Zentrale News Detailseite EN | DZD - Deutsches Zentrum für Diabetesforschung

Potsdam-Rehbrücke

Researchers from the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE) and other partner institutions of the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) have now identified a previously unknown function of the PICALM…

A population-based cohort study provides new data on the prevalence of early-stage type 1 diabetes in young adults, addressing a gap in epidemiological research. Using samples from the LISA and GINIplus cohorts and methodologies established in the…

Seven people stand in a bright room in front of a banner reading 'HELMHOLTZ MUNICH' with a large window showing the glas dome of the German Parliament in the background.

How can scientific breakthroughs reach the people more quickly? This question was the focus of the Expert Hour of DZD partner Helmholtz Munich on March 25 in the German Bundestag. Under the title “From Research to Patients – Translation and AI in…

Neuherberg

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has announced the recipients of this year's National Scientific and Health Care Achievement Awards. Among this year’s awardees is DZD scientist Prof. Timo Müller, Director of the Institute for…

Child in striped top having blood sugar test on finger by healthcare professional wearing blue gloves

Neuherberg

EDENT1FI (“European action for the Diagnosis of Early Non-clinical Type 1 diabetes For disease Interception”), a research project led by Prof. Anette-Gabriele Ziegler from Helmholtz Munich and Prof. Chantal Mathieu from the KU Leuven, has…

Three people on a stage at a conference titled "Gesundheit & Ernährung" with a dark blue background and an audience in the foreground.

Two scientists from the DZD were featured as speakers at the F.A.Z. Conference on Health & Nutrition. In his keynote, Prof. Peter Schwarz highlighted why prevention is becoming increasingly important. Prof. Dr. Peter Achenbach discussed recent…

Grafic of a human with enlargement of the pancreatic cells.e

Düsseldorf

Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed based on blood values – but the actual changes take place in many organs, including the tissue of the pancreas, where insulin is produced. However, these changes are not visible to the human eye under a…

Graphic showing risk factors for obesity, arranged in light green circles around a large circle in the center. The center circle reads “What increases the risk of obesity?”

World Obesity Day on March 4 draws attention to the significance of severe overweight (obesity), its causes, possible complications, and treatments. The national diabetes information portal diabinfo.de devotes a detailed chapter to this topic in its…

Image of a sugar cube in a drop of blood.

The DZD partner Helmholtz Munich has been awarded a prestigious grant of up to 900 000 US Dollar from Breakthrough T1D, the leading global type 1 diabetes (T1D) research and advocacy organization. The funding will support the research into…

Infographic showing a plate depicted as a puzzle with the questions 'What?', 'When?', and 'How much?', alongside four graphs illustrating changes in amplitude, phase, period, and mesor, with explanatory text about nutrition's influence on gene expression.

Potsdam-Rehbrücke

Whether we tend to eat carbohydrates or fats in the morning may help determine how our metabolism works. Prof. Olga Ramich from the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE) and Charité – Universitätsmedizin…

Anja Schork with shoulder-length brown hair wearing a black blazer and a dark red top against a blurred background.

The journal 'Metabolism' honors DZD researcher Dr. Anja Schork with the Junior Faculty Award 2025. The physician and scientist receives the award for her significant contribution as first author of the publication “Differential risk assessment in…

Eckart von Hirschhausen and Prof. Stephanie Kullmann sit at a desk in front of two screens, one displaying medical images.

Sugar can be enjoyable, but it can also make you ill. How much sugar is still healthy? And are sweeteners really a good alternative? Eckart von Hirschhausen addresses these questions in his new ARD documentary “Hirschhausen und der Zucker”…

Infographic showing the relationship between BMI ≥ 30 kg/m², confirmed obesity, clinical and preclinical obesity, and increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease according to NHANES, EPIC-Potsdam, and TULIP study with percentages and stylized figures.

Potsdam-Rehbrücke

An international research group has examined how many people are affected by preclinical and clinical obesity and what health risks are associated with this. The team led by Prof. Matthias Schulze from the German Institute of Human…

Aerial photos of the city of Düsseldorf, with the conference details above

From June 25 to 27, 2026, the German Diabetes Center (DDZ) will host the annual congress of the Central European Diabetes Association (CEDA). The focus will be on current, clinically relevant issues in modern diabetology – from cardio-diabetes and…

Two heatmaps labeled 'No Diabetes' and 'Diabetes' show different attention distributions, each accompanied by grids of enlarged tissue patches stained with Perilipin 1 and Hematoxylin.

Explainable AI-based analysis of human pancreas sections identifies traits of type 2 diabetes.

