His scientific work focusses on early molecular changes in blood cells, which are considered to be precursors of blood cancer. Such changes occur in up to 30 to 40 per cent of people over the age of 70, but only a small proportion actually develop the disease. This is precisely where a long-term register study, which is being managed from Leipzig, comes in. The clinic itself is a focal point of care. More than 1,300 patients are treated as inpatients every year, in addition to over 20,000 outpatient contacts. At the same time, the therapeutic spectrum has changed fundamentally. In addition to traditional methods, targeted drugs and cell therapies are becoming increasingly important. In the past five years alone, around 300 CAR T cell therapies have been carried out, most recently around 100 per year. For Metzeler, this is just the beginning. In future, CAR T cells are to be produced directly in Leipzig, in co-operation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI. The aim is to provide rapid access to cutting-edge therapies and a clinic that combines research, innovation and patient care under one roof.
Press release of "Universitätsklinikum Leipzig" from 28 April 2026