The M1 Munich Medicine Alliance is awarding funding for cutting-edge translational research from Munich for the first time. Through the "Innovations for Patients" program, seven research projects will receive a total of 7.45 million euros. Five of the cross-institutional projects are coordinated by researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). M1 is an alliance of TUM, TUM University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and its hospital, and Helmholtz Munich.
Axel Koenig / StMWK The funding notifications were recently presented at the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts by Stefanie Jacobs, the ministry's head of administration. "Innovations for Patients" is the central scientific funding instrument of the M1 Alliance. The funding line supports projects that consistently direct excellent biomedical research toward clinical application, improved diagnostics and new therapeutic approaches. The funded projects address diseases with a high burden of illness and major relevance for patients, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and vision loss. At the same time, the program strengthens new cross-institutional collaborations in Munich. All funded projects bring together researchers from at least two of the partner organizations.
Bavarian Science Minister Markus Blume said: "Seven million euros for seven strong research projects: With the 'Innovations for Patients' funding line of the M1 Munich Medicine Alliance, we are strengthening scientific excellence, pooling expertise and unlocking the shared potential of Munich's leading medical institutions. What makes M1 special is the close alliance among the partners: Shared structures and networked research create synergies, accelerate innovation and bring cutting-edge medicine to people more quickly. The fact that the projects prevailed in a highly competitive, science-driven process underscores their outstanding quality. Congratulations to all selected project partners!"
Prof. Thomas Gudermann, Chair of the Executive Board of the M1 Alliance, said: "With Innovations for Patients, we are bringing together the strengths of Munich medicine in a targeted way - for research that reaches patients faster."
Flagship projects: bold ambition, visible innovation
Project funding is awarded in two categories: Flagship projects are aimed at established researchers addressing exceptional scientific and medical challenges. They enable bold projects beyond conventional funding formats - with the goal of advancing major innovations for patients. Each project will receive around 1.5 million euros.
The following flagship projects were selected:
- BEAT-IT - Bio-Engineered nucleic Acid Therapy for targeting Inflammation of heart-innervating sympathetic ganglia to treat cardiovascular disease. Project lead: Prof. Stefan Engelhardt (TUM)
- CarIMMUN: Boosting T Cell Based Immunotherapy in R/R Multiple Myeloma via Carfilzomib-Induced Antigen Enhancement. Project lead: Prof. Florian Bassermann (TUM)
- M1 Cachexia Center (M1CC), Project lead: Prof. Stephan Herzig (Helmholtz Munich and TUM)
- Neuronal repair in cerebrovascular disease - from transplantation to non-invasive approaches by immune cell reprogramming, Project lead: Prof. Magdalena Götz (Helmholtz Munich and LMU)
Translational groups: patient-oriented, experimental, clinically oriented
The focus of the translational groups is on patient-oriented research, biomarker development and the preparation of clinical studies.
These translational groups are funded:
- DECODE: Detecting and Decoding Residual Disease in PDAC via Tumor Organoid-Informed, Machine-Learning-Driven Cell-Free Nucleosome Profiling: Project lead: Prof. Maximilian Reichert (TUM)
- Multimodal Imaging Resource Platform for Accelerated Gene Therapy Evaluation (MIRAGE). Project lead: Prof. Wolfgang Weber (TUM)
- VISTA: Vision Restoration via Synthetic Enhancers and Targeted AAVs, Project lead: Dr. Boyan Bonev, (Helmholtz Munich)
- M1 - Munich Medicine Alliance was established to promote cutting-edge medical research and the translation of scientific findings into patient care. The alliance's aim is to further expand the interdisciplinary interfaces between medicine, technology and computer science and to effectively integrate knowledge and technologies into patient care. By pooling the expertise of all participants, the participants are strengthening Munich as an internationally recognized center of medicine and making an active contribution to forward-looking healthcare.
