German Diabetes Center (DDZ)
Leibniz-Center for Diabetes-Research
at the Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf
Auf'm Hennekamp 65, 40225 Düsseldorf

Phone: +49 (0)211 3382-0
Fax: +49 (0)211 3382-603
E-Mail: kontakt@ddz.uni-duesseldorf.de
Internet: http://ddz.uni-duesseldorf.de

Press Releases

A New Diabetes Classification? Subgroups of Type 2 Diabetes have Specific Risk of Diabetes-Associated Diseases such as Fatty Liver and Neuropathy

dds logo 180x120 cr Recent studies provide evidence for an updated diabetes classification reflecting different risks for diabetes-related complications. Researchers at the German Diabetes Center (DDZ) and their partners from the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) and the University of Lund in Sweden have now identified clusters allowing for the separation of different diabetes subtypes. Two of these subtypes are at higher risk of fatty liver disease and diabetic neuropathy early on after the diagnosis of diabetes. In line with the concept of precision medicine, these findings illustrate the need for targeted diagnosis and treatment for these patients’ subgroups in order to delay or even prevent diabetes-related complications.

New Center of Competence for Innovative Diabetes Therapy (KomIT) is funded by NRW and EU

2019 02 19komit 180x120 cr A new Center of Competence will be established at the German Diabetes Center (DDZ) during the next three years based on a total funding of about 3.5 Mio Euro provided by Northrhine-Westphalia and the EU. A consortium of eight partners from industry and academia will focus on the development of new diabetes therapies. The new center is coordinated by DDZ and aims at efficient translation of new research results into clinical application, finally improving therapeutic options for diabetic patients.

Increased Blood Flow triggers Liver Regeneration

blutgefaess leber 180x120 cr The liver is one of the few human organs that completely regenerates within a few weeks after more than half of the organ has been removed. However, so far the cause of this remarkable feature remains unclear. Within the framework of the Collaborative Research Center 974 and with support from the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.), scientists in Professor Eckhard Lammert's research team at the German Diabetes Center (DDZ), the Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research at Heinrich Heine University (HHU) Düsseldorf, in cooperation with colleagues from HHU and Düsseldorf University Hospital (UKD) showed for the first time that increased blood flow through the small blood vessels of the liver triggers the release of signals from cells of these vessels, thus promoting liver growth. The results are published in the current issue of Nature.

Numb, Burning and Tingling Sensations in the Feet: New Biomarkers of Inflammation Identified as Risk Factors for Neuropathy

2018 08 23 fuesse 180x120 cr Polyneuropathy is one of the most common complications in people with diabetes. However, it can also occur with certain risk factors or diseases before the onset of diabetes. First symptoms are often pins-and-needles sensations in the feet. Although polyneuropathy is present in about 30% of people with diabetes, it often remains undiagnosed. Scientists from the German Diabetes Center (DDZ) in Düsseldorf, in cooperation with colleagues from Helmholtz Zentrum München (HMGU), both partners in the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), have now been able to show for the first time that six biomarkers of inflammation indicate the risk of polyneuropathy. The results were published in the current issue of the journal Diabetes.