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Oleksandr Petrenko (l) and Thomas Reiberger (r) © Anna Yuwen / CeMM

New Insights Could Improve Treatment of Liver Fibrosis

Repeated or chronic liver injury, for example by viral hepatitis or alcohol consumption, triggers a complicated molecular process of scaring called liver fibrosis. Researchers at CeMM and MedUni Vienna have now succeeded in better understanding this process in a new study by examining gene activities at various stages of the liver disease. Their findings could contribute to a first-time therapy for fibrosis.

The liver is not only the largest internal organ but also vital for human life as a metabolic center. It also possesses remarkable self-healing powers: even when large portions are removed, such as during surgery, they quickly regenerate…

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F.l.t.r.: Jürgen A. Knoblich (IMBA), Gaia Novarino (ISTA), Christoph Bock (CeMM),
Igor Igorevich Adameyko (MedUni Vienna),
Roman A. Romanov (MedUni Vienna), Daniela D. Pollak-Monje Quiroga (MedUni Vienna) © FWF/Klaus Ranger

FWF "Emerging Fields" Grant for Brain Resilience

We congratulate the Consortium of the newly funded "Brain Resilience" grant! CeMM PI Christoph Bock is part of a team of world-renowned scientists that received one of the first "Emerging Fields" grants of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). Over five years, the research groups coordinated by Igor Adameyko, MedUni Vienna will receive up to 6 million Euro to investigate brain resilience against disease.  

The brain of mammals is formed through highly complex developmental processes, controlled by thousands of genes and their interaction with the prenatal environment. Mutations in the underlying genes can predispose individuals to various…

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Georg Winter

Georg Winter joins global Cancer Grand Challenges team taking on solid tumours in children

The team, which is co-led by Martin Eilers of the University of Würzburg, Germany, and Yaël Mossé of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, US, will receive up to $25m over five years to take on the challenge of solid tumours in children.

A global, interdisciplinary team of researchers, including CeMM PI Georg Winter, has been selected to receive a Cancer Grand Challenges award of up to $25m over five years to tackle the solid tumours in children challenge. The Cancer Grand Challenges KOODAC team is co-led by Martin Eilers of the University of Würzburg, Germany, and Yaël Mossé of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, US.

Cancer Grand…

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Giulio Superti-Furga (c) Bubu Dujmic/CeMM

Giulio Superti-Furga awarded the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, First Class

On 26 February 2024, Giulio Superti-Furga had the pleasure and honor to receive the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, First Class (Österreichisches Ehrenkreuz I. Klasse für Wissenschaft und Kunst) from the Austrian President Professor Alexander Van der Bellen.

The Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, First Class is awarded based on the recommendation of the Federal Government. Established in 1955, this Austrian state decoration recognizes both, Austrians and leading foreign figures who have distinguished themselves and earned general acclaim through especially superior creative and commendable services in the areas of…

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Georg Winter (left) and Matthias Hinterndorfer (right) © CeMM/Anna Yuwen

New System Triggers Cellular Waste Disposal

Established treatments for cancer and other diseases often focus on inhibiting harmful enzymes to mitigate their effects. However, a more innovative approach has emerged: harnessing the cell's natural waste disposal system not just to deactivate but to entirely eradicate these proteins. Researchers at CeMM have already demonstrated the efficacy of this approach through two distinct methods. Now, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Dundee in Scotland, they unveil a third system capable of targeting and disposing of previously inaccessible proteins. Their groundbreaking findings have been published in the journal Nature.

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Vienna Science Ball 2024

CeMM members had a great time at the Wiener Ball der Wissenschaften - Vienna Science Ball 2024! Thanks to the organizers for the terrific programme and special focus on climate, fantastic music, a joyful quadrille, the opportunity to be at the Orchesterloge and the chance to have a nice CeMM group picture with a lot of happy faces.

The Vienna Science Ball is an exceptional opportunity to mingle with our colleagues and friends from the research community, and to celebrate the importance of science. We also thank our special guests Michael Bronstein and Alex Bronstein for joining the ball.

Since the Congress of Vienna, the city of waltzes has…

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Senior author Georg Stary and first author Anna Redl (c) CeMM

New therapeutic approach for the treatment of sarcoidosis

A research team led by Georg Stary (Medical University of Vienna and CeMM) has identified a new approach to treating the inflammatory disease sarcoidosis. In a clinical study, the inhibition of a specific signaling pathway showed clear success in the treatment of granulomas in the skin. This opens up new therapeutic paths for sarcoidosis and similar inflammatory diseases. The results were published in the journal Lancet Rheumatology.

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that is difficult to treat and affects around 15 to 20 out of every 100,000 people. In this disease, tiny clusters of inflammatory cells called granulomas form in the…

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Giulio Superti-Furga (CeMM), Kaan Boztug (CCRI), Jörg Bürger (CCRI), Anita Ender (CeMM) in CeMM Brain Lounge © Bubu Dujmic

CCRI - CeMM Collaboration Agreement

CCRI Directors Kaan Boztug and Jörg Bürger, and CeMM Directors Giulio Superti-Furga and Anita Ender have signed a partnership agreement which further strengthens scientific collaborations and training aspects.

CeMM’s research is strongly oriented towards medical needs and integrates research on fundamental biological processes with clinical expertise to gain new insights into human pathophysiology and develop innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. The research focus is on cancer, inflammation, infection, metabolism and aging. The St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI) strives to improve treatment for children and…

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Christoph Bock, Rob ter Horst, Tomas Krausgruber and Lukas Folkman, f.l.t.r. © CeMM

Vaccine boosts innate immunity in people with dormant immune cells

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is one of the world’s oldest and most widely used vaccines. It was developed in the early 20th century to provide protection from tuberculosis. Surprisingly, this vaccine protects not only against tuberculosis but also reduces the risk for various other infections, through a mechanism called trained immunity. A new study led by Christoph Bock and Mihai Netea found that epigenetic cell states predict whether or not an individual profits from the “wake-up call” to the innate immune system that is provided by the BCG vaccine. This discovery contributes to the development of future therapeutics that induce…

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Marta Miączyńska and Giulio Superti-Furga (c) IIMCB/CeMM

Giulio Superti-Furga and Marta Miączyńska are appointed new chair and co-chair of EU-LIFE

Giulio Superti-Furga, Scientific Director of the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and Marta Miączyńska, Director of the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw (IIMCB), have been appointed new Chair and Co-Chair of the EU-LIFE alliance of leading life science research institutes in Europe.

Over the next two years, Giulio and Marta will work closely with Marta Agostinho, EU-LIFE’s Executive Director, to help shape the European research scene, particularly with regard to scientific excellence. EU-LIFE’s priorities for the near future include emphasising the role of…

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