News & Events

The LabHive digital platform aims to provide necessary resources to diagnostic centres to enable more tests for SARS-CoV-2. Tobias Opialla from the MDC is one of 15 volunteers who has been involved in the project since the #WirvsVirus Hackathon organized by the German government.

Researchers at the ECRC have successfully used RNA molecules to treat a dangerous pregnancy disorder called preeclampsia. They were able to alleviate common symptoms of the disorder, like maternal high blood pressure and fetal undernutrition, with virtually no side effects.

Two specific cell types in the nose have been identified as likely initial infection points for the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Using data from the Human Cell Atlas, scientists discovered that goblet and ciliated cells in the nose have high levels of the entry proteins that SARS-CoV-2 uses to get into our cells.

Staying in the background and not calling attention to themselves – that has long been part of everyday life for technical assistants at the MDC. In April 2019 they formed a group to represent their interests. In an interview for the “We at the MDC” series, three of the TA Representatives discuss their achievements so far and what they plan to do next.

Previous approaches to treat multiple sclerosis have focused on T and B cells. A group at the MDC now presents a new strategy in "Nature Immunology". According to this strategy, it may be more effective to fight another form of immune cells - certain monocytes.

Strategies for treating multiple sclerosis have so far focused primarily on T and B cells. A group of MDC researchers has now unveiled a new approach in Nature Immunology – one that seeks to increase treatment effectiveness by selectively targeting another type of immune cell called monocytes.

Face masks – the mouth-and-nose covering kind – are urgently needed in many places in order to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, as much as possible. Employees at the MDC are now sewing such masks, which are being distributed to neighborhood community centers and a refugee shelter in Berlin-Buch.

VRAC/LRRC8 chloride channels do not only play a decisive role in the transport of cytostatics, amino acids and neurotransmitters. They can also transport the important messenger substance cGAMP from cell to cell and thus strengthen the immune response to infections with DNA viruses.