Research Highlights

Our organs do a remarkable job day in and day out, without ourselves even having to think about it. Our body has its own ventilation system, a clearance system for toxins, and a system to balance energy homeostasis. But what if one of these systems…

many cars on the road top view traffic jam rush hour

Air pollutants can not only influence the development and progression of lung diseases but also trigger inflammation throughout the body.

Illustration des menschlichen Körpers, Energie betont. Generative künstliche Intelligenz. AI.

The Human Cell Atlas (HCA) promises insights into ourselves, unraveling our cellular landscape.

Shot of corridor in working data center filled with rack servers and supercomputers AI background

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly crucial in medical research, and Helmholtz Munich is one of the world's leading institutions in this field. It can detect tumors as effectively as severe eye diseases.

Ausgestreckter Zeigefinger berührt Netzwerk aus Lichtpunkten

Innovations and transfer are specifically promoted at Helmholtz Munich.

Lung research at Helmholtz Munich has made some spectacular breakthroughs. They could pave the way for the therapy of serious diseases.

When Cytoskeletal Proteins Act in the Cell Nucleus

The cytoskeleton gives cells their shape and helps them move. Researchers at Helmholtz Munich and the Ludwig Maximilian University now show that, in neural stem cells, proteins of the cytoskeleton are also found in the cell nucleus, where they can…

FGF21 is primarily known as a metabolic hormone. A new study by researchers at Helmholtz Munich and the Ludwig Maximilians University has now described a previously unknown mechanism through which FGF21 supports cells under protein folding stress:…

Institut für Diabetesforschung Studienzentrum

For ten years, the Fr1da study, coordinated by Helmholtz Munich, has been investigating whether early stages of type 1 diabetes in children can be detected in routine pediatric care. The latest evaluation shows that the screening program is…

Whole-body 3D reconstructions, AI segmentations and supplementary videos are available via the interactive online atlas at https://discotechnologies.org/MouseMapper/. High-resolution figures and animations are available on request.

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich, the Ludwig Maximilians University Munich (LMU) and collaborating institutions have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) framework that maps disease-related changes throughout the entire mouse body at cellular…

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich, the Technical University of Munich (TUM), the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, and the University of Oxford, have developed an AI-based model that not only traces the developmental paths of individual cells,…

glucagon like peptide 1 glp1 7 36 molecule the glucagon like peptide 1 receptor has a strong effect on the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus

A team led by metabolism researcher Prof Timo D. Müller at Helmholtz Munich has developed a new approach for treating obesity and type 2 diabetes: a hybrid molecule uses the well-known GLP-1/GIP signalling pathway as a “door opener” and delivers an…

Nanotechnology in Cholesterol Research AdobeStock_822311587

A team at Helmholtz Munich and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has developed a new microscopy technique that can distinguish lipid species in living cells – in particular cholesterol and sphingomyelin – and map them without the need for…

EDENT1FI (“European action for the Diagnosis of Early Non-clinical Type 1 diabetes For disease Interception”), a research project led by Prof. Anette-Gabriele Ziegler from Helmholtz Munich and Prof. Chantal Mathieu from the KU Leuven, has reached an…

Numerous genetic studies have identified many risk variants for type 2 diabetes (T2D) – but which genes and proteins are actually involved in the disease mechanisms? An international team led by Helmholtz Munich has now used globally collected…

Healthy gut bacteria concept with natural probiotics for immune support.

Bacteria in the human gut can directly deliver proteins into human cells, actively shaping immune responses. Led by researchers at Helmholtz Munich, with participation from Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU), Aix Marseille University, Inserm, and…

Intricate network of red capillaries, a detailed view of microscopic blood vessels conveying vitality

Researchers from Helmholtz Munich and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed “fast-RSOM”, a new imaging technology that can capture detailed images of the smallest blood vessels directly through the skin – without the need for…

Big data technology data science analysis

A new artificial intelligence (AI) method called BioPathNet helps researchers systematically search large biological data networks for hidden connections – from gene functions and disease mechanisms to potential therapeutic approaches. BioPathNet was…

Cachexia is a metabolic disorder that causes uncontrolled weight loss and muscle wasting in chronic diseases and cancer. A new study by Helmholtz Munich, in collaboration with the Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague,…

A magnified view of the large intestine's surface, showing its muscular wall and fatty tissue

Abdominal fat is not a uniform tissue. A new study from Helmholtz Munich, Karolinska Institutet and Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, published in Cell Metabolism, reveals that fat located close to the large intestine contains an unusually high…

Detailed view of a computer interface used by geneticists showing a complex genome mapping software with colorful DNA strands without displaying any personal identity in a modern research lab

With single-cell technologies, researchers can measure millions of cells in parallel and track how each one responds to specific perturbations – targeted interventions such as drug treatments, changes in gene activity or disease-like conditions.…

Researchers have conducted the most comprehensive analysis to date linking plasma proteins to genetic variation in individuals from continental Africa. Their work addresses a long-standing gap by studying a population grossly underrepresented in…

For the first time, an international analysis has shown that when people with prediabetes bring their blood glucose back into the normal range through lifestyle changes, their risk of heart attack, heart failure, and premature death is cut in half.…

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich, the Technical University of Munich and the LMU University Hospital Munich uncovered a mechanism that protects nerve cells from premature cell death, known as ferroptosis. The study provides the first molecular…

An experiment on the distribution of proteins in cells using molecular imaging technology.

