Introducing the institute

Research at PLID focuses on the pancreatic islets, in which the insulin-producing beta cells, which are damaged or even destroyed in type 1 and type 2 diabetes, are located. The study of the underlying mechanisms and their better understanding helps scientists to develop new therapeutic approaches.

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Scientists in focus

Prof. Dr. Michele Solimena

Prof. Solimena heads the working group "Molecular Diabetology" of the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the TU Dresden, is spokesman of the PLID and director of the Institute for Pancreatic Islet Cell Research of the Helmholtz Zentrum München. His work comprises studies on insulin secreting granules in order to understand the molecular basis of glucose stimulation in order to regulate their turnover. You can find out more information about his research here.

Scientist Portraits

Excellent research requires people who live science. Here you will find regularly changing portraits of scientists from our institute and you have the opportunity to learn more about them, their motivation as well as their projects.

Postdoc Appreciation Week 2024

Postdoc Appreciation Week (PAW) is an annual celebration honoring the contributions and achievements of postdocs around the world. And we too are grateful for our passionate postdocs in the labs at PLID. Read interviews with some of our ambitious scientists here.

Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden

Currently, the PLID comprises 17 research groups dealing with various aspects of diabetes. The scientists are working on deciphering the mechanisms that lead to the destruction and/or functional impairment of beta cells and are also trying to develop new approaches to replace damaged or destroyed beta cells.

Therefore, the mission of PLID is to protect and restore the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas to prevent and cure diabetes mellitus.

Over the past years, an international team of scientists from a wide variety of disciplines has been recruited to perform their research in Dresden, making PLID to one of the leading diabetes research locations in Germany. The interdisciplinary cooperation and the close connection of experts from different disciplines such as genetics, immunology, cell and developmental biology with the clinical departments of internal medicine and VTG surgery or stem cell experts guarantee a translational orientation of the research. The excellent research infrastructure in Dresden provides moreover the basis for future scientific excellence.