Feb 12, 2019
Jointly combating common diseases: Clinical-oriented research on cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases at the Day of the DZG in Dresden
On February 12, 2019, the first joint symposium of the German Centers for Health Research (DZG) located in Dresden, the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) took place.
Cancer, diabetes, dementia: As different as these diseases appear at first glance, there are often cross-links in their development that are relevant for the development of therapeutic approaches and research methods. The aim of the first joint Dresden DZG Symposium was to identify such cross-sectional topics and to create a forum for overarching research strategies. In addition to getting to know each other personally, the scientists were able to get to know the existing research infrastructures in Dresden even better in order to network for joint research projects.
After the opening of the symposium by the speakers of the three Dresden DZGs Gerd Kempermann (DZNE), Michele Solimena (DZD) and Mechthild Krause (DKTK) and the medical director of the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Andreas Mogwitz, scientists from the various centers presented DZG-spanning research projects. Ünal Coskun (PLID) started with his lecture on the influence of nutrition on the composition of our tissue and the associated risks of cancer and diabetes. He was followed by Hayder Amin (DZNE), who presented a new electrophysiological method for visualizing plasticity processes in the brain, including neurodegenerative changes. The session was concluded by Armin Lühr (DKTK), who presented the benefits of proton therapy for various cancers and the possibilities of investigating its effectiveness. Stefan Joos, scientific director of the DKTK coordination office, then informed about the possibilities of initiating DZG-spanning strategies and joint projects. The keynote lecture by Ulrich Dirnagl, Professor of Experimental Neurology at the Charité Berlin, who challenged his audience with his lecture on "more transparency" and "increasing value" in science, provided enthusiastic reactions and a very lively discussion that continued even during the subsequent poster session.