Nature Communications 2026

The DZG Innovation Fund (DZGIF) is a joint research funding program of the German Centers for Health Research (DZG). The topic for the 2027/28 call for proposals is "Immune Dysregulation and Interorgan Mechanisms in Post-Infectious Conditions:…

Woman in a red tank top sits on a weight training machine and stretches one leg forward. She wears a cuff around her thigh to which a thin tube is attached.

Düsseldorf

Physical training is an important part of type 2 diabetes therapy and supports both blood glucose control and muscle energy metabolism. A new study by the German Diabetes Center (DDZ) shows that blood flow restriction training (BFRT)…

Close-up of a DNA double helix with molecular structures against a blurred background

Unravelling the molecular mechanisms causal to type 2 diabetes across global populations and disease-relevant tissues.

Nature Metabolism 2026

Four white icons above the letters F, A, I, R with the labels Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable

In a new publication, researchers from the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) and the University Medical Center Greifswald show how research data can be processed to be FAIR on a step-by-step basis, i.e. such that they can be found, accessed…

Four blood sample tubes with colored caps in a white rack on a white background

Potsdam-Rehbrücke

Prediabetes is an extremely heterogeneous metabolic disorder. Scientists from several partner institutes of the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD)* have now used artificial intelligence (AI) to identify epigenetic markers…

Cover page of the publication 'Leopoldina FOKUS No. 5 January 2026' on prevention and therapy of the obesity epidemic, alongside stylized yellow and gray human figures., many of them overweight.

The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina has published a detailed statement on combating the obesity epidemic in Germany. In its policy note in the “Leopoldina Focus” series, the Leopoldina recommends strategies for the prevention and…

Seven people stand in front of a wall with the letters “DDZ” written on it, holding a large check and bottles of champagne in their hands.

Dr. Tim Mori, research associate at the Institute for Biometrics and Epidemiology at the German Diabetes Center (DDZ), a DZD partner, has received the Dr. Eickelberg Foundation Award 2026. Together with a team of scientists, he works on statistical…

Word cloud with the terms: muscle mass, signaling molecules, cancer, cachexia, body wasting, liver, and therapy resistance

Neuherberg

Cachexia is a metabolic disorder that causes uncontrolled weight loss and muscle wasting in chronic diseases and cancer. A new study by Helmholtz Munich, in collaboration with the Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences…

What will medicine look like in the future? This question will be the focus of the kick-off event for Science Year 2026 – Medicine of the Future on 20 January 2026. The Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) cordially invites all…

Drawing of an alarm clock on a red folded blanket in front of a window with yellow light, a table with a lamp, and a blood glucose meter.

Düsseldorf

Metabolic diseases have reached epidemic proportions in our society. This is not only due to a lack of exercise, but is also caused by staying up late, shift work, and artificial indoor light. The inner biological clock, the body’s…

On the occasion of an official visit, the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) and Helmholtz Munich welcomed a high-ranking delegation from Inserm, the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Institut national de la santé et de…

Hand holding a heart-shaped bowl filled with yellow bell pepper, avocado half, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, green apple, carrots, salmon, almonds, and garlic cloves, surrounded by fitness and health items.

Tübingen

For the first time, an international analysis has shown that when people with prediabetes bring their blood glucose back into the normal range through lifestyle changes, their risk of heart attack, heart failure, and premature death is cut…

Woman with tied-back dark hair, wearing green earrings and a dark green sweater, standing in front of a white wall.

In 2025, the Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation is awarding nine Else Kröner Excellence Fellowships to outstanding physicians. Among them is Dr. Oana-Patricia Zaharia, DZD scientist at the German Diabetes Center (DDZ) and Heinrich Heine University…

Black and white line drawing of a hand holding a card with text and a check mark, next to it the word ‘scanner’.

The members of the DZD Citizens' and Patients' Advisory Board (CAB) met for their ninth meeting on November 20, 2025, in Munich at the Type 1 Diabetes Study Center of the Institute for Diabetes Research (IDF) at Helmholtz Munich. This marked the…

Hands typing on laptop keyboard with overlaid medical infographic showing human body, organs, and charts.

Integrative Metabolomics of Targeted and Non-targeted Analyses in T2D Progression.

Diabetes Care 2025

Flowchart showing six steps of protein analysis: biological experiment, fractionation, sample preparation, data acquisition, MS spectra analysis, and classification using SVM and neural regression.

A new tool developed by Helmholtz Munich and the German Center for Diabetes Research and the University of Bonn makes spatial proteomics and lipidomics easier to use – no coding required. C-COMPASS allows scientists to profile where proteins and…

Red phoenix with outstretched wings, holding blue cells in its beak and claws, against a light blue background with stylized leaves.

