Cancer Research Funded With Around 235,000 Euros

For eight years, "Forschung hilft", the foundation for the promotion of cancer research at the University Hospital of Würzburg (UKW), has been successfully collecting donations to support as many promising projects as possible. The highlight of every foundation year is the festive award ceremony.

On 20 November 2025, the time had come again: at a ceremony attended by around 200 guests in the "Maschinenhaus" event location on the Bürgerbräu grounds in Würzburg, prize money totalling almost EUR 235,000 was distributed to 21 Würzburg research teams.

Gabriele Nelkenstock, Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of "Forschung hilft", was proud to report that this year's distribution brought the total amount of funding awarded since the foundation was established in 2017 to around EUR 1.1 million. So far, 80 research teams have benefited from this financial support.

Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär was the patron of the award ceremony. As her representative, State Secretary Dr Rolf-Dieter Jungk paid tribute to the researchers in his speech, saying: "Tonight is a night of recognition for people who contribute with passion, scientific excellence and a deep sense of responsibility to improving the lives of patients in the long term." For him, all those who support the work of the "Forschung hilft" foundation are "not only sponsors of science, but also ambassadors of a society based on solidarity".

Prize Money Between 5,000 and 20,000 Euros

As usual, an independent external jury decided on the selection and the respective prize money for the projects.

The research groups funded with staggered prize money of between 5,000 and 20,000 euros deal with questions such as:

• Can proteins in kidney cancer cells be used as switches to activate a specific form of cell death?
• Do certain myeloma therapeutics have toxic effects on the thymus, which as a lymphatic organ is an important part of the immune system?
• What role do desmosomal proteins play in the formation and development of oral cavity carcinomas?
• Can the growth of liver cancer be curbed by inhibiting its repair enzymes?
• Is it possible to use a virtual reality application to reduce patients' fears of an allogeneic stem cell transplant?

In addition, many projects deal with aspects from the broad field of immunotherapies, in which the UKW has a particularly high level of expertise.

Special Prize in Memory of Barbara Stamm

In addition to the 20 regular prizes, the foundation once again awarded the Barbara Stamm Memorial Prize, which was established in 2023. The former President of the Bavarian State Parliament was Honorary President of "Forschung hilft" until her death in 2022.

The special prize, endowed with 5,000 euros and funded this year by the Weininger Real Estate Group, is intended to recognise patient-oriented research projects that focus on improving the quality of life of those affected.

The CALM (Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully) project, which is backed by experts in psycho-oncology and pneumology at the UKW, was selected. They want to find out whether a short-term psycho-oncological intervention can help relatives to cope better with the emotional and practical challenges of a family member's lung cancer.

Dr Hülya Düber, Member of the German Bundestag, made it clear in her laudatory speech that if relatives are well supported, this can not only improve their own quality of life, but also the well-being of the sick family member.

16,500 Euros in New Donations

In conclusion, Gabriele Nelkenstock thanked the sponsors who had made the festive evening possible, as well as the guests who had donated so generously: 16,500 euros were raised during the event, which will now form the basis for the next award ceremony next year.

Anyone who would like to take a closer look at the cancer research projects submitted for this year's award will find a poster exhibition with pictures and explanatory texts in the main hall of the Centre for Internal Medicine (ZIM) on Oberdürrbacher Straße until 2 January 2026.

Where You Can Donate

If you would like to help further cancer research in Würzburg, you can support the "Forschung hilft" foundation by making a donation to the following account:

Stiftergemeinschaft der Sparkasse Mainfranken
IBAN DE19 7905 0000 0000 0655 65

www.forschung-hilft.de