DKTK News and Events RSS

New lung cancer atlas: measuring the risk of metastases

Fri, 13 Nov 2026 10:33:00 +0000

LMU, Charité University Hospital Berlin, and the BIFOLD institute at the Technical University of Berlin have created a single-cell atlas for lung cancer and linked it to clinical data.

Advancing health research together: First DZG Berlin Day

Mon, 09 Nov 2026 15:46:00 +0000

Researchers from the Berlin-based partner institutions of eight German Centers for Health Research (DZG) will gather on November 11, 2026, for the very first DZG Berlin Day at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum. The event will focus on new therapies, the translation of research findings into clinical practice, and cross-disease collaboration among the centers.

Highly Sensitive Detection of MRI Contrast Agents

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 10:17:00 +0000

Gadolinium is a component of contrast agents used in MRI examinations, which can be released into the environment through patients’ urine. Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have now developed a sensor capable of detecting even the smallest amounts of gadolinium.

New Approach Could Make Immunotherapy for Blood Cancer More Precise

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 09:54:00 +0000

Freiburg DKTK Researchers Discover a New Approach for Developing Targeted Therapies Against Aggressive T-Cell Leukemia / Modified Immune Cells Attack Cancer Cells While Sparing Important Healthy Immune Cells / Published in *Nature Communications*

Science meets Industry Day 2026: Strengthening Collaboration between Academia and Industry

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 09:43:00 +0000

Following its successful debut in 2025, the Science meets Industry Day returned for its second edition on October 20, 2026, in Heidelberg. Jointly organized by the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), and the German Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (vfa), the event brought together researchers, clinicians, and industry representatives to strengthen collaboration and advance translational cancer research. Building on the discussions of the previous year, this year's meeting placed particular emphasis on identifying barriers between academia and industry.

3 Questions for Amulya Sreekumar

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 14:55:00 +0000

Since June, Dr. Amulya Sreekumar has joined the DKTK partner site Berlin as DKTK Young Investigator Group Leader for "Adaptive Glycan Remodeling in Cancer Progression". We are delighted to have her on board and asked 3 questions to get to know her better.

A New Platform of Robust Patient-Derived AML Models for Translational Research

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 10:44:00 +0000

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive blood cancer with a dismal prognosis. Therefore, researchers aim to identify new treatment options. However, as AML is a very heterogenic cancer, it is difficult to study this disease. Conventional leukemia cell lines are easy to grow, but often no longer reflect the biology of patients’ tumors, and many subtypes are not reflected at all by cell line models. In this study, researchers from the lab of Prof. Irmela Jeremias, LMU Munich at DKTK partner site Munich, created serially transplantable and robust patient-derived xenograft (STAR-PDX) models. These were generated by transplanting patients’ leukemia cells into immunodeficient mice, where they grow in a physiological bone-marrow environment.

How cancer cells lose their most dangerous DNA

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 09:59:00 +0000

Aggressive tumors often contain large amounts of exchromosomal DNA. Removing this DNA from the nuclei of cancer cells could improve patient outcomes, an international team led by researchers at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Max Delbrück Center reports in Nature Genetics.*

Awarding of the 4th Wilko Weichert Grant

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 08:49:00 +0000

The DKTK partner site Munich announces an annual call for the Wilko Weichert Grant to support an interdisciplinary project that fosters early-career researchers and involves collaboration between LMU University Hospital Munich and TUM University Hospital Rechts der Isar or their universities. In the 2026 review process, Dr. Sebastin Müller (Postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics at TUM University Hospital Rechts der Isar) impressed the reviewers with his project on decoding metastatic organotropism and adverse clinical outcome in PDAC through multimodal profiling. As the recipient of the 4th Wilko Weichert Grant, he will receive EUR 30,000 to support his research in 2027.

AI Model Aims to Significantly Simplify Blood Cancer Diagnostics

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 11:14:00 +0000

A new open-source AI model developed by the University Medical Center Freiburg automatically detects cancer cells and reduces the need for manual evaluation / Standardized analysis of routine clinical data / Published in *Nature Methods

Experiencing Science in the Lab: DKTK Researchers Turn an ISH Placement into an Ambassador Activity

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 10:10:00 +0000

As part of the DKTK Ambassador Program, the “Prevention and Liquid Biopsies” research group at German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ) hosted two participants from the 2026 International Summer Science School Heidelberg (ISH) for a three-week research placement. This offered the participants the opportunity to gain insights in the field of cancer research and hands-on experience with liquid biopsy methods.

