idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Whether process development, new technologies, or studies and therapies for genetic diseases, autoimmune disorders, and cancer: 22 projects from 13 cities are being supported with €9.5 million through the SPARK-BIH project funding program at the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH), as part of the National Strategy for Gene- and Cell-Based Therapies (GCT). The aim is to translate groundbreaking GCT research into concrete, viable, scalable, and patient-centered therapies.
Gene- and cell-based therapies will fundamentally transform the medicine of the future in many areas. They open new possibilities for treating severe and previously incurable diseases. In some cases, durable therapeutic success and sustained improvements in quality of life can be achieved with a single intervention. In addition to these medical benefits, GCT also offer economic and societal potential. In the long term, these treatments can reduce follow-up costs and thereby ease the burden on the healthcare system. At the same time, investments in research, development, and care infrastructures strengthen the innovative capacity and competitiveness of Germany as a location that fosters innovation in healthcare. The development of efficient, safe, and economically sustainable therapeutic approaches therefore offers significant future opportunities.
Building the Bridge Between Research and Clinical Application in Gene and Cell Therapy
However, the GCT landscape is highly complex. Numerous challenges can cause promising ideas and products to fail - even when they are highly promising solutions targeting significant unmet medical needs. In this context, access to experts at a very early stage can make the development of novel therapies more efficient and successful.
This is precisely where the GCT project funding program of SPARK-BIH comes in: Building on the SPARK-BIH program established in Berlin over the past decade; this initiative is among the first measures under the National Strategy for GCT. Its goal is to speed up the translation of gene- and cell-based therapies and associated diagnostics into clinical application. As part of the European and global SPARK network, SPARK-BIH supports the entire process from the early idea to a market-ready solution.
SPARK-BIH offers two funding tracks: In Track 1, projects in an early development phase can apply for one year of funding of up to 50,000 Euro. Track 2 supports more advanced projects with more than 50,000 Euro over two years. Together with SPARK-BIH, selected teams develop a milestone agreement to advance their projects along the translational pathway through milestone-based funding and tailored expertise.
In addition, SPARK offers an educational program with lectures and workshops covering topics related to biomedical translation and entrepreneurship. Project teams are supported by project managers from the SPARK-BIH program and gain access to scientific and entrepreneurial expertise as well as national and international experts, tailored to the specific needs of each project.
Innovative GCT Projects Across Germany Receive Support
For the second funding round of the program, researchers from across Germany submitted their project proposals in spring 2025. As a result, funding is now being awarded to research projects from Berlin, Erlangen, Frankfurt, Freiburg, Göttingen, Hanover, Heidelberg, Leipzig, Mannheim, Munich, Neuherberg, Regensburg, and Würzburg. A range of GCT research projects are setting new innovation benchmarks: From a fast-acting inhaled medication against parainfluenza viruses to an optogenetic gene therapy intended to restore hearing for the first time, to cutting-edge immune cell therapies against blood cancers and solid tumors. Furthermore, pioneering approaches targeting neurological autoimmune diseases, liver fibrosis, and immune reactions following stem cell transplantation are also being funded. In parallel, oncolytic viruses are being developed for future clinical trials, as well as a therapeutic agent to restore essential neuronal growth factors, and gene-modified regulatory cells to control immune responses in kidney transplantation. In addition, approaches with the potential to further advance the targeted treatment of genetic diseases are being supported, including the development of improved technologies for immune cell therapies using gene-edited cells. Together with projects selected in the first call, SPARK-BIH currently supports 39 projects in the National GCT program.
"I wish I had something similar to SPARK-BIH when I started developing ATMPs. I thoroughly enjoy helping scientists in their quest to develop new products and, in the long run, contribute to this program in giving answers to patients in need,” says Ander Izeta, PhD, former head of the Spanish Society for Gene and Cell Therapy and mentor in the SPARK-BIH funding program.
“The SPARK method was developed at Stanford University in 2006 and has been a very successful approach for almost 20 years to translating research projects into application and thus making a positive contribution for patients and society. It is important to us to convey to teams how translation - that is, the targeted implementation of scientific findings into new treatment approaches, diagnostic options, and health applications, as well as the development of new research ideas - must be considered from the outset,” explains Dr. Tanja Rosenmund, Head of the SPARK-BIH Program at the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité.
About the National Strategy for Gene and Cell-Based Therapies
The National Strategy for GCT was commissioned in 2022 by the former Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, now BMFTR) and developed through a moderated process involving around 150 stakeholders. With the aim of actively promoting patient well-being and strengthening Germany as a biotechnology hub, representatives from science, industry, politics, and civil society defined eight fields of action comprising a total of 90 concrete measures. These were submitted to the BMBF in June 2024. The Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH) facilitated the development of the strategy paper and currently serves as its coordinating lead. In this role, it oversees the further elaboration and implementation of the proposed measures.
About the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH)
The Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH) is dedicated to biomedical translation. Its mission is to translate research findings into personalized prevention, diagnostics, and therapies to benefit patients and provide the scientific community with effective tools. With approximately 750 employees, the BIH specializes in translational method development, precision medicine, regenerative therapies, and biomedical data science. Closely integrated with Charité, the BIH promotes excellent research and facilitates the accelerated transfer of new discoveries into clinical practice through its supporting platforms and programs. Through these efforts, the BIH builds strong partnerships and fosters innovation-driven medicine in both national and international contexts.
https://www.bihealth.org/en/notices/from-theory-to-practice-supporting-the-next-... News on the BIH website
Criteria of this press release:
Business and commerce, Journalists, Scientists and scholars
Biology, Medicine
transregional, national
Research projects, Transfer of Science or Research
English
You can combine search terms with and, or and/or not, e.g. Philo not logy.
You can use brackets to separate combinations from each other, e.g. (Philo not logy) or (Psycho and logy).
Coherent groups of words will be located as complete phrases if you put them into quotation marks, e.g. “Federal Republic of Germany”.
You can also use the advanced search without entering search terms. It will then follow the criteria you have selected (e.g. country or subject area).
If you have not selected any criteria in a given category, the entire category will be searched (e.g. all subject areas or all countries).
