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The Fraunhofer Center for Digital Diagnostics

Fraunhofer bundles competencies for the targeted development of digital diagnostics solutions. In the Potsdam model region, new solutions and fields of application for digital diagnostics are being researched and developed in order to effectively support patient care and realize value-added potential in the region.

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Fraunhofer develops automated production technologies for mRNA-based drugs

Coordinated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, seven Fraunhofer institutes are working on the development of automated production technologies for mRNA-based drugs. RNAuto is a Fraunhofer lighthouse project that will receive €8 million in funding from the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft over the next four years.

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© links: Fraunhofer IST, Falko Oldenburg | rechts: Fraunhofer IST, Paul Kurze

Plasma treatment during 3D printing improves acceptance of implants

In the High-Performance Center Medical and Pharmaceutical Engineering, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST have succeeded in integrating a plasma source into a 3D printer, thereby enabling the surface to be modified. The aim is to treat the scaffolds with plasma during the actual printing process in order to produce the desired properties.

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© links: Fraunhofer IST, Falko Oldenburg | rechts: Fraunhofer IST, Paul Kurze

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MED²ICIN – Digital patient model as a basis for personalised and cost-optimised treatment

Point-and-click prevention, diagnostics and treatment: That is the vision behind the MED²ICIN lighthouse project. The development of digital models of patients has the potential to revolutionize the healthcare sector. The adoption of innovative digital solutions throughout the treatment process can improve patient care, and also pave the way for treatment that is more targeted, efficacious – and therefore more cost-effective.

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Fraunhofer Health

Health research at Fraunhofer addresses the four key areas of medical science — drugs, diagnostics, devices and data, or 4D for short. Many innovations emerge at the interface between medical science, natural science, computer science and engineering. With its emphasis on transdisciplinary research, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft offers the perfect environment for close collaboration on health research and the development of cost-intelligent precision medicine for the benefit of patients.

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Fraunhofer-Institut für Toxikologie und Experimentelle Medizin ITEM

New Opportunity for Cancer Therapy: Miniature Lab Provides Insights into Metastases Development

Every year, around half a million people in Germany are diagnosed with cancer. Despite the existence of effective treatment options for many types of cancer, many questions about the development of the disease remain unanswered. Why does a tumor develop? What factors promote the growth of cancer cells? Why do metastases spread to other organs over time? 

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Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT

Intelligent and flexible ultrasonic sensor system based on the modular principle

As part of the Fraunhofer Center for Sensor Intelligence ZSI, the intelligent and flexible ultrasonic sensor system “SonoOne” was developed according to the modular principle. “SonoOne” can serve the rapidly developing ultrasound market, especially in the field of portable systems, with innovative and highly flexible products. On the hardware side, “SonoOne” consists of cost-effective, matchbox-sized modules that can be easily combined and configured into a complete system for a wide variety of applications and, thanks to the modular concept, can be used universally for a wide range of acoustic measurement tasks.

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Fraunhofer-Institut für Zelltherapie und Immunologie IZI

Tumour tissue on a chip: new possibilities for cell therapies and personalized medicine

Tumor-on-chip technology is used to grow a patient's own tumor tissue outside the body in order to evaluate the efficacy and safety of novel therapeutic approaches.

News (university hospital Würzburg - german)
 

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Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Medicine MEVIS

MRI measurements on a desk

Fraunhofer MEVIS aims for utilizing compact MRI devices for research and education. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides non-invasive insights into the human body. This is why MRI scanners are an integral part of routine diagnostic imaging. However, their programming is complex and requires highly specialized knowledge. An initiative by the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Medicine MEVIS in Bremen now tries to change this: Fraunhofer MEVIS has purchased several small tabletop MRI devices to be combined with the in-house developed software platform gammaSTAR. 

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Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT

Bioreactor research processes and cryotechnologies improve active ingredient tests using human cell cultures

Many new drug candidates end up failing because they cause serious side effects in clinical trials even though lab tests involving cell cultures have been successful. This is a common occurrence if the cells used come from animal tissue, for example. Specially prepared cell cultures made from human tissue known as human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cells enable greater reliability in testing, thereby also increasing the chances that a drug will be approved. Fraunhofer researchers have developed innovative solutions for optimized production of cells in bioreactors and unique cryotechnologies. This is paving the way for efficient real-world use of these cell cultures in toxicity testing.and drug discovery.

