—There has been a rapid increase in cardiovascular and metabolic conditions in sub-Saharan Africa. What is the link between sustainable diets that are nutritious, environmentally friendly, economically affordable, and socioculturally acceptable, and cardiometabolic conditions? An international research team led by Prof. Dr. Ina Danquah, Hertz Chair for Innovation for Planetary Health and Director at Center for Development Research (ZEF) at University of Bonn, investigated this question among Ghanaian adults who live in various locations.
University of Bonn’s StadtLandMitmachbus Stops in Königswinter-Oberpleis
—What will the medicine of the future look like? The 2026 Year of Science, launched by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), is exploring answers to this question. With funding from the initiative, the University of Bonn is currently touring rural areas of the Rhineland with its “StadtLandMitmachbus” science outreach bus. On Thursday, September 17, 2026, from 2 to 6 p.m., the science mobile will stop at the town hall square in Königswinter-Oberpleis.
€25 Million for AI-Powered Cancer Research in Bonn
—University Hospital Bonn (UKB), the University of Bonn and the Lamarr Institute for Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence are using funding from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia to establish a joint research infrastructure. The aim is to use AI to design and optimize potential cancer therapeutics and subsequently test them in the laboratory. Minister-President Hendrik Wüst and Minister of Science Ina Brandes presented the funding commitment today at the State Chancellery of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Weight-Loss Pill Instead of Injection: Finally, an Easy Way to Lose Weight?
—As of September 1, semaglutide will be available in Germany for the treatment of overweight and obesity in tablet form for the first time. The therapy, previously known primarily as a “weight-loss injection,” can now also be taken orally. The market launch is likely to attract considerable interest – but anyone considering treatment should be aware of one thing first: the tablet is not a way to lose a few kilos, but a prescription medication for the treatment of a chronic disease.
—Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Germany. In the search for new therapeutic approaches that target the uncontrolled growth of tumor cells, a class of enzymes known as cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) has come into focus. This is because this family of enzymes plays a fundamental role in gene expression and cell division. An overview of the current state of research on the transcriptional regulation of CDKs and the prospects for cancer treatment was compiled by Prof. Matthias Geyer of the UKB in collaboration with Prof. Robert P. Fisher and has now been published.
University of Bonn’s StadtLandMitmachbus makes a stop in Adenau
—What will the medicine of the future look like? The Science Year 2026, launched by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), is exploring answers to this question. With funding from the Science Year, the University of Bonn is currently touring rural regions in the Rhineland with its “StadtLandMitmachbus” science bus. On Sunday, August 30, 2026, from 12 noon to 5 p.m., the mobile science centre will stop at the Heimatfest in Adenau, as part of the town’s open Sunday shopping event. The bus will be located at Marktplatz, Hauptstraße, 53518 Adenau.
Central Hub for Heart Repair Discovered Bonn study: Heart muscle interaction enables cardiac regeneration in the neonatal heart
—Researchers at the University Hospital of Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn have identified a previously unknown signaling pathway in the immune system that helps newborn heart cells survive and regenerate after injury. The findings could open new avenues for future therapies aimed at repairing damaged adult hearts after heart attacks or chronic cardiovascular disease. The study has now been published in the journal Cell Communication and Signaling (Springer Nature).
Malaria Causes Permanent Damage to Phagocytes in the Spleen
—Macrophages formed in the bone marrow can only assume the function of embryonal phagocytes, or “scavenger cells,” to a certain degree according to a study by the University of Bonn and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity at the University of Melbourne. The researchers have demonstrated that malaria infection causes permanent damage to resident CD163 macrophages in the spleen, which are responsible for cleaning the blood, recycling iron and communicating with other cells involved in the body’s immune response.
—Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain tumor that infiltrates deep into the surrounding brain tissue. Even after surgery, tumor cells remain in the brain and the tumor recurs. Bonn researchers have now developed Core2Edge, a model based entirely on human tissue that captures these hard-to-access infiltration zones at the tumor margin. The model enables investigation of the invasive front and direct assessment of new drug candidates in human tissue - without the need for animal testing. The study of the Brain Tumor Translational Research Group has now been published in Nature Protocols.
