Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine

The director at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine discovered that genes respond not only to chemical signals but also to the physical properties of their surroundings

2025 was a successful year for Max Planck spin-offs

The detection of peripheral neural stem cells could transform the treatment of Parkinson's disease and spinal cord injuries

Max Planck Researchers discover a third vascular player in bone remodeling

Lifelong vascular growth drives increase of blood cell production

Skin cells, liver cells, neural cells – the human body is made up of various different cell types. Hans Schöler and his team at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in Muenster have successfully turned these specialists back into generalists that are capable of cell division. These are able to produce different types of cells, and to develop into organ-like structures, for example into so-called brain organoids. The scientists use these to study basic processes in the human brain and the formation of diseases such as Parkinson’s.

Arteries play a central role in blood circulation and control the transport of oxygen and nutrients between the organs. Defective arteries are involved in many disease states, such as stroke or heart attack. Nevertheless, surprisingly little is known on how arteries are formed. Research findings show that certain cells in the innermost vessel wall are significantly involved in the formation of the arterial network in growing blood vessels. These findings could be important for regeneration processes and improve our understanding of certain diseases.

Cancer diagnosis is a major medical challenge because current methods are time-consuming, manual and limited in their accuracy. We have developed an AI-based image analysis approach to analyse tumours and surrounding tissue at single cell resolution. Using patient-specific cellular 'fingerprints', we have shown that the combination of certain features indicates poorer prognosis and resistance to therapy. These results point to new approaches for improved diagnosis and therapy.

The loss of bone mass is an important aspect of ageing and can cause a disease called osteoporosis. Research results show that blood vessels play a central role in the formation and maintenance of bone mass. While some blood vessels promote the formation of new bone, others regulate the balance between bone-forming and bone-degrading cells. Blood vessels in the skeletal system and their function change fundamentally with increasing age.

Atherosclerosis is a degenerative disease of the vessel wall. In leaky regions of the endothelial cell layer of arteries, lipid particles enter the vessel wall and trigger plaque formation. This happens preferentially in regions where curvature and vessel junctions slow down the blood stream and cause turbulences whereas in long and straight regions, rapid and laminar blood flow protect against leaks. We have found a mechanism that explains how rapid laminar flow protects against endothelial leaks. The molecular basis of this mechanism revealed potential targets for reducing atherosclerosis.

The successful application of synthetic materials for tissue engineering and regeneration depends on the ingrowth of blood vessels from the surrounding host tissue. In order to determine the required materials parameters, we have developed the first cell culture model that mimics the natural process of blood vessel formation in a synthetic tissue environment with independently tunable parameters.