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Providing impetus to promising new fields of research
The complete decoding of the human genome in 2001 represented a milestone in the history of medical research. The human genotype is made up of approximately 25,000 genes. Health research soon recognized that many diseases, for example certain tumours, are due to a genetic defect. The importance of medical genome research for the future thus became clear. This is just one field which is being granted special funding under the High-Tech Strategy.
In the meantime, funding for medical genome research is showing the first signs of success as an application-based programme within the National Genome Research Network (NGFN). Researchers have gained important insights into the causes and origins of diseases. They have been able to strengthen the international competitiveness of German medical genome research. One indicator of this is the great interest shown by industry. The number of companies involved in the network has risen by 60% since 2005.
The new research field of systems biology originated in Germany in close connection with this area. Systems biology tries to understand the entirety of processes in our cells by combining experimental approaches with mathematical methods. Funding from the Federal Government has been instrumental in putting Germany at the top in this field of research. It has proved possible to establish new interdisciplinary research structures in association with the Länder. European strategies for the development of systems biology have been developed under the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
Project Example
Improved diagnostics for prostate cancer
The prostate carcinoma is one of the most frequent forms of cancer. Nevertheless, at the moment there is still no satisfactory diagnostic method to enable a clear distinction between slow-growing and aggressive fast-growing tumours. This means that patients are frequently treated unnecessarily or wrongly, often with serious side-effects. A new form of diagnosis can help to eliminate these imponderabilities. The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, in cooperation with other partners, has developed a process which recognizes the pattern of gene activities in prostate tissue and can thus trace and evaluate cancerous cells at a very early stage. Samples of gene activities are arranged on a chip. Following a reaction with the processed tissue sample, different colours indicate the activity of certain genes and thus provide the doctor with the information needed to diagnose the prostate carcinoma with certainty. The process is currently being studied as to its suitability for everyday use in hospitals.
Regenerative medicine is another young and very promising field of research. It studies processes of cell, tissue or organ function and regeneration in order to develop therapies. We are already experiencing serious bottlenecks with regard to the supply of suitable donor organs or replacement tissue - and the need is increasing. Thousands of patients in Germany die every year because their bodies reject the transplanted organ. With the right treatment, they would have a good chance of survival. The BMBF and the German Research Association (DFG) are supporting the establishment of a sound scientific basis in this field. The aim is to translate relevant findings into applications in the field of regenerative medicine in Germany. The so-called Translational Centres for Regenerative Medicine in Berlin und Leipzig are able to act as catalysts in this field.
Thanks to funding from the Federal Government, Germany is among the leading nations in the up-and-coming field of computational neuroscience. Computational neuroscience is understood to be the linking of experimental neurosciences with physics, mathematics and computer sciences in order to study the functioning of the brain during processes of disease, thinking, learning and ageing. The National Bernstein Network for Computational Neuroscience (http://www.nncn.de/) exercises a great attraction internationally. Countries such as the United States are seeking closer cooperation with German science in this area. All in all, the National Bernstein Network has enrolled more than 80 international young scientists to date.
Obtaining more knowledge about healthy nutrition
The BMBF has significantly increased its funding for nutrition research since 2005. Researchers are studying the effect of nutrition on the human metabolism. This basic knowledge is necessary in order to be able to draw up nutritional recommendations to meet specific needs. The aim is to develop foods which promote health. These may be able to prevent a disease or their particular properties may have a positive influence on the course of the disease. Research within the framework of the High-Tech Strategy is focusing increasingly on translating scientific findings into products and processes - particularly by involving industrial partners more strongly in collaborative projects.
Project Example
Healthy Coffee
The project entitled "Coffee Prevention: Identifying, Testing and Optimizing the Healthy Properties of Coffee" studies the positive influences of coffee on our well-being. The Hamburg firm of Tchibo GmbH is involved in this project in association with four academic partners from all over Germany. Among other things, the working group is decoding the effective substances of coffee with regard to cell protection, for example chlorogenic acids. Two studies on humans have reached the following conclusions: The antioxidative cellular resistance of the participants in the studies was considerably higher during the phases in which they drank the test coffee than during the phases in which they did not drink any coffee. This provides fundamental new findings with regard to the antioxidative effects of coffee-based drinks. New products can be developed on the basis of these results.
Establishing new structures and research collaborations
There has been a significant increase in the incidence of chronic diseases in western societies over the last decades. Improved preventive medicine could help to prevent or mitigate the effects of chronic diseases. What used to be a hotchpotch of specialist institutions, providers in the field of preventive medicine and partners in practice has now been successfully brought together under the umbrella of prevention research. This new specialized field is now in a position to verify preventive measures as to their effectiveness and assess them scientifically.