New vulnerability discovered in aggressive childhood brain tumors

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 11:42:00 +0000

Researchers at the Hopp Children’s Cancer Center in Heidelberg (KiTZ) and at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis have discovered a potential new vulnerability in medulloblastomas, the most common type of malignant brain tumor in children. The scientists found that a specific protein appears to help tumor cells remain in an immature state and continue to grow. When they inactivated this protein in laboratory experiments, the tumor cells grew significantly less. Tumor growth also slowed in mice. In the long term, these findings could contribute to the development of new targeted therapies for certain forms of medulloblastoma.

Award winners for the Dresden DZG-overarching projects 2026

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 09:40:00 +0000

The mission of the German Centres for Health Research (DZG) is to promote translational research to combat common diseases. There are four DZG centres in Dresden that work on diabetes, neurodegeneration, cancer, and child and adolescent health. By working together and finding common ground, scientists can strengthen medical research across disciplines and translate new findings more quickly to the clinic.

Quality Over Quantity: New Insights into the Role of Certain CAR-T Cells in Cancer Therapy

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 11:01:00 +0000

CAR-T cell therapies are successfully used to treat certain types of blood cancer. However, while immunotherapy is effective even at low doses for some patients, it has no effect on others. Researchers from Heidelberg University’s Faculty of Medicine, the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité, and the German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK) investigated why this is the case in a collaborative project. They identified a specific subgroup of CAR-T cells that significantly influences the success of low-dose therapies and could be used as a biomarker in the future. The findings have been published in "Nature Communications".

Immune Cells in Bone Marrow Cancer: Limited Defense Readiness

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 10:52:00 +0000

A team led by researchers from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the HI-STEM* Stem Cell Institute, the Medical Clinic V at Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD) and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) partner site Heidelberg has characterized T cells in the bone marrow in cases of multiple myeloma and acute myeloid leukemia: A specific group of tumor-reactive T cells can recognize and, in principle, fight cancer cells, but is often not sufficiently activated. Nevertheless, the number of these cells influences the prognosis. A specific gene signature identifies the tumor-reactive T cells and could predict the success of immunotherapies.

Portal provides guidance on sharing genomic data

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 11:13:00 +0000

A new information portal, "Meine Genomdaten. Teilen und Helfen", is now available to provide clear, accessible information about the role of genomic data in medicine and research. The portal helps patients, their families, and other interested individuals explore the topic of sharing these sensitive data for research in an evidence-based way, supporting informed decision-making.

4. DZG Munich Day 2026: Health Research in Munich Working Together for the Medicine of Tomorrow

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 07:27:00 +0000

Scientific highlights, transdisciplinary research, and new collaborations will be the focus of DZG Munich Day on July 29, 2026. For the fourth time, the eight German Centers for Health Research (DZG) in Munich are inviting scientists at all career stages to learn about the latest research findings, exchange ideas across centers, and explore joint research strategies and innovative technologies.

Early-Career Researchers Advance Translational Cancer Research in Heidelberg

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:06:00 +0000

The Heidelberg PostDoc Symposium 2026 and the DKTK Young Academics Conference brought together over 100 early-career researchers for a day of scientific exchange at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). Eleven short talks, 20 poster presentations and two keynote lectures highlighted innovative approaches across the translational cancer research spectrum.

3 Questions for Florian Ingelfinger

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 10:14:00 +0000

Since April, Dr. Florian Ingelfinger has joined the DKTK partner site Freiburg as DKTK Young Investigator Group Leader for "Generative Single Cell Immunology". We are delighted to have him on board and asked 3 questions to get to know him better.

DKFZ Innovation Award and DKFZ Patient Expert Award Presented

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 08:19:00 +0000

The Friends of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) support the DKFZ and aim to help strengthen its position in the international arena. With the DKFZ Innovation Award, presented at this year’s annual reception, the association honors Helmut Salih, a researcher whose innovative work bridges the gap between immunological research and patient care. The DKFZ Patient Expert Award was also presented; this year’s recipient is Stephanie Houwaart for her long-standing commitment as a member of the DKFZ/DKTK Cancer Research Patient Advisory Board.