Abstract: The present invention relates to spiropyrazine compounds which are inhibitors of non-apoptotic regulated cell death, and to pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds. Furthermore, the present invention relates to the use of such compounds and pharmaceutical compositions in therapy, in particular in the treatment of a condition, disorder or disease that is characterised by non-apoptotic regulated cell-death or where non-apoptotic regulated cell-death is likely to play or plays a substantial role.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a high affinity T cell receptor (TCR) against a tumor-associated antigen, an isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding the same, a T cell expressing the TCR, and a pharmaceutical composition for use in the treatment of diseases involving malignant cells expressing the tumor-associated antigen.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions comprising at least two different active compounds and the use of such combination compositions in medicine, in particular in methods for treating obesity and obesity-related disorders and/or in methods for inhibiting weight gain.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of the biomarker Flattop (Fltp) for distinguishing mature ? cells from immature progenitor ? cells. The present invention further relates to a method for distinguishing a mature ? cell from an immature progenitor ? cell, the method comprising: determining the presence or absence of the biomarker Flattop (Fltp) in a ? cell; wherein the presence of Fltp in the cell indicates that the cell is a mature ? cell and wherein the absence of Fltp in the cell indicates that the cell is an immature progenitor ? cell. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method of identifying a compound suitable for differentiating immature progenitor ? cells into mature ? cells as well as to a method of identifying a compound suitable for preventing the de-differentiating of mature ? cells.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds and compositions for use in methods of treating and/or preventing conditions, disorders or diseases that are mediated or caused by a virus.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a device for improved hygienic monitoring of individually ventilated caging (IVC) rack systems for laboratory animals and method for contamination-free removal of biological samples from unwanted organisms from the IVC-rack system. The device allows the performance of sampling operations on a ventilated shelving system in a safe and effective manner, without interfering with the ventilation air flow. The method of the invention allows the removal and transfer of the biological sample from inside the IVC-rack in a contamination-free manner by enabling a safe transfer of the sample from inside the IVC-rack system to any further processing procedure for analysis of the biological sample outside the IVC-rack system. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a device which is adapted to be used also on existing ventilated shelving systems, allowing the refitting of existing IVC-rack systems.

Abstract: An imaging device includes (a) a light source device arranged to illuminate a sample under investigation with illumination light, (b) a detector device arranged to collect a plurality of images including at least one sample light image backscattered by the sample, and at least one marker light image originating from at least one marker substance in the sample, and (c) a processor device adapted to process the at least one sample light image.

Abstract: An imaging device configured for optoacoustic imaging of an object, including an illumination device including optical components arranged to illuminate the object, a detector device comprising an array of detector elements arranged in a tank and arranged to detect acoustic signals created in the object, and a container device including a tank arranged to accommodate the detector device, the object and a matching transmission medium, a holding device adapted to position and move the object relative to the illumination device and the detector device, wherein the optical components are arranged in the tank to illuminate the object from different directions.

Abstract: The present invention contemplates dendritic cell compositions. The dentritic cell compositions employ MHC class-II targeting signals fused to an antigen or fragment thereof to obtain MHC II presentation of the antigen or fragment thereof. In particular, the invention refers to a dendritic cell vaccine comprising dendritic cells expressing a MHC class-II targeting signal fused to an antigen or fragment thereof. Dendritic cell vaccines for the stimulation of an immune response against melanoma-associated antigen are also described.

Abstract: The present invention contemplates methods for the generation of human antigen-specific T lymphocytes. The methods employ MHC class-II targeting signals fused to an antigen or fragment thereof to obtain MHC class presentation of RNA coded proteins. Accordingly, the present invention concerns expression vectors comprising MHC class-II targeting signal and at least one antigen or fragment thereof and its use for the in vitro generation of antigen-specific T lymphocytes. T cell clones and T cell receptors (TCRs) specific for tumor antigens or viral antigens are also described.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a nucleic acid molecule encoding (I) a polypeptide having the activity of an endonuclease, which is (a) a nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide comprising or consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1; (b) a nucleic acid molecule comprising or consisting of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2; (c) a nucleic acid molecule encoding an endonuclease, the amino acid sequence of which is at least 70% identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1; (d) a nucleic acid molecule comprising or consisting of a nucleotide sequence which is at least 50% identical to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2; (e) a nucleic acid molecule which is degenerate with respect to the nucleic acid molecule of (d); or (f) a nucleic acid molecule corresponding to the nucleic acid molecule of any one of (a) to (e) wherein T is replaced by U; (II) a fragment of the polypeptide of (I) having the activity of an endonuclease.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus (100) for imaging an object (1) under investigation, in particular a biological object, comprises a light source device (10) arranged for an illumination of the object (1), a light detector device (20) arranged for detection of light emitted by the object (1) in response to the illumination of the object (1), an acoustic detector device (30) arranged for collecting acoustic signals generated in the object (1) in response to the illumination of the object (1), an image reconstruction device (40) arranged for reconstructing an optical image and an opto-acoustic image of the object (1), and a resolution adaptation device (50) being capable of adjusting imaging properties of the opto-acoustic image, said imaging properties including at least one of the spatial resolution and the imaging depth of the opto-acoustic image. Furthermore, an imaging method for imaging an object (1) under investigation, in particular a biological object, is described.

