Published research, conference presentations, and academic contributions
Medicine without data is opinion. This page collects the published research, conference contributions, and academic work that underpins the clinical approach I describe on this platform.
The research conducted at St. George Hospital spans three decades and reflects the evolution of our clinical focus — from hyperthermia-based oncology to integrative infectious disease, post-COVID medicine, and longevity science. Some of this work has been published in peer-reviewed journals. Some has been presented at international conferences. All of it has informed how we treat patients.
Research Areas
Hyperthermia in Oncology
The clinic’s founding research domain. St. George Hospital has contributed to the clinical evidence base for whole-body and locoregional hyperthermia as an adjunct to conventional cancer treatment. Our work has focused on:
- Whole-body hyperthermia combined with low-dose chemotherapy for advanced solid tumors
- Fever-range hyperthermia for immune activation in oncological settings
- Locoregional hyperthermia for prostate, breast, and pancreatic cancers
- Quality of life outcomes in patients receiving integrative oncological care
Chronic Lyme Disease and Tick-Borne Infections
Since treating our first Lyme patient in 1994, the hospital has accumulated extensive clinical data on hyperthermia-augmented antibiotic protocols for chronic Borrelia infection. Research contributions include:
- Whole-body hyperthermia as an adjunct to antibiotic therapy for persistent Lyme disease
- Co-infection prevalence in European Lyme patient populations
- Biofilm disruption strategies in chronic Borrelia infection
- Diagnostic challenges in seronegative Lyme disease
Post-COVID Syndrome
Our involvement in post-COVID treatment research has been shaped significantly by Dr. Beate Jaeger’s work on microclots and endothelial dysfunction. Clinical research areas include:
- Therapeutic apheresis for post-COVID inflammatory mediators
- Microcirculation assessment and treatment in long COVID patients
- IHHT (intermittent hypoxia-hyperoxia therapy) for post-COVID fatigue and cognitive dysfunction
- Immune reconstitution following SARS-CoV-2 infection
Peptide Therapy
An emerging research focus, reflecting the growing clinical application of therapeutic peptides in our practice:
- Thymosin alpha-1 for immune modulation in chronic infection
- BPC-157 in integrative treatment protocols
- Peptide safety monitoring in clinical practice
Longevity and Age-Related Decline
- NAD+ infusion therapy and biomarker outcomes
- Biological age assessment methodologies
- Mitochondrial function testing and intervention
Selected Publications
Note: This list includes publications from St. George Hospital staff and affiliated researchers. Full citations and PubMed links will be updated as our publication database is completed.
- Douwes F., et al. “Whole-body hyperthermia in combination with chemotherapy: a review of clinical experience.” Int J Hyperthermia. [PubMed]
- Douwes F., et al. “Integrative oncology: the St. Georg experience.” Conference proceedings, European Hyperthermia Society. [Abstract]
- Jaeger B., et al. “Microclots and endothelial dysfunction in post-COVID syndrome: implications for apheresis therapy.” [Pre-print / Manuscript in preparation]
- Holzhauer P., et al. “High-dose intravenous vitamin C as supportive therapy in advanced cancer: clinical observations from a German integrative medicine hospital.” [Manuscript]
- Douwes J., Rossner M., et al. “Hyperthermia-augmented antibiotic therapy for chronic Lyme disease: a retrospective analysis.” [Manuscript in preparation]
Conference Presentations
Our clinical team regularly presents at medical conferences across Europe and internationally. Recent and notable appearances include:
- European Hyperthermia Society — Annual Congress presentations on hyperthermia protocols
- ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society) — Presentations on integrative approaches to chronic Lyme disease
- German Society for Oncology — Contributions on integrative oncological care
- International Congress on Integrative Medicine — Lectures on peptide therapy, apheresis, and longevity medicine
- Post-COVID Research Symposia — Clinical data presentations on apheresis and immune modulation outcomes
Media and Academic Contributions
Beyond formal publications, our clinical findings have been discussed in:
- Medical textbook contributions on hyperthermia and integrative oncology
- Peer review activities for integrative medicine journals
- Expert commentary in medical media on Lyme disease treatment and post-COVID care
- Invited lectures at medical schools and continuing education programs in Germany and internationally
Research Philosophy
I want to be transparent about something: the volume of randomized controlled trial data from a single integrative medicine hospital will never match that of a large academic medical center with dedicated research funding. This is a reality of how medical research is funded and structured.
What we can offer is rigorous clinical observation from a high-volume practice, retrospective analyses of patient outcomes, and contributions to the evidence base for therapies that mainstream institutions are not studying — either because they lack the infrastructure (most hospitals do not have hyperthermia equipment) or because there is no pharmaceutical sponsor to fund the trial.
This does not make our observations equivalent to RCT data. But it does mean that the clinical experience accumulated over 30 years and 12,000+ patients has value, and I believe sharing it openly and honestly serves the medical community and patients better than keeping it behind clinic walls.
Collaboration
I welcome research collaboration with academic institutions, clinical researchers, and physicians interested in the therapeutic areas covered by our clinical work. Inquiries can be directed to info@clinicum-stgeorg.de.
For PubMed searches related to our work, useful author names include: Douwes F, Holzhauer P, Jaeger B.
