Researchers optimize drug candidate against multi-resistant bacteria and parasites

20-Jun-2022

The development of new active substances against pathogenic bacteria, parasites, fungi and viruses is gaining importance, as established antiinfectives are becoming increasingly ineffective due to the development of resistance. At the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland ...

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Scientists show that target RNA levels influence defense against invaders

15-Jun-2022

Friend or foe? Immune systems constantly face this question. They must recognize and clear foreign invaders without eliciting autoimmunity. Prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas systems recognize invaders based on genetic sequence. But what happens if the host genome shares the same sequences? A research team ...

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A new study indicates how deep learning can improve gene therapies and antiviral drugs

02-Jun-2022

The nuclease Cas13b associated with CRISPR defense systems—also known as genetic scissors—has the potential to be used in the future in hereditary diseases to silence adverse genes. In the fight against infections, it is also being researched as an antiviral agent, as Cas13b can target the genome ...

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PAM-DETECT enables faster characterisation of CRISPR immune systems

28-Feb-2022

For many diseases, the tools of medicine are reaching their limits. CRISPR technologies open new avenues for diagnostics and therapies, although the natural source of CRISPR remains largely untapped. Scientists from the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg, a ...

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Vaccine proves safe and effective against liver fibrosis and liver cancer

22-Feb-2022

Liver cancer is the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. So far, the treatment options for two types of liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), have been inadequate, while the number of new cases has been rising. A study by researchers at ...

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Immunologists have deciphered a new role of nitric oxide in the defense against pathogens.

26-Oct-2021

Nitric oxide (NO) occurs naturally in the human body as a messenger substance. It is considered an all-rounder, as it performs numerous important regulatory functions, including immune defense against pathogens. The exact mode of action of this molecule has now been uncovered by immunologist ...

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LEOPARD has the potential to revolutionize diagnostics

29-Apr-2021

Am I infected with SARS-CoV-2? Is it one of the dangerous variants? Being able to answer these and more questions with a single efficient diagnostic test can be decisive for gauging the spread of disease and selecting the right therapy. In a study published in the journal "Science", researchers ...

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Researchers succeed in developing neutralizing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies from immune cells of healthy donors

16-Mar-2021

An international research team of the Technische Universität Braunschweig and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), led by the Department of Biotechnology of the TU Braunschweig, has reported on the development of special antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in the journal Nature ...

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Researchers succeed in deep sequencing RNA of single bacteria

21-Aug-2020

Bacteria show a wide range of capabilities in withstanding antibiotic treatment or attack by our immune system, which are great challenges in infection research. Scientists at the Würzburg-based Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), a site of the Helmholtz Centre for ...

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An innovative method identifies newly activated genes within individual cells

12-Jul-2019

Cells are equipped with multiple defense mechanisms to fight off intruders. Genes encode the building blocks of the response that must be activated during an enemy attack in an ordered manner. Scientists at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg, one of the ...

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