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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.

On March 17 and 18, 2025, the kick-off meeting of the INFRALINK network took place at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig. Six partner institutions will establish a network to facilitate infection research between the public health service and research institutions. The project is being funded by the Volkswagen Foundation with 500,000 euros.