Research field Health in the funding period 2009 - 2013

Nine Helmholtz centres work together in this field of research: the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), the Forschungszentrum Jülich, the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research, the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht Centre for Materials and Coastal Research (HZG), the Helmholtz Zentrum München – German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), and the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch. Scientists conduct research in the following seven programmes:

• Cancer Research
• Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases
• Function and Dysfunction of the Nervous System
• Infection and Immunity
• Environmental Health
• Systemic Analysis of Multifactorial Diseases
• Neurodegenerative Diseases (currently under development)

The programmes

Cancer Research

Nearly 450,000 people in Germany contract cancer each year. Despite intensive research and many fundamental new developments in the field, more than half die as a result of the disease. The Cancer Research Programme aims to clarify the causes and pathogenesis of cancer.

A main focus is on the development and application of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic procedures that are based on molecular, cell biological and immunological findings. By developing new imaging procedures and radiotherapy strategies to facilitate the more precise diagnosis, treatment, early detection and medical technology has also played an important role in the programme.

One of the great challenges for cancer research is to translate basic biomedical research findings into clinical applications. The Helmholtz Association is working to meet this challenge by intensively expanding the required infrastructure and strategic alliances. The National Centre for Tumour Diseases in Heidelberg will play a key role in this effort.

Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death in Western industrialised countries. Major risk factors include high blood pressure, diabetes, increased blood cholesterol, smoking and obesity. In order to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease over the long term, scientists are studying the causes of vascular disorders, high blood pressure, heart and kidney disease and metabolic disorders such as diabetes and adiposity.

They are also developing new methods for preventing, diagnosing and treating such diseases based on a variety of methodological approaches from the fields of genetics, genomics, systems biology, cell biology and epidemiology.

Function and Dysfunction of the Nervous System

The risk of developing a neurological and psychiatric disorder increases with longer life expectancies. This is why the researchers in this programme are studying degenerative diseases of the central nervous system as well as epilepsy, brain tumours and post-stroke cognitive impairments.

In order to analyse normal and pathologically altered mechanisms in living human brains, they draw on state-of-the-art non-invasive imaging procedures such as magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, magneto-encephalography, genomics and cell biology, and relevant animal models.

Infection and Immunity

More than 17 million people worldwide die of infectious diseases each year, accounting for one-third of all deaths. International mobility has caused pathogens to spread more quickly than in the past. Given the growing threat of infectious diseases, researchers are studying the molecular and cellular processes of infections in order to understand how and why specific pathogens trigger a disease’s symptoms.

At the same time, they are analysing immunity mechanisms in order to formulate new strategies against infectious diseases and to develop immunotherapeutic approaches. Zoonoses research will be expanded in the future in order to gain greater insight into the viral and bacterial diseases transmittable from animals to humans (e.g., SARS).

Environmental Health

How do environmental factors affect human health? Which molecular and cellular mechanisms form the basis of such disorders and what role is being played by genetic disposition? What new preventative and therapeutic strategies can be derived from work in these fields? These are the key questions addressed by this programme.

Research is focused on common diseases such as respiratory tract infections, allergies and cancer, whose pathogenesis is heavily influenced by environmental toxins such as particulate pollutants in the air (aerosols), chemicals and ionising radiation. On the one hand, scientists are researching toxic pollutants and the related disease-triggering mechanisms with the aim of developing strategies for risk evaluation and risk reduction.

On the other hand, they are studying the pathogenetic mechanisms of the abovementioned diseases in order to evaluate the role of environmental factors. A further priority is basic research into chemical modifications of genetic material.

Systemic Analysis of Multifactorial Diseases

Integrated into joint interdisciplinary research platforms, the scientists in this programme are analysing the genetic and molecular biological mechanisms that lead to the development of multifactorial diseases in order to create new approaches to therapy.

The German Mouse Clinic at the Helmholtz Center Munich, where technologies for genome, proteome and metabolome analyses are established, plays a central role within this context. These technologies as well as the expertise in analytics for small molecules and specific mouse models provide an ideal research framework for identifying both individual risk factors and biomarkers that can be used to detect chronic illnesses at an early stage. Scientists are concentrating on major chronic ailments such as metabolic disease, diabetes, pulmonary illness, neurodegenerative diseases and disorders of the immune system.

Neurodegenerative Diseases (currently under development)

The goal of this research programme, which will be run primarily by the Helmholtz Association’s new DZNE centre, is to understand the causes and risk factors determining neurodegeneration and to develop new strategies for treatment and care. The spectrum extends from basic and clinical research to research into care and nursing within the healthcare system.

The DZNE is working closely with partner universities to pool the outstanding research being done on neurodegeneration in Germany. During the setup phase, the programme will focus on a range of provisional topics: the mechanisms of both neurodegeneration and neuroprotection; neuroregeneration; animal models of neurodegenerative diseases and chronic brain disorders; old age and comorbidity as risk factors; translational, diagnostic and functional imaging; epidemiology and population studies; the healthcare system and healthcare research as well as clin ical research and intervention studies.

Outlook

The long-term goal of health research at the Helmholtz Association is to improve medical care and quality of life for the population into old age. Its content is based on the German government’s Health Research Programme and takes into account all the economic aspects of health care. Building on basic research findings, we are developing new strategies for the diagnosis, prevention, early detection and treatment of the major common diseases.

Furthermore, utilising relevant models, we are investigating the first procedures for adapting therapies to patients’ specific needs. A general focus is the more rapid translation of basic research findings into patient applications. All these goals are being pursued in collaborations between the Helmholtz health centres and partners from medical schools, universities and industry. The translational centres, the German Centers of Health Research as well as the National Cohort as a resource for epidemiology and prevention research will substantially contribute to the realization of these goals.