New issue of SYNERGIE: Regenerative medicine

Cell and gene therapies are opening up new possibilities in medicine. They have the potential to treat diseases differently and restore health that was thought to be lost, like a phoenix rising from the…

Digital, schematic representation of a reddish liver in front of the belly of a person wearing a white coat, gloves, and a stethoscope.

Düsseldorf

The liver plays a central role in storing and supplying energy to the body. In type 2 diabetes and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, commonly referred to as fatty liver disease), mitochondria—the cell’s…

“Exploring nutrition. Strengthening health,” under this headline the DZD partner German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke (DIfE) looks back on the years 2023 and 2024 in its latest report and presents the highlights of its research and…

Lifestyle intervention is more effective in high 1-hour post-load glucose than in prediabetes for restoring β-cell function, reducing ectopic fat, and preventing type 2 diabetes.

Metabolism 2025

Five people sit on chairs in front of a screen displaying 'Beyond Tierversuche' in a room with brick walls and dim lighting.

As part of Berlin Science Week, Dr. Rachel Lippert, leader of the Junior Research Group of Neurocircuit Development and Function at the DZD partner German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE), participated in the panel discussion…

Hand wearing blue glove holding a test tube with yellow and red liquid above a centrifuge with multiple orange holders.

Potsdam-Rehbrücke

The time of eating influences the lipid metabolism in our body. A study conducted at the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) and the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE) shows: Eating earlier in the…

Baby sitting in high chair holding onto the table with one hand while another hand feeds puree with a spoon.

Neuherberg / Dresden

First results of the Primary Oral Insulin Trial (POInT) mark an important step towards the prevention of type 1 diabetes, pointing future efforts to personalized strategies. The group led by researchers from Helmholtz Munich and…

White plate with two eggs, cherry tomatoes, berries, bell pepper pieces, and two wooden spoons arranged like a clock.

Potsdam-Rehbrücke

Contrary to common assumptions, a new study from the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE) and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, shows that intermittent fasting (time-restricted eating) with an unchanged…

Developmental progression and cell type distribution in pancreas tissue of human, pig, and mouse shown by colored cell clusters and developmental stages.

Neuherberg

Pancreas development in pigs resembles humans much more closely than does the established mouse model. An international team headed by Helmholtz Munich and the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) has now produced a comprehensive…

Microscopic view showing blue-stained cell nuclei and scattered green structures on a gray background.

Potsdam-Rehbrücke

As age increases, the pancreas changes, which increases the risk of metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, digestive disorders, and also cancer. Researchers at the DZD partner German Institute of Human Nutrition…

A girl with an insulin pump on her waistband and a sensor on her arm smiles as she looks at her smartphone to read her blood sugar levels.

The treatment of type 1 diabetes is evolving. In a recent review article in 'The Lancet', Prof. Anette-Gabriele Ziegler (Helmholtz Munich and DZD) and her colleagues Prof. Eda Cengiz and Prof. Thomas W. H. Kay provide an overview of groundbreaking…

With its new DZD-HeaDS (Health Data Science & AI) certificate program, the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) is launching an innovative qualification program for master students and doctoral candidates. The aim is to inspire early career…

Effective October 1, 2025, DZD Executive Board Member Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Martin Hrabě de Angelis took on the role of Member and Spokesperson of the Executive Board (acting) at Helmholtz Munich. He succeeds Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h.c. Matthias…

Tübingen

Until now, weight reduction has been the primary therapeutic goal for people with prediabetes. An analysis of a large Tübingen study shows that patients who bring their blood sugar levels back within the normal range through a healthy…

[Translate to English:] Mehr als 30 Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler nahmen an der Konferenz teil.

Type 2 diabetes often goes unnoticed for a long time—with consequences. This is because permanently elevated blood sugar values in prediabetes or diabetes damage blood vessels and organs: Heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failure are therefore among…

Cologne / Potsdam

A new study involving the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) provides strong evidence that sugary drinks affect not only metabolic but also mental health – especially in women. This effect is probably mediated by the…

Düsseldorf

Physician and diabetologist Dr. Martin Schön from the German Diabetes Center (DDZ) has been honored with the prestigious Rising Star Award at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). With this…

On,A,Beautiful,Day,,A,Woman,Enjoys,A,Picnic,In

Düsseldorf

It is well known that a plant-based diet is healthy and can increase life expectancy. But does this also apply to people with type 2 diabetes? The answer is yes. Researchers at the German Diabetes Center (DDZ), the Heinrich Heine…

Information on career paths in diabetes research, presentation of current research results, awards, and a joint booth with the Danish Diabetes and Endocrinology Academy (DDEA) – the German Center for Diabetes Research offers all this and much more at…

Silhouettes of three running figures in yellow-green, grey and red on a gray background. Text: 'Deutsches Zentrum für Diabetesforschung Jahresbericht 2023/24'.

