Current News & Press Releases

Electron micrograph of mouse brain SCLC allograft showing a synaptic contact between cancer cell (red) and neuronal terminal (yellow).

Wired to Grow: How Small Cell Lung Cancer Hijacks Neuronal Synapses

11.09.2025 News and Calendar TopNews Dr. Elisa Motori Prof. Dr. Matteo Bergami Prof. Dr. H. Christian Reinhardt

Researchers reveal that lung cancer cells form direct synapses with neurons to grow and proliferate, opening the door to new…

Carien Niessen

Carien Niessen elected new Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Cologne

08.09.2025 Research Group Leaders News and Calendar University of Cologne TopNews Prof. Dr. Carien Niessen

The University Election Assembly elected Professor Dr Carien Niessen for the office of Vice-Rector for Research. The cell…

Representative immunofluorescence image illustrating the neuroprotective effect of USP4 knockdown in iPSC-derived motor neurons (green) carrying an ALS-linked mutation. Inhibition of USP4 (EPS8 signaling partner) prevents the neurodegeneration (yellow) normally induced by the ALS mutation.

How aging drives neurodegenerative diseases

03.09.2025 2025 News and Calendar TopNews Prof. Dr. David Vilchez

A University of Cologne research team has identified a direct molecular link between aging and neurodegeneration by investigating…

Dr Gianmaria Liccardi led the study that links the STING protein to the programmed cell death necroptosis.

Inhibiting programmed cell death to treat a rare childhood disease

21.08.2025 2025 News and Calendar TopNews

A preclinical study at the University of Cologne could open up new treatment options for STING-associated vasculopathy with onset…

Mitochondria (blue) surround Toxoplasma (red) in the cell.

Mitochondria defend cells against infections

14.08.2025 2025 News and Calendar TopNews

Nutrient competition restricts parasite growth

Prof. Dr. Frank Jessen

Prof. Jessen appointed to World Dementia Council

06.08.2025 2025 News and Calendar TopNews Prof. Dr. Frank Jessen

Improving awareness, care and research

The image shows the cross section mutant brown adipose tissue section with enlarged lipid droplets (yellow) and nucleus (blue) being impinged by multiple mitochondria.

Beyond classic stress signalling: how mitochondrial stress softens the cell nucleus and alters cellular identity

01.08.2025 2025 TopNews Prof. Dr. Aleksandra Trifunovic

A University of Cologne research team has discovered that cells in high-energy-demanding tissues respond to mitochondrial…

Predicting kidney disease

Predicting kidney disease trajectories with a simple blood test

21.07.2025 2025 News and Calendar TopNews Prof. Dr. Roman-Ulrich Müller

A University of Cologne research team has developed a novel approach to predict how fast kidney disease is likely to progress,…

Professor Dr. Thomas Benzing

Professor Dr. Thomas Benzing elected to the DFG Senate

04.07.2025 Research Group Leaders News and Calendar University of Cologne TopNews Prof. Dr. Thomas Benzing

Together with Professor Dr. Andreas Speer and Professor Dr. Christiane Josephine Bruns, three Cologne professors will be members…

02.07.2025, 15:11