Four Million Euros to Support Research on Ageing

He was speaking at the end of the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday (8th March 2005) in Stuttgart, together with Science Minister Professor Peter Frankenberg and State Councillor for Life and Health Protection, Konrad Beyreuther.

Minister President Erwin Teufel, State Councillor Konrad Beyreuther and Science Minister Peter Frankenfeld have high hopes for the new research project on ageing. Not only an improvement in the quality of life of elderly people, but also a gradual reduction in the pressure on the healthcare systems.

The new research project on ageing will be established in the Heidelberg/ Mannheim area. The state government will provide four million euros (money remaining from the previous biotechnology programme (Zukunftsoffensive III)) in order to carry out research on ageing.

The project will, in particular, investigate the molecular processes of ageing

State Councillor Beyreuther expects important new insights into the molecular basis of ageing as a result of the progress made in basic research. Research into the molecular biology of ageing will shed light on ageing mechanisms at the cellular level as well as the entire organism. This knowledge will then contribute to developing preventive therapies for the treatment of age-related diseases such as cardiac arrest, osteoporosis, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

„Molecular and medical research of ageing is a new and particularly futuristic project which is also attracting enormous attention worldwide,” explained Science Minister Frankenberg. In the medium and long term, new insights into ageing processes will provide elderly people with a better quality of life. In addition, it can be expected that the healthcare and social security systems will be under less pressure. Research into ageing requires the cooperation of several scientific disciplines. Specific research competence in this field is available in abundance in the Heidelberg/Mannheim area. In particular at the Universities of Heidelberg and Mannheim, the German Cancer Research Centre, the Central Institute of Mental health in Mannheim and the German Centre for Research on Ageing (DZFA) in Heidelberg.


Professor Beyreuther announced: “We intend to establish long-term, interdisciplinary cooperation between the University of Heidelberg and other research institutions.” It is the objective of the research project to establish a new form of research cooperation, integrating molecular and medical research on ageing as well as already existing areas of research. The cooperative project will also include research groups at the German Centre for Research on Ageing (DZFA) that have focused successfully on projects in socio-scientific and epidemiological research and also study economic questions in connection with ageing. The research cooperation will be based on a concept put forward by a working group instituted by the Science Ministry and led by the University of Heidelberg. The working group will integrate representatives of all research institutes that will be part of the project and the Science Ministry.

“By focusing the research on ageing, we intend to play an important role in this cutting edge field of research in order to strengthen our profile in the international competition for the best researchers and research institutions,” said Minister President Erwin Teufel, Science Minister Frankenberg and State Councillor Konrad Beyreuther.

Source:
BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg GmbH
Ministry of State Baden-Württemberg