Financial support for valuable medical research work

One of the key concerns of Margarete Müller-Bull foundation is the promotion of research. By supporting the ‘project to investigate lipid metabolism in the liver following choline substitution in cystic fibrosis’, the foundation is making a key contribution to improving the quality of life of cystic fibrosis patients.

Cystic fibrosis is one of the most common inherited metabolic disorders. Since it is still an incurable condition, all forms of treatment available are aimed at relieving symptoms rather than offering a cure. In Germany, approx. 8000 children, young people and adults are currently suffering from cystic fibrosis. A genetic defect causes thick mucus to adversely affect the functioning of the lungs, pancreas, liver and intestine. For more information about cystic fibrosis, please see the homepage of Mukoviszidose e.V. Landesverband Baden-Württemberg at www.mubw.de.

Thanks to the use of optimal treatments and a great deal of discipline, cystic fibrosis patients can reach adulthood these days. However, new medication and treatments are only possible with further research. A research group led by Prof. Dr. med. Dr. rer. physiol. Wolfgang Bernhard is currently undertaking research at the Eberhard Karls-University in Tübingen to improve health care and disease progression for cystic fibrosis patients in the long-term through the use of choline substitution. The problem for the research team was: since choline chloride is ‘only’ a dietary supplement and therefore there was no money to be made, the pharmaceuticals industry is not interested and no money is being invested in this research. The Margarete Müller-Bull foundation has addressed this dilemma by making a sizeable donation to secure further research into the matter.