Newsroom

Fusobacteria, which are part of the oral microbiome, are suspected of playing a role in cancer progression. Scientists at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) are working on innovative strategies to inhibit the spread of these bacteria. Antisense molecules, which could serve as programmable, targeted antibiotics, show great promise. In a recent study, a research team led by Jörg Vogel identified a compound that effectively halts the growth of five Fusobacterium species. The findings were published today in the journal mBio.

Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infects the liver and causes severe inflammation. According to WHO estimates, 12 million people worldwide are infected with HDV. Currently, there are only a few treatment options. A team of researchers from TWINCORE, the Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research in Hannover, has developed a stem cell-based infection model for HDV and has used it to discover a possible target for an attack on the virus. They are now publishing their results in the scientific journal JHEP Reports. The TWINCORE is a joint institution of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig and Hannover Medical School (MHH).

Organoids are a pioneering tool in biomedical research. These tiny, organ-like cell structures are grown from stem cells and open up completely new possibilities for studying infectious diseases in human tissue. In this episode of the HZI podcast InFact, Dr Kristin Metzdorf, Deputy Head of the Department “Innovative Organoid Research” at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), explains why these “mini-organs” are ideal for studying the interplay of the host with viruses or bacteria.

The Helmholtz Association is pooling its commitment to prevention research with the launch of the Helmholtz Health Prevention Task Force. In a strategy paper published in Nature Medicine, the expert committee outlines initial concepts for more effectively integrating prevention into medical practice.

The development and spread of antibiotic resistance represents one of the greatest threats to global health. To overcome these resistances, drugs with novel mode of action are urgently needed. Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) have now uncovered the mode of action of a promising class of natural products – the chlorotonils. These molecules simultaneously target the bacterial cell membrane and the bacteria’s ability to produce proteins, enabling them to break through resistance. The team published its findings in the journal Cell Chemical Biology.

Today, around 60 schoolchildren from grades 5 to 9 visited the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig to gain an insight into the work of a modern research institution. They were able to immerse themselves in the fascinating world of science in a total of eight different departments.