Cancer, with over 450,000 new cases diagnosed and 270,000 deaths each year, is one of the most dreaded diseases and the second most frequent cause of death in Germany. More than almost any other disease, cancer poses tremendous challenges for research and clinical practice. Practically every organ can be affected, every type of cancer has its own rules, and the underlying changes in affected cells are extremely complex. In order to develop novel, more effective methods of diagnosis and treatment, we first need to understand the basic mechanisms of cancer. In recent years, researchers at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg have achieved major advances both in basic research and in the development of novel methods for clinical application. This has received special recognition in 2008, when Professor Harald zur Hausen was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for his outstanding scientific contribution to the study of human papillomaviruses (HPV).
The German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) is the largest biomedical research institute in Germany and is a member of the Helmholtz Association of National Research Centers. More than 2,000 staff members, including 850 scientists, are investigating the mechanisms of cancer and are working to identify cancer risk factors. They provide the foundations for developing novel approaches in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. In addition, the staff of the Cancer Information Service (KID) offers information about the widespread disease of cancer for patients, their families, and the general public. The Center is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (90%) and the State of Baden-Württemberg (10%).
 Scientists Discover Cause of Destructive InflammationsThe signaling molecule CD95L, also known as ‘death messenger’, causes an inflammatory process in injured tissue after spinal cord injuries and, thus, prevents its healing. This discovery was published in the journal Immunity by scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ). In experiments with mice, the researchers found out that if they switch off CD95L, the injured spinal cord heals and the animals regain better ability to move. CD95L promotes harmful inflammatory processes in other tissues, too. Therefore, substances which block the death messenger might offer a new approach in the treatment of severe inflammatory diseases. more |
 Cancer Information Service Now Also Operating From DresdenThe Cancer Information Service of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) in Heidelberg establishes its first outstation in Germany at the University Cancer Center in Dresden (Universitäts KrebsCentrum Dresden). more |
 Not Only in March’s Bowel Cancer Awareness Month: The German Cancer Research Center Supports Early Bowel Cancer DetectionIn March’s Bowel Cancer Awareness Month there will be many initiatives throughout Germany to provide information about bowel cancer and to encourage people to participate in early bowel cancer detection programs. The German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) will also participate in the awareness month activities, because recent results obtained at DKFZ show that early detection is particularly effective for this type of cancer. DKFZ’s Cancer Information Service will offer an extra telephone line for the topic of bowel cancer prevention throughout the month of March. more |
