From 27 to 29 September 2023, the 'Unlocking Transporters for Drug Discovery' Conference took place at the historic Palais Niederösterreich in Vienna, Austria. The event, open for the first time to the entire scientific community, marked the conclusion of the RESOLUTE and REsolution projects, which are set to conclude by the end of 2023.

The REsolution and RESOLUTE consortia are public-private research partnerships supported by the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI), the European Union, and EFPIA. They are coordinated by CeMM and Pfizer and include partners from academia and the pharmaceutical industry. The RESOLUTE project aims to intensify…

Congratulations to CeMM Adjunct Principal Investigator Thomas Reiberger and CeMM Principal Investigator Laura de Rooij, who received the prestigious CRG funding from the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft for their project entitled "Disease-Driving Mechanisms in Patients with Portal Hypertension," in short "MOTION"!

Portal Hypertension (PH) is a severe consequence of liver diseases, causing more than 2 million (4% of all) deaths worldwide each year. Nevertheless, there are no approved drugs for the effective treatment of PH. Led by CeMM Adjunct PI Thomas Reiberger from the Clinical Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at MedUni Vienna…

Congratulations to Johanna Strobl, a postdoc in the group of CeMM Adjunct Principal Investigator Georg Stary at the Medical University of Vienna, for receiving the Karl Landsteiner Prize in basic immunological research in 2023!

Every year, the Austrian Society for Allergology and Immunology (ÖGAI) and the Karl Landsteiner and Eisler-Terramare Private Memorial Foundation (Bio&Bio) present this award in honor of the significant contributions of Karl Landsteiner, an Austrian immunologist and pathologist known for discovering blood groups. The prize, endowed with 4,000 €, recognizes outstanding publications in the field of basic immunological…

Two scientists at the CeMM have received prestigious ERC Starting Grants from the European Commission: Clarissa Campbell and Barbara Maier. In Clarissa Campbell's laboratory, researchers are working to better understand the interplay between the immune system and metabolism. Barbara Maier and her team are researching the role of lymph nodes in the context of cancer.

The ERC grants are among the most prestigious and competitive research grants offered by the European Union. The ERC Starting Grants provide support to outstanding researchers in establishing their scientific careers and forming their own research groups. These grants are endowed…

Scientists at CeMM, Max Perutz Labs, and St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute have achieved a significant advancement in the research of rare immune system disorders. Through a network-based approach, they have reclassified approximately 200 rare diseases. Initial comparisons with clinical data already demonstrate how this can enhance the prediction of treatment efficacy. Moreover, the study reveals for the first time the strong similarities between the molecular mechanisms of rare diseases and autoimmune and autoinflammatory conditions, such as chronic inflammatory bowel disorders, multiple sclerosis, and specific types of diabetes.…

T cells are an essential component of the immune system - they fight foreign structures such as bacteria and viruses or cancer-related changes in cells. This defense reaction requires energy. Scientists led by the St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute and the Marmara University Istanbul have now shown for the first time that a defect in the gene for the transcription factor NFATC1 leads to an immune defect with a disruption of metabolism in T lymphocytes. They were also able to show in a cell culture model that this metabolic disturbance of the immune cells was improved by the administration of established anti-diabetic drugs. The…

CeMM, the Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), has been awarded the HR Excellence in Research Award from the European Commission. This recognition comes as a result of CeMM’s longstanding efforts to create the best possible conditions for top-tier scientists from around the world. Outstanding and innovative research is made possible through structurally optimal conditions, and with the HR Excellence Research Award comes a continued dedication to fostering an environment conducive to scientific innovation. By earning this accreditation, CeMM pledges to further implement the principles outlined in…

The SMNDC1 gene controls key functions in the human body and is linked to diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Scientists in Stefan Kubicek’s research group at the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences have successfully pinpointed the exact location of the SMNDC1 protein within the cell nucleus and identified an inhibitor that opens up the potential for therapeutic applications of SMNDC1. The study has been published in Nature Communications.

The protein SMNDC1 is considered an essential gene in the human body, present in nearly every cell. Previous studies by Principal Investigator Stefan Kubicek's…

Scientists from the Giulio Superti-Furga Lab at CeMM, the Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, have developed a new method that allowed the discovery of specific inhibitors of a lactate transporter that is associated with cancer and other diseases areas. The compound identified in the assay system could provide a new starting point for cancer treatments. The study was now published in Cell Chemical Biology.

Transporter proteins, including their largest class, the solute carrier (SLC) family, are proteins that are mostly located in the cell membrane and through which the supply and removal of nutrients…

Heart attacks and strokes arising from atherosclerosis, which is driven by the accumulation of lipids in the inner linings of arteries, are responsible for about one third of deaths worldwide. Accordingly, atherosclerosis is the focus of intense research aimed at the development of novel effective treatments. A team of researchers from MedUni Vienna has now described a key molecular pathway that provides new fundamental insights into the understanding of atherosclerosis progression and may pave the way for new treatment approaches. The results of the study were published in the renowned journal Immunity. 

Recent technological advancements…