuladegeneration (AMD) steht im Fokus der neuen W3-Professur für Retinologie und erbliche Netzhauterkrankungen an der Augenklinik des Universitätsklinikums Bonn (UKB). Seit August 2025 leitet Prof....
AI model revolutionizes the diagnosis of colorectal cancer
An international research team led by Prof. Jakob N. Kather from the Else Kröner Fresenius Center (EKFZ) for Digital Health at TU Dresden has developed a novel AI model that could speed up the diagnosis of colorectal cancer and make it more cost-effective. The model...
New fluorescent markers decipher the mode of action of tirzepatide
An international study with the participation of the Leibniz Research Institute for Molecular Pharmacology (FMP) in Berlin has made groundbreaking progress in the research of modern diabetes and obesity drugs. With the help of novel fluorescent markers, it was made...
Unevenly distributed medical study places exacerbate the shortage of doctors in Germany
A recent evaluation by the CHE Centre for Higher Education shows that federal states with more medical study places guarantee better medical care in the long term. Regions with medical faculties often have a higher density of doctors per inhabitant, while countries...
AOK evaluation: Decline in prescription of the pill among young women
A recent evaluation of statutory health insurance prescription data from the AOK shows a significant decline in prescriptions of the pill among young women. In 2024, only 22 percent of women under the age of 22 were prescribed the contraceptive pill, compared to 43...
New pilot proficiency test: NGS-based analysis of circulating tumor DNA (NGSctDNA)
With the newly initiated pilot interlaboratory test for the NGS-based investigation of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), the RfB is expanding its range of services in the field of molecular oncology. The aim of the proficiency test is to evaluate the quality and...
Workflow optimization can reduce up to 65% of plastic waste in the lab
The Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI) in Jena is working on a concept to make work processes in science and administration more sustainable. The aim is to reduce the environmental footprint of research without...
Aircraft wastewater as an early warning system for the global spread of superbugs
Wastewater from aircraft toilets could become an innovative tool to monitor the global spread of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) superbacteria, which, as a silent pandemic, is expected to cause more deaths than cancer by 2050. A new study led by the Australian Science...
