365 places in the land of ideas

02.02.2010 14:10

State offensive for the development of scientific and economic excellence (LOEWE) promotes successful research priorities

LiFF Research Center of the Department of Medicine at Goethe University and the Max Planck Institute is a prize winner in the “365 Places in the Land of Ideas” competition.

The Department of Medicine at Goethe University and the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research in Bad Nauheim are pooling their recognized scientific expertise as part of the interdisciplinary Lipid Signaling Research Center Frankfurt (LiFF) and are one of the winners of this year's “365 Places in Land of Ideas”. This location initiative by the federal government and Deutsche Bank is under the patronage of Federal President Prof. Horst Köhler; Their goal is to emphasize the strengths of Germany as a business location. The winners of the initiative demonstrate the creativity and innovative strength of the Federal Republic of Germany. This year too, 365 winners were chosen in seven categories from business, environment and energy, science and technology, education and youth, art and culture, society and social affairs as well as sport and tourism.

Prof. Gerd Geisslinger, spokesman for the LiFF: “This is a special award for the long-standing commitment of many working groups in the Department of Medicine and at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research in Bad Nauheim on a highly topical topic of innovative drug research and an important step for cutting-edge biomedical research in Frankfurt”. In close cooperation between pharmacology, pharmacy, basic biochemical research and clinical research, the partners are investigating the disease-relevant importance of lipid mediators. Lipids have an energy storage function in the human body and fulfill important tasks as signaling molecules. Disturbances in this lipid signaling are the cause of various diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, inflammation and pain.

The individual components of the signaling pathways therefore represent promising target structures for drugs. The translational, holistic research approach opens up opportunities for innovative diagnostic and treatment options and for the development of effective drugs. This means that lipid signaling research in the Rhine-Main region will be sustainably expanded into a source of innovation for innovative medicines. With the help of a sustainable concept, young scientists in particular are specifically and intensively integrated into this large-scale research project.

The Hessian Minister for Science and Art, Eva Kühne-Hörmann, said: “This is a tremendous success and a great award for the LOEWE LiFF team, on which I warmly congratulate everyone involved. The inclusion of the LiFF in the circle of selected locations in 2010 for the 'Germany - Land of Ideas' initiative also underlines the nationwide reputation of the Hessian excellence initiative LOEWE. With the LiFF, in addition to the other 24 successful Hessian locations in the 2010 competition, the great achievements of Hessian scientists and researchers are once again in the public eye.”

“The Rhine-Main region has a long tradition as a think tank for pharmaceutical innovations. The award of the LiFF as a place in the Land of Ideas in 2010 makes it clear: the Goethe University and its partners ensure that it stays that way in the future,” says Prof. Manfred Schubert-Zsilavecz, Vice President of the Goethe University.
The following research initiatives from the Faculty of Medicine are involved in the LiFF: the DFG research group “Signaling through fatty acid metabolites and sphingolipids”, speaker: Prof. Pfeilschifter; the Cluster of Excellence “Cardio-pulmonary System”, ECCPS, speakers: Prof. Zeiher and Prof. Seeger; the European Research Training Group “Eicosanoids in Biology and Medicine”, speaker: Prof. Steinhilber; EICOSANOX (Eicosanoids and nitric oxide: Mediators of cardiovascular, cerebral and neoplastic diseases) and the Hans Kröner Research Training Group “Eicosanoid and sphingolipid signaling pathways in inflammation, cancer and vascular diseases” of the Else Kröner Fresenius Foundation, speaker: Prof. Steinhilber .