The German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) has published its new annual report for 2023/2024. The report shows how scientific findings are being translated into medical practice—with the aim of sustainably improving the prevention, early…

A little girl with a teddy bear is hugged by her mother and sits on a treatment couch in a doctor's office. A woman in white takes blood from her arm.

The DZD partner Helmholtz Munich's Institute for Diabetes Research has been awarded a grant of over 1 Mio. Dollar from Breakthrough T1D, a global organization focused on type 1 diabetes research and advocacy, to intensify the longstanding…

Three people in formal attire stand in front of a banner for the German Center for Diabetes Research with colorful cell graphics, flanked by two large cardboard figures with texts about diabetes subtypes.

Two days full of interest, discussion, and commitment to diabetes prevention: The German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) was represented at the open house of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMFTR) over the weekend with its…

Graphic of a person with lightning bolts on their hands and feet

Düsseldorf

The degradation of nerve function in people with diabetes is comparable to normal, age-related nerve degradation, provided the blood glucose level is well controlled. Researchers at the German Diabetes Center (DDZ) and the German Center…

Five people standing and waving next to six life-size cutouts illustrating diabetes subtypes with brief descriptions at a research event.

The German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) will be participating in the Open House Day of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR). Under the motto “Prevention is better than cure,” the DZD will provide information on…

Diagram showing brain insulin resistance with methods including intranasal insulin delivery, fMRI neuroimaging, and analysis of 540 DNA methylation sites.

Potsdam-Rehbrücke/Tübingen

If the brain no longer responds properly to insulin (insulin resistance), this can lead to overweight, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease. Researchers at the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) in Potsdam and Tübingen…

Outline of a woman in red and a man in green under dark clouds symbolizing depression.

Düsseldorf

People with diabetes suffer from depression more frequently than average – with sometimes considerable consequences for their quality of life and the course of the disease. Researchers from the German Diabetes Center (DDZ), the Research…

A joint study by Helmholtz Munich, the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), and Goethe University Frankfurt reveals how a novel drug may help prevent type 1 diabetes by restoring immune balance. The findings were published in Molecular…

Neuherberg

Many people with cancer experience dramatic loss of muscle and fat tissue. In many cases, even the heart muscle is affected, which further weakens the body. This wasting syndrome, known as cachexia, affects around half of all cancer…

Portraits of Christian Herder, left, and Matthias Schulze, right.

Düsseldorf / Potsdam-Rehbrücke

The two DZD epidemiologists Prof. Dr. Christian Herder from the German Diabetes Center and Prof. Dr. Matthias Schulze from the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke (DIfE) have been admitted to the…

Tübingen

The skeletal muscles of men and women process glucose and fats in different ways. A study conducted by the University Hospital of Tübingen, the Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases of Helmholtz Munich and the German Center…

On Tuesday, July 8, 2025, the national diabetes information portal invites you to the 5th edition of its online event series “diabinfo im Dialog”. This year, it is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of obesity and diabetes. The focus is on new…

Group of people in running clothes at a running event, some wearing red shirts with ‘DZD’ lettering, smiling at the camera.

This year, the DZD partner Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden put together a motivated team and proudly took part in the 2025 Dresden REWE Team Challenge—joining 30,000 runners on a 5-kilometer course through the heart of the city. As a research…

Overweight man and female doctor in conversation, female doctor points to tablet with diagrams, bright laboratory environment

Copenhagen Declaration: a transformative vision for global diabetes.

Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2025

Martin Schön with short dark hair and beard, wearing a gray sweater and dark blue jacket, stands in front of a modern glass building with water in the foreground.

At this year’s Congress of Internal Medicine, Dr. Martin Schön, scientist at the DZD partner German Diabetes Center (DDZ), was awarded the Prevention Award of the German Society of Internal Medicine (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Innere Medizin e.V.,…

DDG Autumn Meeting

Milestones of Modern Diabetology

DZD Workshop

Breakthrough T1D Clinical & Research Congress

62nd EASD Annual Meeting

14th DZD International Diabetes Research School

13th Helmholtz Munich Diabetes Conference

GAIN26 Annual Conference

4th DZG Munich Day

CEDA Annual Congress

86th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA)

60. DDG Diabetes Congress

DZD NEXT Symposium

New Protein Discovered as Key to Muscle Formation: PICALM Responds to Training and Fasting