A new tool developed by Helmholtz Munich and the German Center for Diabetes Research and the University of Bonn makes spatial proteomics and lipidomics easier to use – no coding required. C-COMPASS allows scientists to profile where proteins and…

Woman's hands checking diabetes and hyperglycemia with digital blood sugar meter.

An elevated blood glucose level one hour after the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) signals a critical metabolic state – even before prediabetes. Affected individuals respond particularly well to lifestyle interventions. This value could become a…

First results of the Primary Oral Insulin Trial (POInT) mark an important step towards the prevention of type 1 diabetes, pointing future efforts to personalized strategies. The group led by researchers from Helmholtz Munich and the Technical…

Schwangere Frau sieht sich Ultraschallbilder an

Children with a family history of type 1 diabetes (T1D) have an increased risk of developing the disease. However, children born to mothers with T1D are less likely to develop the disease than those whose fathers or siblings have T1D. A new study…

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed Nicheformer, the first large-scale foundation model that integrates single-cell analysis with spatial transcriptomics. Trained on more than 110 million cells,…

Oat is an important crop with many health benefits and diverse applications. Researchers from Helmholtz Munich, the Technical University of Munich (TUM), and the Leibniz-Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) have decoded the…

Human (animal) cell under microscope. 3d illustration

Fabian Theis and Danish colleagues have found a better understanding of how blood cell differentiation from stem cells happens, and further studies might give us an answer to why some cells turn against us and become a health issue.

Illustration of human body with esophageal cancer

Researchers from Helmholtz Munich, the Technical University of Munich (TUM), and the Medical University of Vienna have developed an advanced imaging technique called "O2E" that allows clinics to detect cancerous lesions in the esophagus with…

Many people with cancer experience dramatic loss of muscle and fat tissue. In many cases, even the heart muscle is affected, which further weakens the body. This wasting syndrome, known as cachexia, affects around half of all cancer patients. It is a…

Microscopic Examination of Bone Biopsy Related to Bone Pain, Fractures, and Anemia

Researchers from Helmholtz Munich and the Technical University of Munich have developed a novel method to track cancer treatment responses in individual cells – without the need for dyes or labels. Their mid-infrared optoacoustic microscopy (MiROM)…

Digital brain interface activated by a man, highlighting the connection between human cognitive abilities and artificial intelligence in a hightech, futuristic environment

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich have developed an artificial intelligence model that can simulate human behavior with remarkable accuracy. The language model, called Centaur, was trained on more than ten million decisions from psychological…

A hexagonal grid of digital connections, representing the global network and data transfer in artificial intelligence.

Researchers from more than 50 international institutions have launched Open Problems (https://openproblems.bio) a collaborative open-source platform to benchmark, improve, and run competitions for computational methods in single-cell genomics. Co-led…

Research Highlights

Research Highlights

Handcrafted Langerhans Islets: New Hope for Type 1 Diabetes Patients?

Invisible and Ultrafine – How Do Air Pollutants Impact Health?

A Journey into the Secrets of Human Cells

Using AI to Combat Diseases

Empowering Innovations: From the Idea to Impactful Products

New hope regarding lung diseases

New Research Findings

When Cytoskeletal Proteins Act in the Cell Nucleus

FGF21 Helps Cells Cope with Protein Folding Stress

Early Detection of Type 1 Diabetes in Children Is Broadly Feasible

AI Atlas Reveals Hidden Whole-Body-Damage Caused by Obesity

AI Model Makes Developmental Paths of Biological Cells Traceable

One Molecule, Two Effects: A New Drug Concept to Treat Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes

Lipid Identification: Chemical Fingerprint Instead of Dye

100,000 Participants Screened for Early-Stage Type 1 Diabetes in the EDENT1FI Project

Big Data Make Hidden Genetic Drivers of Type 2 Diabetes Visible

More Than Just Gut Cohabitants: How Gut Bacteria Control Immune Responses

New Imaging Technology Detects Early Signs of Heart Disease Through the Skin

BioPathNet: New AI Uncovers Hidden Patterns in Biomedical Knowledge Graphs

Weight Loss in Cancer: Organs Respond to the Disease in a Coordinated Way

Not All Belly Fat Is the Same: Colon-Adjacent Fat Interacts With the Immune System

Pertpy: A Software Toolbox Reveals How Individual Cells Respond to Therapies

Mapping Proteins in African Genomes Reveals New Paths to Fight Type 2 Diabetes

Normalizing Blood Sugar Can Halve Heart Attack Risk

Single Enzyme Failure Found to Drive Neuron Loss in Dementia

C-COMPASS: AI-Based Software Maps Proteins and Lipids Within Cells

One-Hour Blood Glucose Level: A Better Chance to Prevent Diabetes

New Milestone Towards Personalized Prevention of Type 1 Diabetes

Maternal Type 1 Diabetes May Protect Children Through Epigenetic Changes

New Foundation Model Reveals How Cells Are Organized in Tissues

Decoding Oat Diversity for a Climate-Resilient Future

Zooming in Reveals a World of Detail: New Method Unveils the Inner Workings of Our Cells

New Endoscopy Technology Enables Early Detection of Esophageal Cancer

Cancer Cachexia: Liver Identified as Driver of Body Wasting

New Label-Free Imaging Tracks Cancer Treatment in Single Cells

AI That Thinks Like Us – and Could Help Explain How We Think

Open Problems: Cracking Cell Complexity with Collective Intelligence