Prof. Dr. Marcus Conrad of Helmholtz Munich has been awarded the Paul Martini Prize for groundbreaking discoveries for new cancer therapies and better protection of transplanted organs. The scientific advisory board praised his work for its high quality, originality, and significant therapeutic potential.
Prof. Conrad is one of the discoverers of ferroptosis—a form of programmed cell death in which iron ions play a key role. While ferroptosis can contribute to tissue damage in conditions such as organ failure, neurodegenerative diseases, or heart attacks, it can also be harnessed to selectively eliminate cancer cells.
His team has developed both inhibitors to protect tissues during transplantation and compounds that make cancer cells more susceptible to ferroptosis. One of his studies also shows that an experimental anti-tumor agent acts as an FSP1 inhibitor at higher doses. Another publication reveals a potential protective mechanism against bleeding in patients treated with anticoagulants.
Conrad is Director of the Institute of Metabolism and Cell Death at Helmholtz Munich and has been a professor at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) since 2024. He has received numerous awards for his research, including the Galenus von Pergamon Prize.
The Paul Martini Foundation promotes pharmaceutical research and fosters collaboration between academia, industry, and health policy. It is named after clinician Paul Martini, a pioneer of modern clinical drug evaluation.
Further Information and Links
- Press release by the Paul Martini Foundation (in German): https://www.paul-martini-stiftung.de/paul-martini-preis/2025/
- Press release by Helmoltz Munich: https://www.helmholtz-munich.de/en/newsroom/news-all/artikel/paul-martini-prize-for-marcus-conrad
- Prof. Marcus Conrad, Metabolism and Cell Death
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