News

Liver transplants often save the lives of seriously ill patients. However, there remains a risk that the body will reject the new organ. Doctors distinguish between acute and chronic rejection. While acute rejection is easy to diagnose and treat, chronic rejection causes lasting damage to the organ, is difficult to detect – currently only possible by examining tissue samples under a microscope – and is often overlooked. An international research team led by Hannover Medical School (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) has now discovered clear molecular signatures for chronic rejection even after liver transplantation, which could aid diagnosis. After ten years of work, the findings have now been published in the Journal of Hepatology.

Why do people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) often suffer from cardiovascular, liver, and other comorbidities? Researchers at the Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine (CiiM) investigated this question as part of the 2000HIV study, a multi-omics cohort coordinated by several research centers in the Netherlands. They identified various molecules and mechanisms that could be linked to the development of these comorbidities. The scientists are making the extensive results of their study freely available. They hope that they will be used for new research approaches and lead to a better understanding of the underlying causes and to helpful therapies. The researchers have now published their study results in the journal Nature Medicine. The CiiM is a joint institution of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and Hannover Medical School (MHH).

The Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine (CiiM), a joint institution of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and Hannover Medical School (MHH), mourns the loss of its founding director, Prof. Dr. med. Michael P. Manns. The renowned physician and scientist passed away on August 15, 2025, at the age of 73 after a serious illness. As an internationally recognized gastroenterologist, long-time director of the MHH Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, and president of the MHH, Michael Manns combined clinical excellence with strategic foresight. With great personal commitment, he drove forward the establishment of the CiiM and shaped its scientific orientation from the very beginning. Until the end, he supported the work of the center with his experience and ideas.

A recent study led by the Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine (CiiM) and the Radboud University Medical Center published in Genome Biology shows that BCG vaccination does more than fend off tuberculosis - it leaves enduring chemical marks on immune cells that boost responses to various pathogens. Researchers also uncover hormone‑immune crosstalk and sex‑specific effects that could guide next‑generation, individualised vaccine design.

The CiiM Founders' Award was given to Prof. Dr. Michael Manns at the fifth meeting of the CiiM Directorate. The award, made from a concrete core and larch wood from the future CiiM building, honors his outstanding commitment to the founding and establishment of CiiM.

On Monday, April 28, Minister President Stephan Weil presented the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of Lower Saxony to Professor Dr. med. Michael Manns from Hannover. The gastroenterologist and former president of Hannover Medical School is being honored in particular for his achievements and services in medical research and for Lower Saxony as a center of science.