04/07/2025

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Project start for translational, DZG-overarching research projects in Dresden

Together against common diseases - that is the mission of the German Centers for Health Research (DZGs) and in Dresden they are focussing on neurodegeneration, diabetes and cancer as well as child and adolescent health. Their scientists aim to optimize the translation of research results into patient applications and thus significantly improve the prevention and treatment of these diseases.

From left to right: Dr. Lennart Höfs (DZNE), Dr. Jan Clusmann (DKTK), Prof. Mechthild Krause (DKTK), Dr. David Digomann (DKTK), Prof. Michele Solimena (DZD/PLID), Dr. Marko Barovic (DZD/PLID) © DZG

It´s time again: project start for the winners of this year's DZG-overarching research projects. The winners were honored at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Dresden by Prof. Mechthild Krause (German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research, DKTK) and Prof. Michele Solimena (German Center for Diabetes Research, DZD). 
At the annual joint symposium, start-up funding was once again announced for cross-DZG projects. The aim of this funding is to enable new translational activities between the DZGs in Dresden that arise at the thematic interfaces of the centers. Four DZGs are now already based in Dresden: the German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), the Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden (PLID) of the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZD).
This year, two project teams were selected from the projects submitted and are delighted to receive 10,000 euros in start-up funding.
In the project “Exploration of serum metabolic traits for response prediction in neoadjuvant treated gastric cancer patients” by Dr. David Digomann (DKTK) and Dr. Marko Barovic (DZD), serum samples from patients treated in various German cancer centers will be analyzed before and after treatment. The aim is to investigate the relationship between the response to treatment and the metabolic profiles in the serum. 
Dr. Lennart Höfs (DZNE) and Dr. Jan Clusmann (DKTK) have joined forces in the project “Epidemiological characterization of neurodegenerative diseases in cancer survivors” to investigate the interaction between cancer and its treatments and the occurrence of neurodegenerative diseases. Machine learning methods will be applied and large, population-based cohorts will be included to understand combined risks and epidemiologic associations for neurodegenerative diseases in long-term cancer survivors.
These projects show once again: although major diseases such as cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases seem to be very different, there are often connections and interactions that are relevant for the development of therapeutic approaches and research methods. The active networking of different DZGs thus reflects a unique opportunity to develop completely new and innovative research approaches. Dresden is a pioneer here, as our symposium has been bringing together researchers at the site since 2019.

We wish the award winners every success!