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Information about the corona virus for staff and students

The coronavirus

Innate immune response may predict COVID-19 severity

Combined measurements of white blood cells called granulocytes and well-known biomarkers in the blood can predict the severity of COVID-19, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet. The results are published in the journal PNAS and may eventually contribute to more tailored treatments for COVID-19 patients.

Genetic risk factors for severe COVID-19 identified

In March 2020, thousands of researchers across the globe joined forces to answer the question of why some COVID-19 patients develop a severe, life-threatening disease, while others manage with mild or no symptoms. A comprehensive summary of their findings to date, based on the analyses of nearly 50,000 patients and published in Nature today, reveals 13 genetic regions that are strongly associated with infection or severe COVID-19.

Low-cost method for finding new coronavirus variants

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed a technology for cost-effective surveillance of the global spread of new SARS-CoV-2 variants. The technique is presented in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

KI is establishing a "Health Emergency and Pandemic Science Center"

On 1 July 2021, a new virtual centre – the Health Emergency and Pandemic Science Center – will be established at Karolinska Institutet. The COVID-19 pandemic has indicated that in the event of acute health threats and pandemics, universities and colleges must be able to quickly change their research, education, and other activities to help solve urgent needs.

KI awarded grant for follow-up studies of COVID-19 vaccines

Two research environments from Karolinska Institutet have been awarded grants for follow-up studies of COVID-19 vaccines. In total, six research environments from five universities will share SEK 100 million from the Swedish Research Council.

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.

40 simple steps to reduce deaths from critical illness

Critical illness results in millions of deaths globally every year, many of which could be avoided with basic, life-saving care. Now, a new study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet outlines a baseline bundle of care interventions that global experts agree should be available for all critically ill patients. The study, published in the journal BMJ Global Health, provides a blueprint for hospitals on how to reduce preventable deaths, including from COVID-19.

KI doctoral student helps displaced in Haiti

Poverty and violence were already endemic even before an earthquake hit Haiti in mid-August. Thousands of people now live in informal camp sites in the capital Port-au-Prince. KI doctoral student and nurse Martina Gustavsson went there to work with Doctors Without Borders’ emergency response team.

Durable position for KI in the 2022 Times Highers Subject Rankings - now No. 1 in the European Union

Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings by Subject 2022 were published on 16 September. Just as in Times Higher's World University Rankings (overall), published in early September (KI's ranking = 39), Karolinska Institutet's (KI) results are largely within the same range as the most recent years. The largest area for KI in THE subject rankings is Clinical and Health in which KI is ranked 13th in the world, 6th in Europe and 1st in the EU (after Brexit). KI is also ranked in the Life Sciences and Psychology subjects.

Digital CBT effective for severe trauma

Traumatic experiences such as assault or a road accident can give rise to nightmares, flashbacks and other mental reactions, and accessible therapy is needed to prevent exacerbation of the problems. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have now completed what could be the largest evaluation to date of internet-delivered trauma-focused CBT (iCBT-T) for people who have recently experienced trauma.

New center to promote sustainable health

On Thursday 16 September the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health (CESH) was inaugurated. It's a digital competence center that has been established together with Makerere University in Uganda. The purpose of the center is to promote sustainable health and contribute to Agenda 2030 with the help of a long-term partnership.

Tuberculosis programs should focus more on young people, researchers say

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, among others, have mapped key factors that affect the treatment outcomes in 10- to 24-year-olds with tuberculosis in Brazil, where the disease is increasing. To deal with the global tuberculosis epidemic, researchers say that greater focus is needed on this age group in tuberculosis programs. The study is published in The Lancet Global Health.

New findings on B cells may improve vaccine design

Our bodies can fine-tune the immune response to an infection and make it proportional to the threat at hand. New research from Karolinska Institutet describes how B lymphocytes, the immune cells that make antibodies, choose between different cell fates to balance the magnitude of the acute immune response and the memory response that protects against future threats. The study, published in Immunity, may contribute to the optimisation of vaccines to fight viruses or other pathogens.

Top-publications list

A limited selection of recent publications in high impact journals to which researchers at KI have contributed.

Defective gene on the X chromosome behind severe COVID-19 in men
X-linked recessive TLR7 deficiency in ~1% of men under 60 years old with life-threatening COVID-19, Asano T et al, Science Immunology, August 2021

Autoantibodies against type I interferons may explain 20% of COVID-19 related deaths
Autoantibodies neutralizing type I IFNs are present in ~4% of uninfected individuals over 70 years old and account for ~20% of COVID-19 deaths, Bastard P et al, Science Immunology, August 2021

Lectins may reduce SARS-CoV-2 variants infectivity
Identification of lectin receptors for conserved SARS-CoV-2 glycosylation sites, Mirazimi A et al, EMBO Journal, augusti 2021

Declined incidence of celiac disease despite more intestinal biopsies
Two waves of celiac disease incidence in Sweden: a nationwide population-based cohort study from 1990-2015, Bergman D et al, GUT, July 2021.

New method to analyse direct cell-cell interaction in tissue
An unsupervised method for physical cell interaction profiling of complex tissues, Andrews N et al, Nature Methods, July 2021.

Challenges and opportunities for treatment of PCOS
Epigenetic inheritance of polycystic ovary syndrome – challenges and opportunities for treatment, Stener-Victorin E, Deng Q, Nature Reviews Endocrinology, July 2021.

Increased mortality among children and young adults with fatty liver
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in children and young adults is associated with increased long-term mortality, Simon TG et al, Journal of Hepatology, July 2021.

More high impact publications

KI in the media

The Macchiarini case: timeline

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View a summary of the events and decisions in the Macchiarini case.

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Creating a better future for all children

Professor Stefan Swartling Peterson isn’t interested in getting more papers published. No, he wants to spend the last ten years of his career helping to create a better future for all children. And time’s running out.

The Conversation: Hope for natural immunity makes little sense

COVID infections may give more potent immunity than vaccines. But according to KI researcher Charlotte Thålin, that doesn’t mean you should try to catch it. Find this news article and others from KI, recently published by the news site The Conversation.

President‘s blog

Spotlight on Vaccine Research

Vaccines have saved lives for more than 200 years, but the research area continues to evolve with new discoveries that provide more effective and safer vaccines. Doors are now opening to develop vaccines against, for example, cancer, dementia and cardiovascular disease. The COVID-19 pandemic has given vaccine research a real boost.

Meet our researchers

What causes depression and why is fat cells so hard to study? These are some of the questions that researchers at KI are interested in. Find interviews and articles prevously published here at the news site or in our popular-science magazine, Medicinsk Vetenskap.

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