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Biology: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space funds new research project
The Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt – BMFTR) is funding a promising new therapy approach to fighting cancer at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU). In the “DNAmazing” project, the team headed by Dr Manuel Etzkorn is collaborating with Professor Dr Philipp Lang from University Hospital Düsseldorf (UKD) to develop a highly selective therapeutic agent and found a new company to get it into clinical trials. The funding totals 3.2 million euros over a period of two and a half years.
Despite significant progress in cancer treatment in recent decades, many types of cancer remain incurable and many treatment options involve severe side effects. Modern therapies are also often limited by insufficient selectivity, stability and activity or difficult forms of administration.
This is the starting point for Dr Manuel Etzkorn, Head of the “Biophysical Chemistry of complex Systems” Heisenberg Research Group at the Institute of Physical Biology at HHU in the new project “DNAmazing: Ground-breaking DNAzyme platform for cancer therapy”, which has been funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space since December 2025. Etzkorn: “We want to develop a new therapeutic strategy using ‘DNAzymes’. They should be adaptable to many target systems and open up new treatment options.”
DNAzymes – a word made up of DNA and enzyme – are highly precise, catalytically active DNA sequences. They comprise a catalytic core – which can destroy unwanted RNA sequences – flanked by short binding arms on the right- and left-hand sides. The DNAzymes can use these arms to find and bind extremely selectively to RNA target structures such as specific sequences, which are essential for the growth of a tumour but not for a healthy cell. This enables the DNAzymes to attack and destroy cancer cells on a highly selective basis without damaging healthy tissue.
In previous research work, Etzkorn and his team gained a detailed understanding of how DNAzymes work and thus how to deal with problems, which have limited their use in the past. Within the framework of the “GO-Bio next” funding programme, the aim is to select the best candidate for treating currently incurable cancer on the basis of an established DNAzyme platform. Supported by the funding, a company will then be founded to test this candidate in clinical trials.
Alongside Dr Etzkorn, Professor Philipp Lang, Director of the Institute of Molecular Medicine II at University Hospital Düsseldorf (UKD) – and his research group are also part of the project team. Professor Lang is conducting research into the immune response to cancer cells, including cancer cell modifications and immune cell-based approaches, using in vitro and preclinical cancer model systems. “DNAzymes are a powerful platform technology, which can potentially influence the immune response to cancer cells. Through further development, we hope to create a new therapy option for cancer patients in the future,” says Lang.
The project is also being supported by the research group of Professor Dr Holger Gohlke (Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry at HHU), which is contributing computer simulation expertise, and the research group of Professor Dr Stephanie Kath-Schorr (University of Cologne), which is contributing its expertise in the field of synthetic DNA building blocks. This network is complemented by the Berlin-based company Pantherna Therapeutics, which specialises in lipid nanoparticles for clinical use, and the Frankfurt-based company BioSpring, which specialises in the production of oligonucleotides.
Etzkorn: “The Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation (SPRIN-D), which provides funding to bring results from basic research with high translation potential to market, is also providing extensive support. SPRIN-D has recognised the disruptive potential of our approach and is advising us during the transition to clinical use.”
Biotechnology startup initiative
The “GO-Bio next” biotechnology startup initiative follows on from the “GO-Bio” programme launched in 2005, which resulted in the foundation of 44 companies from a total of 57 funded projects.
The BMFTR has developed the funding format further: In order to speed up technology transfer, new elements have been integrated into coaching and consulting services, selection rounds take place more frequently and direct entry to the second funding phase is now possible.
In the first selection round of “GO-Bio next”, six projects – including DNAmazing – will receive funding totalling around €22.5 million. Further selection rounds will follow.
Detailed caption:
Principle of a DNAzyme (red) in cancer therapy: The DNAzyme uses its binding arms to dock at a specific location on the RNA strand (yellow) of a cancer cell and destroy it, thereby destroying the cell. On this basis, the DNAmazing project aims to develop a therapy and get it into clinical trials.
https://www.go-bio.de/gobio/en/home/home_node.html
Principle of a DNAzyme (red) in cancer therapy. A detailed caption can be found below the text of th ...
Copyright: HHU/Manuel Etzkorn
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Principle of a DNAzyme (red) in cancer therapy. A detailed caption can be found below the text of th ...
Copyright: HHU/Manuel Etzkorn
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