e:Med Meeting
e:Med Meeting 2017 in Göttingen
The e:Med Meeting 2017 is taking place in Göttingen from November 21-23. Registration and abstract submission is now open!
link to Meeting website
A systems medicine network
e:Med has the objective of establishing systems medicine in Germany. e:Med promotes system-oriented research into diseases in order to facilitate improved prevention, more comprehensive diagnostics and individually adjusted therapy schemes in individualized medicine. The program brings together scientists with molecular-genetic, clinical, mathematical and information technology expertise, with the objective of ensuring that research results quickly benefit patients.
Electronic processing (e:Med) plays a particularly important role for unraveling scientific questions in iterative cycles of experimental studies and computer modelling approaches. The nationwide research and funding concept has been funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) since 2014.
Highlights
Consortia
Schizophrenia risk mutations lead to instable neuronal networks
How does Schizophrenia work on the molecular level? In this study, dynamic network neuroscience techniques and neuroimaging methods were applied by scientists of the e:Med consortia IntegraMent to uncover the molecular and genetic contributions of glutamate and brain network dynamics. Highlight from the e:MedIUM
Consortia
Beta cells under fire
Type 2 diabetes causes pathological changes in the beta cells. Scientists have successfully depicted the processes on the basis of the metabolome and proteome for the first time. Their work has been published in Cell Metabolism. read more
Junior research alliances and consortia
The importance of being genotyped
Small cell lung cancer is an aggressive type of cancer and can progress in very different, individual ways but so far no targeted therapy has been approved. By designing a mouse model mimicking a human disease phenotype, scientists of the e:Med alliances MILES & SMOOSE discovered a promising combination therapy. Highlight from the e:Medium
Junior research alliances
New route to a diagnosis
In about half of all patients with rare hereditary disorders, it is still unclear what exact position of the genome is responsible for their condition - despite whole genome sequencing analysis. One reason for this is the enormous quantity of information encoded in human genes. Scientists from the fields of informatics and medicine have now joined forces to find a solution: A team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Helmholtz Zentrum München has developed a method that significantly increases the chances of a successful search. The new approach looks not only at DNA, but also at RNA. The e:Med junior research alliance mitOmics contributed substantially to this study. read more
Demonstrators and Junior research alliances
Metabolic fine tuning
Amino acids as signaling molecules: Interaction uncovered
Amino acids are important signaling molecules which influence cellular and organismal metabolism, however, their molecular targets are not yet completely identified.
A systems study has now shed light into the molecular interaction network and the diverse cellular functions of amino acids.
Highlight from the e:Med Newsletter
Consortia
Tracking down allergies
Decoding T cell regulation in allergies: What works differently in the immune system of allergic persons? Which immune cells can be held responsible for immune system overreaction? Scientists from Berlin, together with the e:Med consortia e:Kid around Professor Nina Babel, have now shed light on these questions and have decoded the role of the different T cells in allergies. Highlight from the e:Med Newsletter
Consortia
Calculating Cancer
Mathematical models to predict and fight cancer: How can mathematical models be used in order to improve cancer prognosis and therapy? In the studies presented here, e:Med scientists from SYSIMIT generated models to improve prediction of breast cancer development and for a personalized treatment of bacterial infection against cancer. Highlight from the e:Med Newsletter
Consortia
Social phobia: further indications of a genetic cause
What are the causes of social phobia? This question was raised by scientists of the consortium IntegraMent. For this they examined mutations found in patients with social phobia. They discovered that a SNP in the serotonin transporter gene SLC6A4 is associated with the disease. Serotonin is an important substance in the brain, which also suppresses feelings of anxiety and is a common target of psychotropic drugs. The results emphasize that serotonin transporter play an important role in developing social phobia. read more
Junior research alliances
Christiane Opitz awarded prize from the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences
The Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences prize - sponsored by the Monika Kutzner Foundation for the Promotion of Cancer Research - was awarded to Dr. (Med.) Christiane Opitz in 2014. The prize money is 10,000 €. read more
Demonstratoren
Johann-Georg-Zimmermann Medal goes to Peter Lichter
Professor Peter Lichter has been presented with the Johann-Georg-Zimmermann Medal 2014/2015 for his life’s work. His merits include groundbreaking findings in the areas of molecular cytogenetics and genome structure. Furthermore, he developed new technologies to explain basic mechanisms of carcinogenesis. read more