Rethinking Early Detection: Type 1 Diabetes in Young Adults

Helmholtz Munich Expert Hour: Bringing Research Effectively into Healthcare

Timo Müller Receives the ADA 2026 Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award

100,000 Participants Screened for Early-Stage Type 1 Diabetes in the EDENT1FI Project

DZD Researchers at the F.A.Z. Conference on Health & Nutrition

Explainable Artificial Intelligence Detects Type 2 Diabetes in Pancreatic Tissue

World Obesity Day: Information and Tips at diabinfo.de

Helmholtz Munich Secures Funding to Investigate Early-Stage Type 1 Diabetes in Adults

Nutrient Timing Influences Gene Activity in Adipose Tissue

Dr. Anja Schork Receives “Junior Faculty Award 2025”

DZD Researchers Accompany Hirschhausen Documentary “Hirschhausen and the Sugar”

New Study on Obesity Criteria Shows: Vast Majority of Affected Individuals are Classified as Clinically Obese

CEDA 2026 Brings Europe’s Diabetes Expertise to Düsseldorf

Artificial Intelligence Decodes Tissue Characteristics of Type 2 Diabetes

Call for the DZG Innovation Fund 2027/28

Special Strength Training with Lighter Weights Effectively Strengthens Muscle Health and Metabolism in Type 2 Diabetes

Big Data Make Hidden Genetic Drivers of Type 2 Diabetes Visible

How Research Data is Made FAIR

Prediabetes: Blood-Based Epigenetic Markers Enable More Precise Risk Assessment

Statement by the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina on Strategies for the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity

Kick-off event for Science Year 2026 – Medicine of the Future

Dr. Eickelberg Foundation Honors Research into Diabetes Subtypes and Insulin-Producing Beta Cells

Weight Loss in Cancer: Organs Respond to the Disease in a Coordinated Way

NUM Convention

Kick-off event for Science Year 2026 – Medicine of the Future

Natural Daylight Improves Metabolism

Strengthening Franco-German Research Cooperation in the Field of Diabetes

New Study: Remission of Prediabetes Protects the Heart and Saves Lives

Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation Supports Dr. Oana-Patricia Zaharia with Excellence Fellowship

Patients' Advisory Board: Type 1 Diabetes, Health Data Donations, and a New Member

Tracking Metabolic Clues Years Before Type 2 Diabetes Develops

C-COMPASS: AI-Based Software Maps Proteins and Lipids Within Cells

New SYNERGIE Issue: Regenerative Medicine

DZG Lunchtime Career Talk: Clinical Data Science

People with Diabetes or Fatty Liver Disease are Less Effective at Obtaining Energy from Ketone Bodies

DIfE Publishes Annual Report 2023-2024

Milestones of Modern Diabetology

Event on World Diabetes Day

One-Hour Blood Glucose Level: A Better Chance to Prevent Diabetes

„Wissen unplugged“: Rachel Lippert Discusses the Future of Animal Experiments

Time of Eating Changes Lipid Profile During Intermittent Fasting

New Milestone Towards Personalized Prevention of Type 1 Diabetes

DDG Autumn Meeting

Time-Restricted Eating Without Calorie Reduction Does Not Improve Metabolic Health, But Does Shift the Body's Internal Clocks

An Evolutionary Comparison of Pancreas Development: A Milestone in Translational Research and Diabetes Therapies

DZD Workshop

DZG Lunchtime Career Talk: Working as a scientist in industry

New Insights into the Role of Stellate Cells and Blood Vessels in the Aging Pancreas

Diabetes-Charity-Gala

Diabetes Lecture - Understanding and Preventing Diabetes

The Future of Type 1 Diabetes Therapy

Adipositas Congress

DZD-HeaDS: New Certificate Program for Health Data Science and AI to Launch in 2026

Martin Hrabě de Angelis Appointed Member and Spokesperson of the Executive Board of Helmholtz Munich

New Insight into Prediabetes: Blood Sugar Level Is More Important Than Body Weight

Organ Crosstalk in Diabetes: Why the Heart, Kidneys, and Liver are Inextricably Linked

Sugary Drinks Influence the Psyche via the Intestine

12th Helmholtz Diabetes Conference

Dr. Martin Schön receives the EASD Rising Star Award

61st EASD Annual Meeting

13th DZD Diabetes Research School

A Plant-Based Diet Can Prolong Life with Type 2 Diabetes

DZD at EASD 2025: Exchange and International Networking

Current DZD Annual Report: Diabetes Research with Impact

Fr1da-Study Receives Grant to Facilitate the Integration of Early-Stage Type 1 Diabetes Screening Into Standard Care

Duesseldorf Diabetes Day