Focusing on Healthy Ageing: Insights from the MEDICA LABMED FORUM 2024

The MEDICA LABMED FORUM on November 14, 2024 highlighted research on the topic of “Healthy Ageing”. In Germany, there are currently few companies dedicated to this growing sector, but experts such as José Luis Cordeiro predict that the longevity industry will be of enormous economic importance in the coming decades.

A special highlight of the event was the presentation by Dr. Kai Prager (DiaSys Diagnostic), who dealt with innovative approaches to regenerative medicine. He showed how modern cell therapies can contribute to delaying the ageing process and which new research approaches are currently being pursued. Juan Felipe Pérez Correa (RWTH Aachen) also presented the epigenetic clock as an important marker of ageing. His research shows how epigenetic changes are associated with cognitive decline and increased mortality. Dr. Asya Martirosyan (CECAD Cologne) and Dr. Katarzyna Winek (FLI Jena) provided further exciting insights, including the role of genome stability and the microbiota in the ageing process.

In the afternoon, Prof. Dr. Dr. Monique M. B. Breteler (DZNE Bonn) spoke about the effects of environmental factors on brain health and presented the Rhineland study with over 12,000 participants. Prof. Dr. Wolfram Ruf (University Medical Center Mainz) focused on the influence of inflammation on ageing and emphasized the importance of haematopoietic stem cells for immune defence.

The forum made it clear that there is still great potential for growth in this area but that Germany is well positioned in terms of ageing research.