Liver transplants often save the lives of seriously ill patients. However, there remains a risk that the body will reject the new organ. Doctors distinguish between acute and chronic rejection. While acute rejection is easy to diagnose and treat, chronic rejection causes lasting damage to the organ, is difficult to detect – currently only possible by examining tissue samples under a microscope – and is often overlooked. An international research team led by Hannover Medical School (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) has now discovered clear molecular signatures for chronic rejection even after liver transplantation, which could aid diagnosis. After ten years of work, the findings have now been published in the Journal of Hepatology.

To mark its 60th anniversary, the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) is bringing its research to the heart of Braunschweig's city center from 3 to 17 December 2025. Under the motto “Bringing science to life where people spend their everyday lives ”, the HZI is presenting an interactive exhibition, hands-on stations, offers for school classes in cooperation with the BioS school laboratory and exciting after-work talks with experts from the HZI in the science showcase ("Wissenschaftsschaufenster") at Waisenhausdamm 8.

A novel oral immunotherapy for cancer and a drug for treating chronic liver fibrosis: What many patients are hoping for is already a part of cutting-edge research in Lower Saxony. To ensure that such innovative ideas are translated into practical applications more quickly, the state of Lower Saxony is funding particularly promising projects: “Citrapeutics” from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig and “RNA Healer” from the Hannover Medical School (MHH) will receive a total of nearly €2.5 million in funding from the Institute for Biomedical Translation (IBT) Lower Saxony to spur their innovations.