Intensive support from the BMBF and the German Research Association (DFG) has made it possible to position German clinical research at the top internationally. This has enabled the establishment of an efficient research infrastructure. Clinical research examines human diseases, covering the entire spectrum of biomedical basic research right up to care research.
The competence networks for specific diseases are a key instrument in this area. These networks link nationwide basic research into individual disease sectors, clinical research and patient-based research and also involve specialists and patient associations. So far, competence networks have been set up in the fields of degenerative dementia, obesity, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and asthma/COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).
In some areas, shortcomings in university medicine have been overcome through the establishment of several "Integrated Research and Treatment Centres" (IRTC). One example is the IRTC for Stroke in Berlin which unites all the disciplines involved in researching different aspects of stroke. This interdisciplinary approach means that new research findings can be translated into patient care more quickly.
New research establishments or the expansion of existing institutions are providing new impetus to research and interdisciplinary research cooperation. One example here is the establishment of the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE). Here cutting-edge and interdisciplinary international research is being conducted under one roof in order to pool research in the field of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or dementia. Research is working to discover the causes of these diseases and is developing preventive measures, targeted therapies and new approaches for the care and treatment of patients. Ground-breaking processes are to be initiated in order to improve the quality of life in old age.
At the same time, we want to reduce the social burden on family members and limit the cost on the health system. The Centre is being established as a Helmholtz Centre with its main institute in Bonn and branches in Munich, Tübingen, Göttingen, Magdeburg, Rostock/Greifswald and Witten. Its research work also involves funding projects within the nation-wide "Competence Network for Degenerative Dementia".
Patient care research provides the scientific basis for describing and studying changes in the health system and their effects. Policy-makers rely on the results of patient care research when dealing with the most diverse questions. These include first and foremost the so-called services or expenditure side of statutory health insurance and long-term care insurance. The Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) has therefore been supporting corresponding measures in the field of patient care research for many years. Examples here are the pilot scheme to promote quality assurance in medical care or the Lighthouse Project on Dementia. Research into patient care also plays an increasingly important role in the Federal Government's health research programme.
Project Example
Better care for people with dementia
As life expectancy increases, so does the number of people with dementia illnesses. These illnesses place a considerable strain on those affected. The Federal Government is committed to advancing knowledge and research on dementia illnesses. Measures include, for example, the "Lighthouse Project on Dementia", initiated by the BMG, and the BMBF's "German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases". The lighthouse project conducts studies to evaluate the benefit of non-pharmacological therapies and care for patients with dementia. Existing care structures are evaluated and targeted training measures for nursing staff and family carers assessed.
In addition to neurodegenerative illnesses, diabetes will also represent a significant societal problem as a lifestyle disease in future.
Research into diabetes will therefore be intensified. It will become a powerful, internationally leading, interdisciplinary field in which holistic research will be strengthened. There are plans to set up a "German Centre for Diabetes Research". The Helmholtz Association, the Leibniz Science Association as well as universities and university hospitals will work together in this strategic network to develop new schemes for prevention and early diagnosis mechanisms. The development of alternative therapies and care concepts will provide a significant contribution to preventing diabetes and caring for patients with diabetes. This measure is closely linked with the "Competence Network Diabetes", which funds research projects into diabetes nationwide.
Successful research cooperation - Research into zoonoses
Research into zoonoses is a good example of successful research cooperation within the framework of the High-Tech Strategy. It involves research into diseases which are transmitted from animals to human beings (e.g. avian flu). There are several reasons for the spread of such diseases: These include increasing mobility, population growth and climate change. Zoonoses are also occurring increasingly in industrial countries. The BMEL (Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection), BMBF and BMG are pooling national competencies and resources and thus enabling the establishment of interdisciplinary structures for cooperation. The aim is to promote research and to develop new prevention strategies and measures to combat these diseases.