Abstract: An imaging device for medical imaging includes a light source device arranged to illuminate a sample under investigation with illumination light, a detector device arranged to collect a plurality of images including at least two sample light images backscattered by the sample in different spectral ranges, and at least one marker light image originating from at least one marker substance in the sample, and a processor device adapted to process the at least two sample light images and create at least one correction component, the processor device further adapted to correct the marker light image using the at least one correction component.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds which are inhibitors of non-apoptotic regulated cell death, and to pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds. Furthermore, the present invention relates to the use of such compounds and pharmaceutical compositions in therapy, in particular in the treatment of a condition, disorder or disease that is characterised by non-apoptotic regulated cell-death or where non-apoptotic regulated cell-death is likely to play or plays a substantial role.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a nucleic acid molecule encoding (I) a polypeptide having the activity of an endonuclease, which is (a) a nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide comprising or consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1; (b) a nucleic acid molecule comprising or consisting of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2; (c) a nucleic acid molecule encoding an endonuclease, the amino acid sequence of which is at least 70% identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1; (d) a nucleic acid molecule comprising or consisting of a nucleotide sequence which is at least 50% identical to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2; (e) a nucleic acid molecule which is degenerate with respect to the nucleic acid molecule of (d); or (f) a nucleic acid molecule corresponding to the nucleic acid molecule of any one of (a) to (e) wherein T is replaced by U; (II) a fragment of the polypeptide of (I) having the activity of an endonuclease.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of the biomarker Flattop (Fltp) for distinguishing mature ? cells from immature progenitor ? cells. The present invention further relates to a method for distinguishing a mature ? cell from an immature progenitor ? cell, the method comprising: determining the presence or absence of the biomarker Flattop (Fltp) in a ? cell; wherein the presence of Fltp in the cell indicates that the cell is a mature ? cell and wherein the absence of Fltp in the cell indicates that the cell is an immature progenitor ? cell. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method of identifying a compound suitable for differentiating immature progenitor ? cells into mature ? cells as well as to a method of identifying a compound suitable for preventing the de-differentiating of mature ? cells.

Abstract: The present invention relates to semi-allogeneic antigen-presenting cells into which proteins and/or peptides or RNA or DNA or cDNA, respectively, encoding said proteins and/or peptides which are overexpressed in tumor cells or which are derived from autologous tumor cells or different tumor cells or different tumor cell lines have been introduced. Furthermore the invention relates to methods for the generation of these semi-allogeneic antigen-presenting cells as well as to the use thereof in the treatment of tumor diseases.

Abstract: A method of multi-spectral opto-acoustic tomography (MSOT) imaging of a target tissue including a target tissue biomarker includes illuminating the target tissue with an illumination device emitting at least one pulsed illumination pattern at several illumination wavelengths, detecting pressure signals from the target tissue biomarker with a detector device, wherein the pressure signals being produced in the target tissue are in response to the illumination, and reconstructing a quantitative tomographic image of a distribution of the target tissue biomarker in the target tissue, wherein the pressure signals are analyzed using a photon propagation model which depends on an illuminating light fluence in the target tissue and on the illumination wavelengths, at least one spectral processing scheme, and an inversion scheme providing the tomographic image.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for in vitro maturation of at least one immate dendritic cell, comprising stimulating said immature dendritic cell with TNF?, IL-1?, IFN?, a TLR7/8 agonist and prostaglandin E2(PG). Furthermore, the invention elates to a composition comprising these factors as well as to mature dendritic cells produced by a method of the invention.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to systems and methods for optoacoustic imaging of an object comprising, in some embodiments, an image acquisition unit for acquiring a first sequence of tomographic optoacoustic images, the image acquisition unit comprising an illumination device and a detection device configured for repeatedly collecting acoustic waves emerging from the object and for generating the first sequence of tomographic optoacoustic images. In some embodiments, a processing unit is provided for generating a second sequence of one or more tomographic optoacoustic images from the first sequence of tomographic optoacoustic images based on an analysis of one or more tomographic optoacoustic images of the first sequence of tomographic optoacoustic images and/or at least one property of the object while acquiring the first sequence of tomographic optoacoustic images and/or at least one property of the acquisition unit while acquiring the first sequence of tomographic optoacoustic images.