News archive

This year, the Swedish Rheumatism Association is awarding almost SEK 14 million in funding for research into rheumatic diseases. One third of the funded projects are being carried out at Karolinska Institutet.

Older people, particularly women, who start treatment with thiazide-type diuretics are at increased risk of developing low sodium levels in the blood. This is shown by a large registry study from the Karolinska Institutet published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

Karolinska ATMP Center, a collaboration between Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, has opened a new mRNA infrastructure at the pre-GMP facility on the Flemingsberg campus. This environment provides researchers and clinicians with the opportunity to produce mRNA and formulate it in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for research purposes.

On 19 February, Karolinska Institutet held a ceremony in the Nobel Forum for the recipients of the Diligence and Integrity in the Service of the Realm (NOR) award. The warm and festive evening of speeches, music and dining was dedicated to colleagues who have devoted 30 years of their working lives to KI’s development and to Swedish public administration.

A common strep throat infection can trigger guttate psoriasis by altering the behaviour of key immune cells, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in eBioMedicine. The findings suggest how an infection can lead to sudden skin inflammation, particularly in children and young adults.

The Cancer Research Funds of Radiumhemmet is to donate SEK 102 million kronor to point-of-care cancer research at KI. The grant is the largest in the history of the Funds and will finance diagnosis-specific research, infrastructure and research positions.

Iva Filipovic at the Department of Laboratory Medicine receives SEK 4,5 million from Åke Wiberg Foundation for her project on understanding how HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy affect pregnancy and early immune development.

The Swedish Central Association for the Promotion of Sports (SCIF) has named Eva Jansson, professor emerita at the Department of Laboratory Medicine, as the 2025 recipient of the Major Sports Research Award for an experienced researcher.

Cell and gene therapies use the body’s building blocks – cells and genetic material – to boost the immune system or correct the root cause of disease. It is a new era in healthcare, in some cases offering the possibility of a cure where previously only relief or slowing of disease was possible.

The Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) has decided on four calls and awarded funding to 39 researchers at Karolinska Institutet (KI) in the areas of clinical therapy research, international post docs within medicine and health, research into viruses and pandemics, and career grants within primary care.

The Cancer and Allergy Fund (Cancer- och allergifonden) is awarding a total of SEK 3,3 million to 19 research projects in the field of cancer and allergy. Of these, eleven researchers at Karolinska Institutet will be awarded SEK 2 million. Several of these projects focus on cancers with poor prognoses, such as pancreatic cancer, where more research and knowledge are needed.

The Swedish Research Council is investing SEK 60 million in Sweden’s first graduate school for biomedical laboratory scientists, with Karolinska Institutet playing a central role. The initiative aims to strengthen the supply of expertise and meet healthcare’s need for research-trained biomedical laboratory scientists.

The Swedish Cancer and Allergy Foundation has allocated SEK 3.3 million to support 19 innovative projects in the fields of cancer and allergy research. Among the recipients are three researchers from the Department of Laboratory Medicine, who will receive grants to advance studies focused on some of the most challenging and hard-to-treat cancer types.

A 47-year-long Swedish study at Karolinska Institutet reveals how fitness, strength, and muscle endurance change during adulthood. The results show that physical ability starts to deteriorate as early as age 35, but it is never too late to start exercising.

The government has initiated an investment in new excellence clusters totalling SEK 2.5 billion. With five planning grants awarded by the Swedish Research Council and Vinnova, Karolinska Institutet (KI) is one of the institutions taking the next step towards strengthening Sweden’s position in medical research and innovation.

In October 2025, Karolinska Institutet launched a brand-new two-week course giving PhD students a unique insight into how advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), treatments based on cells, genes or tissues, are developed and manufactured.

On 23 October 2025, the Faculty Board decided to grant the Study Programme in Biomedical Laboratory Science at the Department of Laboratory Medicine four doctoral student fundings and four research grants as part of the initiative to strengthen the connection between education and research.

A new study from Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital shows that stem cell therapy can reduce fractures by up to 78 per cent in children with the rare condition osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), also known as congenital brittle bone disease.

The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) is investing SEK 120 million in the development of instruments, technology and methods that will enable scientific breakthroughs. Four researchers at Karolinska Institutet have received a total of almost SEK 35 million for projects that improve diagnostics, develop new therapies and provide researchers with advanced analytical tools.

Professor Anna Karlsson, prominent virus and cancer researcher and member of the Nobel Assembly, passed away peacefully on 16 November 2025 in Stockholm at the age of 67.

In Cancerfonden's latest call, SEK 19,5 million was awarded to 6 researchers at the Department of Laboratory Medicine for the years 2026-2028.

Dr. André Görgens at the Department of Laboratory Medicine receives a grant from Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) for his project to develop a new, advanced technology for sorting nanoparticles.

A new form of CAR T-cell therapy has recently made headlines after a patient in a clinical trial became cancer-free in record time. The treatment was produced at Karolinska ATMP Center, a collaboration between Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital. Production takes place at the affiliated manufacturing unit, Vecura.

In the Swedish Research Council's latest call, SEK 17,4 million was awarded to 4 researchers at the Department of Laboratory Medicine for the years 2025-2031.

Dr. Ping Chen at the Department of Laboratory Medicine receives a project grant for her research in endocrinology and metabolism from the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The grant may contribute to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease over time in people living with the fatty liver disease MASLD.

A new memorandum of understanding has been signed by Karolinska ATMP Center and the ATMP Center Uppsala to deepen their collaboration in the rapidly growing field of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), which includes cell- and gene-based medicines. The aim is to enhance joint capacity and competitiveness in the Stockholm–Uppsala region.

Knut Steffensen heads up the newly opened Karolinska ATMP Centre, which has been established to convert research on cell and gene therapy into actual treatments. Equipped with experience from both academia and the pharmaceutical industry, he wants to combine the best of both worlds.