The National Research Platform on Zoonoses will enable doctors and veterinary surgeons to work together on an interdisciplinary basis with a view to the future. The research collaborations on zoonoses and the "Immediate Action Programme on Influenza" (FSI) support this process. For example, the FSI aims to close the gaps in knowledge about the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu virus and the threat of a pandemic and to develop new strategies to combat the virus (inter alia new diagnostic techniques and vaccines for cats).
http://www.zoonose.net/
Translating medical progress into practice
Germany has a varied and strong research community in the life sciences. The 2008 Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded to Professor Dr. Harald zur Hausen and is an indication of the efficiency of German research in the life sciences. Apart from universities and university hospitals, the institutes of the Helmholtz Association, the Fraunhofer Society, the Max Planck Society and the Leibniz Science Association are gaining groundbreaking insights. The High-Tech Strategy sets out to take up new and promising fields of research at an early stage. The insights gained are to be applied in industry. An analysis shows that the life sciences are already taking advantage of this opportunity in several areas with great success.
Germany is the leading European country in the field of clinical trials
Clinical studies are a driver for innovation in health research and in the health system. Every active substance must pass through various phases of clinical trials on its way to becoming a drug. Important here is knowledge on the safety and effectiveness of drugs and on the success of therapies based on a statistically relevant number of test subjects. Clinical studies thus play a significant role in the transition from research to commercialization and the treatment of patients. A critical evaluation of medical procedures within the framework of clinical trials will ensure that only those developments which are best suited for treatment will be used
The conditions for conducting studies are improving in Germany. Factors here include the availability of the necessary structures, capacities and framework conditions. One concrete example is the readiness to foot the cost of medical care in outpatient studies. This means that Germany has been the European leader in the field of clinical studies since 2007. Measures such as the funding of clinical studies by the BMBF and the DFG or the funding of clinical trial centres have paved the way for this development.
Close cooperation between science and industry in biotechnology
Germany is characterized as a centre for biotechnology and pharmaceuticals by the close linkage between industry and science. Many people setting up in business or members of staff in biotechnology companies have come straight from universities and research institutions. This means that discoveries reach companies directly. But the road to commercialization is often long and stony.
The High-Tech Strategy therefore particularly supports the transition from university to industrial research and development. Successfully. Cooperation between biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies on the development and production of new drugs is increasing significantly.
Pharmaceuticals sector successful
According to surveys by the Donors' Association for German Science, manufacturers of pharmaceutical products have increased their expenditure on research and development from 4.580 billion euros in 2005 to 5.240 billion euros in 2008. This represents an increase of almost 13 percent. As a result, five of a total of 31 newly developed active substances were licensed in Germany in 2007. German biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies are currently conducting approximately 240 clinical development projects. In absolute terms, Germany takes second place in Europe, behind Great Britain.
The BMBF is particularly encouraging cooperation between pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms and science within the framework of Innovation Alliances and Strategic Partnerships under the High-Tech Strategy.
| Innovation Alliance/ Strategic Partnership |
Subject Area |
| Molecular Imaging | Medical Technology: The Innovation Alliance pools the activities of industry and science to ensure better early diagnosis and treatment. |
| BioPharma Competition | Drugs Development: The aim is to make more effective use of biotechnological processes through cooperation between pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms. The focus is also on the development of joint strategies for the implementation of results. |
| Innovative Medicines Initiative | Drugs Development: Public-Private Partnerships involving companies and research institutions to optimize the development of active substances and create sustainable value-added. |
| Health Regions of the Future | Innovations in the Health System: Competition to establish regional clusters involving industry, science and health care institutions for the more efficient use of innovations in the health system. At the same time, the aim is also to improve health care for patients. |
| Translational Centres for Regenerative Medicine | Regenerative Medicine: Research institutions, universities, hospitals and industrial partners are cooperating on new solutions for the development of tissue replacement or tissue regeneration processes. |
| National Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience | Neurosciences: Research centres, universities and industrial partners are cooperating on an interdisciplinary basis to conduct research into the functioning of the brain and to translate the new findings into practice, for example in the treatment of diseases and in the development of efficient teaching and learning strategies. |
A number of international and multilateral cooperation projects have been launched in the field of health and biotechnology in recent years. Several European competence networks, so-called "ERA Nets", were established under the 6th and 7th EU Research Framework Programmes, thanks largely to the initiative of Germany. For example, the ERA-Net "ERASYSBIO" pools European activities in the field of systems biology. At the same time, the "E-RARE" project was started, a joint call for proposals in the field of rare diseases which is supported by several countries. Bi-national research cooperation forms a further key area, inter alia with France, Poland and Israel.
Researchers from Germany are also playing a decisive role in the development of the European research landscape, for example via the so-called "ESFRI-Forum" (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures). Germany is responsible for coordinating two of the six research infrastructures in the life sciences. All four research infrastructure proposals in the life sciences were included in the more advanced ESFRI Roadmap 2008.
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