news 2023

A recent study involving MedUni Vienna and University Hospital Vienna has identified a significant advance in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). The results of the randomised Phase III CLL13 (GAIA) study show that a time-limited and targeted therapy with venetoclax and obinutuzumab is more effective than chemoimmunotherapy in patients without comorbidities.

Tests for gestational diabetes are currently routinely offered in the 24th to 28th week of pregnancy according to the specifications of the mother-child passport examinations, so that therapy can only be initiated then if necessary. An international study with the participation of the Medical University of Vienna has now shown for the first time that treatment of gestational diabetes at an even earlier stage of pregnancy offers additional protection for babies and mothers against complications.

Brain tumours are among the most common malignant diseases in children and make up the most frequent cause of cancer-related death in this age group due to their often highly aggressive progression. In their search for better treatment options, the research team headed by Johannes Gojo from MedUni Vienna's Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine has now succeeded in establishing two promising new methods that will make it much easier to diagnose, choose a therapy and monitor the response to treatment in future.

An artificial intelligence developed at TU Wien (Vienna) can suggest appropriate treatment steps in cases of blood poisoning. The computer has already surpassed humans in this respect. In the future, artificial intelligence will play an important role in medicine. In diagnostics, successful tests have already been performed: for example, the computer can learn to categorise images with great accuracy according to whether they show pathological changes or not.

Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) is the most common symptomatic primary immunodeficiency in humans. Patients suffer from recurrent infections of the upper and lower respiratory tract but many of them also develop more severe symptoms such as granulomas, lymphomas and autoimmune diseases. An international team of researchers led by MedUni Vienna has now discovered why some CVID patients develop an autoimmune disease and others do not.

Until the mid-1990s, epidemiological studies showed that, on average, male lung cancer patients in Austria died earlier than female patients. A recently published analysis by MedUni Vienna shows that the tide has turned: While the average age at death for men is continuously increasing, there has been no statistically significant improvement for women in recent decades.

A global study led by Gerald Prager of the Department of Medicine I and the Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) Vienna, a joint MedUni Vienna and University Hospital Vienna facility, and co-workers has demonstrated that the prognosis for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer can be significantly improved.

Faecal incontinence is a major taboo subject and, if left untreated, usually restricts the quality of life of those severely affected. Under the leadership of surgeon Stefan Riss from the Department of General Surgery at MedUni Vienna and the University Hospital Vienna, a study has been launched into a new surgical treatment method.

A new study brings us closer to understanding when and how viewing online paintings can impact our well-being. A recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Vienna, the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, and the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics sheds light on the potential of online art viewing as a tool for improving well-being.

Metabolic disorders play a central role in many common conditions, including Alzheimer's, depression, diabetes and cancer, which call for reliable as well as non-invasive diagnostic procedures. Until now, radioactive substances have been administered as part of the process of mapping glucose metabolism in the brain.

A long-term analysis designed by Christian Gerges and Irene Lang at the Department of Medicine II of the University Hospital Vienna and MedUni Vienna indicates that one third of patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) also have left heart disease. In the past, the possibility of overlap between these two conditions had not been considered in the diagnosis and treatment of CTEPH patients.

The connections between the structure of the brain and its function are a key focus of neuroscience. A new Medical University of Vienna study involving a team of international partners has been looking at evolution and its relationship with the capabilities of human and animal brain architecture. The findings showed that the shape of the brain has developed in parallel with the organ's function throughout the course of evolution.

Approx. 40 % of persons with diabetes develop chronic kidney disease, leading to successive deterioration and even the complete loss of kidney function. Up to now, it has not been possible to predict whether and at what rate the kidney disease will progress. Early detection is essential to delay or avoid kidney failure requiring dialysis.

Among the biggest environmental problems of our time, microand nanoplastic particles (MNPs) can enter the body in various ways, including through food. And now for the first time, research conducted at MedUni Vienna has shown how these minute particles manage to breach the blood-brain barrier and as a consequence penetrate the brain.

Iron deficiency is one of the five main causes of impaired health. It affects 30 percent of the world's population, particularly women. Why iron deficiency can occur, even if enough iron is supplied through the diet, has not yet been sufficiently clarified in scientific research. For the first time, a research team from MedUni Vienna has discovered that certain immune cells in the intestine play an important role in iron absorption in the body.

For the first time, a team led by Claudia Zimmermann from MedUni Vienna's Centre for Public Health examined the suicide risk among members of several Austrian healthcare professions and other highly skilled professions compared with the general population. The results show that the suicide risk among male doctors, tax consultants/auditors is significantly lower than in the general population, while an increased suicide risk was found in the case of female doctors, dentists, veterinarians and pharmacists.

Vegans are considered health-conscious both in the public and in their own perception. Researchers at the Centre for Public Health have now examined the dietary patterns and physical activity behaviour of vegans and found a discrepancy between appearance and reality in many cases. Although many vegans exercise more than the average person, the widespread consumption of industrially processed foods in this group cannot be classified as beneficial to health.

Patients suffering from Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory intestinal disorder, develop painful constrictions in the bowel. Due to a lack of methods until now, these complications cannot be characterised with sufficient precision to initiate targeted treatment. An interdisciplinary research group at MedUni Vienna has investigated a new imaging technique that can improve the treatment of intestinal strictures.

Eight hours without socializing can result in a similar drop in energy as eight hours without eating In a study conducted both in the laboratory and during COVID-19 lockdowns, subjects reported higher levels of fatigue after eight hours of social isolation. The results suggest that low energy may be a basic human response to a lack of social contact.

Medicine & Science A team of researchers at MedUni Vienna has newly appraised the immunosuppressive effect of antithymocyte globulin (ATG) and identified a previously unknown mode of action. The new findings on ATG, which are used for induction therapy prior to organ transplantations and for the treatment of T-cell mediated rejection reactions, provide a new approach for further improvements in transplantation medicine.