Press Officer and Head of Press and Public Relations
Im Neuenheimer Feld 280
69120 Heidelberg
Phone: +49 6221 422854
Fax: +49 6221 422968
E-Mail: s.seltmann@dkfz.de
or presse@dkfz.de
Recent Press Releases
Cancer survival rates in Europe continue to increase
EUROCARE-5, the largest European study on cancer survival, delivers an important indicator for the quality of health care systems. The study was carried out with a major participation of scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). Patients across Europe survive longer after a cancer diagnosis than they did five years ago. However, there are significant variations. The results for Germany are in the top group. In general, survival rates are highest in northern, central and southern Europe, while cancer patients in eastern Europe succumb earlier to their conditions.
Defective packaging protein boosts gene activity in brain cancer cells
In about half of all cases of high-grade malignant glioma in children, a mutation is found in a DNA packaging protein (histone) called H3.3. Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) have now discovered that this mutation leads to reduced methyl labeling both in the histone mutant and in the DNA of the tumor cells. These two epigenetic changes increase gene activity in the cancer cells and may thus contribute to the aggressiveness of these tumors.
Binding protein prevents vascular chaos
Healing a wound requires immune cells and repair material to travel through the bloodstream to reach the site of damage. Since blood vessels in the area have been destroyed, new ones have to grow into the damaged tissue, a process stimulated by a chemical messenger called VEGF. Not all vascular cells should respond to VEGF, because this would produce a chaotic vascular network and disrupt the flow of blood. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) and the Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University have now discovered a binding protein that can inhibit the effect of VEGF.
