More funds for research into common diseases

Federal Government increases funds for research into common diseases

14.01.2011

The research in the field of common diseases should be significantly expanded. The Federal Government plans to invest billions of euros in order to improve the research and fight against the most widespread diseases in Germany.

Federal Health Minister Philipp Rösler (FDP) and Federal Research Minister Annette Schavan (CDU) presented the new framework research program Health Research at a press conference at the Charité, with which the Federal Government intends to intensify its fight against the so-called common diseases such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. Among other things, the framework program determines how health research at universities and clinics should be promoted over the next eight years. A major change from previous research programs is that the activities of all stakeholders in the health sector are to be more focused on research into common diseases.

Intensify research and treatment of common diseases
The federal government plans to invest 5.5 billion euros in research into common diseases by 2014. In addition, the Health Research Framework Program will include the formation of six „German centers of health research“ intended to deal with the study of the most important common diseases. Two of these centers, the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases for the Study of Diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's Disease and the German Center for Diabetes Research, have already been opened; the locations of the remaining four are to be determined by the summer of 2011. According to the plans of the Federal Government, the centers of health research still to be opened will focus on research into cancer, infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases and lung diseases. Each center will consist of several partner locations where universities and non-university institutions cooperate closely, according to the ministers' statement at the press conference. „These six German centers are the centerpiece of the framework program“, emphasized Research Minister Schavan.

Transfer of research results into practice
The six centers for health research should, according to the hope of the federal ministers, also help to establish new therapies faster in the standard care. The measures of the framework program should make the transition from research results to medical practice as fast as possible, said Federal Research Minister Schavan. And Philipp Rösler also emphasized the importance of health services research in the Health Research Framework Program, because that's what it's all about, „how new treatments can come to people as quickly as possible“. According to Ulrich Dirnagl, Head of Experimental Neurology at the Berlin Charité, it takes between ten and 30 years until a medical discovery arrives at the patient. Here, a stronger networking of research would bring significant benefits, according to the assessment of the physician.

Expand interdisciplinary research on common diseases
For example, research on stroke as one of the most common diseases should not focus solely on the brain, explained Ulrich Dirnagl. For the main causes include infections and especially pneumonia. In the context of networked research and treatment, newer stroke therapies are therefore aimed at early detection and treatment of immune system weakening due to infections, the expert emphasized. „Where basic research and clinic are closely interlinked, one can tackle such problems and therefore we can expect much from these centers in the future“, explained Dirnagl. The Federal Minister of Health also emphasized the importance of research in the field of strokes, because with 160,000 cases per year, these are the most common neurological disease in Germany today.

Centers of health research
While the Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, with its core center in Bonn and the Center for Diabetes Research with partners in Munich, Dusseldorf, Potsdam, Tübingen and Dresden, are already in full swing, the founding of the German Center for Cardiovascular Research in addition to other universities, the Berlin Charité, the German Heart Center, the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and the German Institute for Nutritional Research Potsdam jointly advertised. The Charité is also expected to participate in the German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research. The Federal Minister of Research emphasized: „In July we can then present you the Germany map with the six centers“.

Framework Program Health Research defines further fields of action
Most of the funding for the six health research centers to be created is taken over by the federal government at around 90 percent in the framework research program. Over the next four years, 500 million euros are earmarked for the establishment and expansion of the research centers. Schavan described the framework program as one „milestone“, which also attracts international attention. The six research centers make it possible to break new ground in research into the most important common diseases, according to the Minister. In addition to research on common diseases, the Health Research Framework Program includes other areas of action, such as nutrition, precaution, economic efficiency, a stronger focus on medicine for the individual, and international cooperation. The fact that research and treatment is to be stepped up, particularly in the area of ​​common diseases, is partly due to the fact that people are getting older, explained Professor Karl Max Einhäupl, Chairman of the Charité at the press conference. The expert added: Every second girl born today will be over 100 years old. (Fp)

Also read:
Research funds for common diseases decided
Research Center: On the trail of common diseases

Picture: Gerd Altmann