The new coronavirus
Professor Kenneth Chien about Moderna and the COVID-19-vaccine
The success of the mRNA-based vaccines is a boost for the entire mRNA field and can lead to new treatments for completely different diseases. This is the view of Kenneth Chien, professor at Karolinska Institutet and co-founder of Moderna, one of the companies that has now developed a vaccine against COVID-19.
Anticancer drug may improve outcome for severe COVID-19 patients
Treating severe COVID-19 patients with the anticancer drug bevacizumab may reduce mortality and speed up recovery, according to a small clinical study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet between February and April 2020.
COVID-19 vaccine from new vaccine platform effective in mice
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden now report that they have developed a prototype vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 using a DNA vaccine platform that is inexpensive, stable, easy to produce, and shows a good safety profile. A study published in Scientific Reports shows that the vaccine induces potent immune responses in mice.
Myeloid immune cells in the blood tied to severe COVID-19
Individual variations in how the immune system responds to SARS-CoV-2 appear to impact the severity of disease. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have now been able to show that patients with severe COVID-19 have significantly elevated levels of a certain type of immune cells in their blood, called myeloid-derived suppressor cells. The study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation may bring an increased understanding of how early immune responses impact disease severity.
Find out more at the COVID-19 Resource Hub
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet are responding to the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, through a myriad of initiatives. For more news and features on the work being conducted at Karolinska Institutet, including vaccine and drug development, please see the COVID-19 Resource Hub.
Top-publications list
A limited selection of recent publications in high impact journals to which researchers at KI have contributed.
Neandertal protein variant may protect Europeans against COVID-19
A Neanderthal OAS1 isoform protects individuals of European ancestry against COVID-19 susceptibility and severity, Hugo Zeberg et al, Nature Medicine, February 2021.
Severe COVID-19 more common in patients with collagenous colitis
Association Between Collagenous and Lymphocytic Colitis and Risk of Severe COVID-19, Hamed Khalili et al, Gastroenterology, February 2021.
The anticoagulant heparin also has an anti-inflammatory effect
Heparin prevents caspase-11-dependent septic lethality independent of anticoagulant properties, Ulf Andersson et al, Immunity, February 2021.
Study uncovers novel features controlling gene expression in inflammatory macrophages
The corepressors GPS2 and SMRT control enhancer and silencer remodeling via eRNA transcription during inflammatory activation of macrophages, Zhiqiang Huang et al, Molecular Cell, January 2021.
No reduced risk of extremely preterm birth during the pandemic
Preterm Birth and Stillbirth During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Sweden: A Nationwide Cohort Study, Björn Pasternak et al, Annals of Internal Medicine, January 2021.
More high impact publications