The ministry of science in Germany's state Hessen has awarded Professors Ivan Djikic and Maike Windbergs from the Goethe University in Frankfurt a grant of €8 million for a research project, ENABLE, aimed at researching new medicines in the fight against COVID and bacteria resistant to antibiotics.

The ENABLE project involves the use of innovative technology in creating new medicines against inflammatory and infectious diseases, said Ivan Djikic, whose team has focused on researching COVID since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Thanks to team work and cooperation between researchers, Goethe University has been recognised as one of the most successful COVID-19 research centres in Germany.

“The project of researching co-infections with bacteria and coronaviruses is especially significant because little is known about this. Inflammatory processes are common for bacteria and viruses, however it is vital to find out more about acute changes in cytokine secretion and immunological reactions in patients simultaneously infected with coronavirus and various bacteria,” said Djikic, who is the project leader.

This generous financial support will enable Djikic’s team to use modern technology, such as chemical trials and biological medicines, in the hope of discovering a new specific medicine against COVID and inflammatory processes in to numerous diseases such as tumours and cardiovascular diseases.

“Even though we already have developed vaccines that protect against the spread of the infection, it is still necessary to find medicines against COVID. That is particularly important for people who contract COVID-19 and develop serious symptoms,” said Djikic.