Films

Here you will find films that were made in our institute and/or with help of our scientists.

Rejuvenating cure for cells

A long time, biologists assumed that a specialized cell could never become something else. Yet by now, Hans Schöler at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine succeeded in turning back the clock in neural stem cells with a single gene: from these cells, he cultivated pluripotent cell that resembled embryonic stem cell - the allrounder cells that carry the hopes of regenerative medicine. This iPS-technology could pave the way for conducting patient-specific genetic analyses of various diseases in the foreseeable future. Scientists will be able to identify medicinal drugs with the lowest side effects for every type of patient. The gene Oct4 plays an essential role in this technology. Hans Schöler explains in this video how he discovered Oct4 more than 20 years ago and why this gene continues to fascinate him.

Immune cells point the way for lymphatic vessels

The blood and lymphatic vessels are the traffic system of our body. Everything our cells need is transported to the destination through the arteries. Veins and lymphatic vessels promote the clearance of waste, yet are strictly separated vessel systems. Scientists of the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in Münster have now discovered that a specialized group of blood cells in the embryo can cause sprouting of lymphatic vessels. These blood cells produce messenger substances that make vessels grow. In this video, Friedemann Kiefer explains the results of his publication in the journal Developmental Cell of March 16, 2010.

Adult, embryonic and reprogrammed stem cells and ethical and legal aspects
What is the difference between adult and embryonic stem cells? What are they capable of doing and how are they used? What are reprogrammed stem cells, how are they generated and what are the goals of this kind of research? In the online video series "Typ(isch) Stammzelle!" of the Stem Cell Network North Rhine Westphalia, experts in the field of stem cell research are providing answers to these questions. Hans Schöler is the expert in the third part of the video series.
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