KI researcher Samir EL Andaloussi has been awarded the Swedish Society for Medical Research’s (SSMF) Jubilee Prize of SEK five million for his groundbreaking research in gene therapies that could revolutionise the treatment of hard-to-treat diseases. The recipient will also receive an honorary medal presented by H.M. The Queen on 17 October.

It is the spread of tumours, metastases, which is the usual cause of cancer-related death. Jonas Fuxe researchers the mechanisms driving this process, with a focus on how cancer cells interact with their surroundings and mutate in order to take new paths. Meet one of the new professors of Karolinska Institutet who will participate in this year's installation ceremony at Aula Medica on 9 October.

The Karolinska ATMP Center — a collaboration between Karolinska Institutet (KI) and Karolinska University Hospital — and St. Erik Eye Hospital have signed a letter of intent to strengthen their partnership in research, development, and clinical trials of cell- and gene-based medicines, known as Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs). The goal is to accelerate the transition from research to clinical application, particularly for retinal diseases that currently lack effective treatments.

The Swedish Brain Foundation (Hjärnfonden) is making its largest donation to date to Swedish brain research. This year, SEK 152.8 million will be awarded to research projects in neuroscience. A total of 112 research projects in Sweden receive funding, and 39 of these are run at KI.

Karolinska University Hospital has, for the first time in Sweden, begun preparations to treat a patient with multiple myeloma using CAR-T cell therapy in routine healthcare – an advanced form of immunotherapy where the patient's own T-cells are programmed to attack cancer cells. The treatment is aimed at patients who no longer respond to previous treatment options and offers new hope for a difficult-to-treat blood cancer.

On 13 May, the KI President made the decision to appoint Jonas Fuxe as professor of molecular pathology at the Department of Laboratory Medicine. The appointment is valid from 1 June 1 2025.

Swedish cancer patients treated with CAR T-cell therapy show better survival rates and fewer side effects than seen in previous studies. This is shown in a new compilation of Swedish treatment results conducted by researchers in the SWECARNET network.

In a recent study published in Developmental Cell, researchers at Karolinska Institutet created a comprehensive map of neuroblastoma at the cellular level by integrating single-cell transcriptomics, single-cell multi-omics, and spatial transcriptomics.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed a technique that enables efficient delivery of therapeutic proteins and RNA to cells. The method, presented in Nature Communications, shows promising results in animal studies to deliver gene editors and protein therapeutics.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have uncovered a unique ability of a special subtype of natural killer cells in the immune system, called adaptive NK cells, to remember ovarian tumours and effectively attack them. The discovery, published in Cancer Immunology Research, could pave the way for new, more powerful immunotherapies for difficult-to-treat cancers.

In an evaluation presented on 19 March, the Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ) states that certain areas of biomedical analyst programmes throughout the country need to be improved in order for students to receive the best possible education. At the same time, there are strengths in the programmes that can inspire further development, according to the results from UKÄ.

This year's awarded research grant from the Swedish Kidney Foundation (Njurfonden) was a record amount, seven and a half million SEK for kidney research. About half, SEK 3,450,000, goes to projects at Karolinska Institutet.

A new study reveals that a significant proportion of people living with HIV (PWH) on long-term antiretroviral therapy remain at risk of immune and metabolic complications despite successful viral suppression. The findings highlight a pressing need for precision medicine approaches to improve long-term health outcomes for PWH.

T-cells from the liver and lymph nodes show promising potential for future treatments of liver cancer, according to a new study. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have investigated how immune cells react to tumor-specific antigens in the complex environment surrounding liver cancer.

Cancer- och allergifonden (the Swedish Cancer and Allergy Fund) is awarding a total of SEK 3.6 million to 21 research projects in the field of cancer and allergy. Of these, twelve researchers at Karolinska Institutet will be awarded SEK 2.3 million. The grants aim to promote groundbreaking research that improves the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer and allergies.

Ten years ago, a cancer patient in Sweden was treated with CAR T-cell therapy for the first time. Today he is cured. Several challenges remain before the treatment can be given to everyone who could benefit from it, and how to achieve this was one of the questions discussed at the SWECARNET network’s annual education day.

New research from Karolinska Institutet shows that long-term sex hormone treatment in transgender individuals can lead to significant changes in body composition and risk factors for cardiovascular disease, particularly in transgender men. The study is published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.

As part of the response to the escalating threat of a global dengue fever epidemic, a new interdisciplinary EU-funded research initiative has been established with KI as coordinator. The COMBAT project aims to develop solutions to manage and mitigate the dengue virus, which causes 100 million infections and 10,000 deaths annually in 141 countries. In addition to the human suffering, the virus causes an economic burden of over EUR 8 billion globally.

On 4 November, Knut Steffensen will be taking up office as the director of the Karolinska ATMP Centre, a leading centre for advanced therapy medicinal products, with research, manufacture and treatment all under one roof.

A new study published in Nature Medicine shows that partic-ipating in an exercise program can reduce pain and fatigue, and improve the quality of life for individuals with metastatic breast cancer.

Society's preparedness to deal with crises and disasters needs to be constantly developed and adapted to changes in the world around us. As preparedness depends on up-to-date medical expertise, the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare has established a number of knowledge and research centres for crisis preparedness around the country, located at universities, authorities or equivalent with links to clinical activities.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have succeeded in delivering targeted cancer treatment via small membrane bubbles that our cells use to communicate. A new study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering shows that the treatment reduces tumour growth and improves survival in mice.

People suffering from post-COVID have been discouraged from exercising because early observations suggested it could be harmful. In a study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers from Karolinska Institutet show that post-COVIDdoes not mean that exercise must be strictly avoided.