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Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT

Brain stimulation with 3D ultrasound to treat neurological diseases and conditions

Fraunhofer researchers have developed a technology that uses ultrasound signals for targeted stimulation of certain areas of the brain. A special ultrasound system with 256 individually controllable transducers makes it possible to target and stimulate individual points deep inside the brain with sound signals. In the future, the innovative 3D sound technology from the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT could be used to treat diseases and conditions such as epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, depression, addiction, and even the aftereffects of stroke.

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Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM

The virus hackers - RNAi therapy for viral respiratory diseases

A research team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM and the Hannover Medical School (MHH) have made significant progress in developing a new antiviral therapy. The drug, which is inhaled, uses RNAi to target and deactivate parainfluenza viruses before they multiply.

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Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI

New agent for the treatment of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases

On 1 July, the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology and Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg launched a multi-centre confirmatory preclinical study to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of a new agent for the treatment of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases.

 

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Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI

Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology wins an award in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern competition for ideas for the healthcare industry

On 2 May 2024, Reinhard Meyer, minister for economic affairs of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, presented the awards to the winners of the “Innovative ideas for the healthcare sector” competition, in the state’s capital, Schwerin. The seven winners included a project proposal by Fraunhofer IZI’s Rostock Department of Extracorporeal Therapy. The successful project was “mi4ASSESS-MED – A marketing and innovation strategy to strengthen the market position and competitiveness of ASSESS-MED”.

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Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM

EU project REGENERAR: 3 million euros allocated for research into the development of innovative technologies for brain regeneration

With the aim of developing a new technology for brain regeneration, the EU project REGENERAR kicks off on March 22, 2024. Fraunhofer ITEM is one of seven research partners, led by the University of Coimbra, seeking to create better therapies for patients with neurodegenerative diseases or stroke using this technology.

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Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT

Network of young scientists for research into a combinatorial diagnostics of Alzheimer’s disease

Fraunhofer IBMT Partner in the EU-Project »CombiDiag«. Memory impairment, orientation problems and speech difficulties can be signs of the onset of Alzheimer's dementia. This disease is not yet curable, but its progression can be slowed down with medication and supportive measures. The EU project "CombiDiag" is a doctoral network funded under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions of Horizon Europe, aiming to train ten doctoral students in the field of multimodal peripheral markers and their combinatorial use for the diagnosis of early-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD). 

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Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI

Biomarkers for the successful treatment of tumors in the bone marrow identified

CAR-T cell therapy has been established as an effective treatment for various haematological cancers. However, the treatment does not have the same level of success in all patients. In a current clinical study, researchers from the University of Leipzig Medical Center and the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI have identified various biomarkers which are linked to the response to CAR-T cell therapy in multiple myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer. The results of their study were published in the renowned journal Nature Cancer.

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Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT

Development of a miniaturized lung and kidney support device for critically ill newborns

The EU project "ArtPlac" is a preclinical research project to develop an innovative technology for medical treatments in neonatal intensive care. The project involves an international research team of physicians and engineers, supported by an organization that represents the interests of premature and newborn babies and their families. 

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Research consortium CureMILS | Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP

»Restart« for energy metabolism - hope for people with rare disease

Der Einsatz bereits zugelassener Medikamente lässt auf neue Wege zur Behandlung seltener Erkrankungen wie des Leigh-Syndroms hoffen. Dies zeigen die Arbeiten im Forschungskonsortium CureMILS, die zu ersten erfolgreichen Behandlungen führten.

Newsletter (Federal Ministry of Education an Research - german)

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Fraunhofer Match is the central platform for placing research requests with Fraunhofer.  You tell us about your challenge or project - and Fraunhofer Match will put you in touch with researchers who have the right expertise to help you work out solutions. 

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Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT

Bidirectional control of prosthetic hands using ultrasonic sensors

For anyone who has lost a hand, a functional prosthetic hand is of enormous benefit when it comes to everyday activities. So researchers at Fraunhofer are working as part of an EU research project to improve control of prosthetic hands down to individual fingers. Instead of conventional electrodes that detect nerve impulses in muscle tissue in the arm, these rely on ultrasonic sensors. This means commands can be executed with far greater accuracy and sensitivity. In the next stage, researchers want to make the design bidirec-tional, with the brain also receiving sensory stimuli from the prosthesis.

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Joint project »CAR Factory« | Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI

»CAR Factory«: New approaches in immune cell therapy

German Cancer Aid funds Germany-wide research network for CAR cell therapy with 4 million euros. The joint project “CAR Factory” is headed by Professor Dr. Michael Hudecek (University Hospital Würzburg, UKW) and Professor Dr. Evelyn Ullrich (University Hospital Frankfurt am Main).

News (University hospital Würzburg - german)