News archive

While the drug tamoxifen reduces the risk of developing breast cancer and prevents recurrence, the side-effects cause many women to discontinue their treatment. A study involving researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm has now found that a much lower dose than the standard produces a good effect with fewer adverse reactions in women who have yet to enter the menopause. The study, which has been published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, can play a significant role in the treatment.

Using artificial intelligence and mobile digital microscopy, researchers hope to create screening tools that can detect precursors to cervical cancer in women in resource-limited settings. A study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and University of Helsinki now shows that AI screenings of pap smears carried out with portable scanners were comparable to analyses done by pathologists. The results are published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

More than 1,200 people with rare diseases have received a diagnosis thanks to the integration of large-scale genomics into the Stockholm region’s healthcare system. This is according to a study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden that analysed the result of the first five years of collaboration on whole genome sequencing between Karolinska University Hospital and SciLifeLab. The work, published in Genome Medicine, constitutes a major leap forward in the emerging field of precision medicine.

KI's President has decided on a climate strategy as part of KI's contribution to a more sustainable world. The strategy is to be followed up by an action plan with more concrete measures with everything from the purchasing of goods and services to reducing CO2 emissions from travel.

Planning and implementing public health interventions, such as screening, requires careful consideration of the benefits and harms for the people targeted, communities and the health system more broadly.
In a study recently published in PLOS One, researchers at Karolinska Institutet aimed to understand how experts perceive the benefits and harms of community-based tuberculosis screening, also known as active case-finding, for people with presumptive tuberculosis and communities.

Initially, the work was sluggish for the members of the project group Accounting within the programme 'A harmonized professional services'. Over the past few months, they have developed a collaboration that has profoundly changed the way they work.

Regardless of what you study at Karolinska Institutet, you can turn to the student and the doctoral student ombudspersons Nazira Hammoud Shahwan and Ninna Oom on various issues concerning your student rights and study environment.

- It is very exciting to meet many different students and learn about their life stories. It is impressive what some students achieve and get through during their studies, says Nazira Hammoud Shahwan.

Today's research is generating more and more big data, which means that the demand for bioinformatics and biostatistics is growing. Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital are therefore establishing a new centre at Campus Flemingsberg that will offer expertise and networking opportunities for the preclinical and clinical research environment in the area.

Intake of a high-fat diet leads to an increased risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and fatty liver. A study in mice from Karolinska Institutet shows that it is possible to eliminate the deleterious effects of a high-fat diet by lowering the levels of apolipoprotein CIII (apoCIII), a key regulator of lipid metabolism. The study is published in the journal Science Advances.

An opportunity to be recognized for your pedagogical achievements, apply to the Pedagogical Academy.

The KI Ethics Council has issued a statement condemning the increasingly hostile tone of debate, especially in connection with COVID-19.

XNK Therapeutics AB (“XNK”) has entered into a joint Phase II clinical study to treat patients with multiple myeloma using XNK’s drug candidate in combination with Sanofi’s anti-CD38 antibody Sarclisa (isatuximab)

SRP Diabetes PI Juleen R. Zierath receives the 2021 Harold Rifkin Award for Distinguished International Service in the Cause of Diabetes from American Diabetes Association (ADA).

Igor Adameyko and Gonçalo Castelo-Branco have been awarded the Göran Gustafsson Prize 2021. The prize is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and consists of a research grant of SEK 5.1 million each, spread over three years, with a personal prize of SEK 250,000.

The number of suicides decreases among adults, but increases among young people. Schools often ask how to get better at talking about suicide and mental health with their students. Therefore, Suicide Zero, Mind, SPES and NASP, who stand behind the project Stör Döden, have produced an educational material for teachers in high school.

Nicolas Gustavo Guyon, PhD student at the Department of Neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet is co-author of an article recently published in the Journal of Neuroscience which shows how dysfunctional inhibition impairs neuronal activity ability to synchronize, yet paradoxically boosts brain oscillations usually correlated with cognition.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet are investigating the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines in a new study on patients with compromised immune systems, who can become seriously ill if they are affected by COVID-19. On February 23, the first patient in the study was vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine at Karolinska University Hospital. So far, the project has received two grants from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation of SEK 10 million in total.

Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet and Region Stockholm have been working together for just under a year to increase the pace of introduction of precision medicine, which briefly means diagnostics, treatment and follow-up at the right time and adapted to the patient's individual circumstances. In this collaboration, the establishment of a virtual precision medicine centre has been a priority.

In a recent study published in Psychological Medicine, researchers from Karolinska Institutet showed that different types of screen-use may have contrasting effects on adolescent mental health; some are detrimental while others may benefit psychological wellbeing. For example, boys who played video games regularly at age 11 had lower depression scores at age 14.

Parents that experienced the death of a child had a 15 percent higher risk of atrial fibrillation, according to a study carried out by researchers at the Department of Global Public Health at Karolinska Institutet. The study was recently published in the European Heart Journal.

In order to understand a disease, we first have to be able to describe it correctly.

How have social distancing and quarantine measures affected older individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic? Recent research lead by Professor Miia Kivipelto’s team provides some important insights – there were several negative effects but at the same time many lifestyles and behaviors did not substantially change during the first wave of the pandemic, and some even improved.

The Kamprad Family Foundation for Entrepreneurship, Research & Charity decided this year to distribute SEK 164 million in research grants to projects to improve the quality of life of older people.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet show how a certain type of immune cells, macrophages, can be recruited into breast cancer tumors, where they are reprogrammed to support and drive tumor growth. In a study published in the scientific journal PNAS, they describe that low levels of the tumor suppressor protein TAp73 lead to hyperactivation of NFkB signaling and an inflammatory condition in breast cancer as well as secretion of molecules that recruit tumor-promoting macrophages into the tumor.

Karolinska Institutet has decided to cancel alternative selection for the medicine programme (PIL) and dentistry programme (TAPIL) for autumn semester 2021. Instead, for the autumn semester 2021 admission round, the only selection criteria for these programmes will be grades (66%) and the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test (34%).

Many researchers agree that shifting to a more plant-based diet is an important step towards reducing our impact on the climate. A new doctoral thesis from Karolinska Institutet describes the development and test of a new method of providing sustainable school lunches. The new lunch resulted in a 40 per cent reduction in climate impact with no increase in cost or decrease in consumption.

A large brain imaging study involving researchers at Karolinska Institutet demonstrates that same-sex sexual behaviour-related differences in the brain exist. Patterns in the brain that differentiate between men and women were less pronounced in non-heterosexual individuals, and some of the brain differences could be linked to a genetic predisposition for non-heterosexuality. The study is published in the scientific journal Human Brain Mapping.

Despite the importance of enzyme-substrate reactions in biology and medicine, there is a lack of general and unbiased tools for identifying substrate proteins for a given enzyme of interest. Scientists from Karolinska Institutet have now developed a new proteomics method called “System-wide Identification and prioritization of Enzyme Substrates by Thermal Analysis” (SIESTA). Their study is published in Nature Communications.

AIMBE fellows represent two percent of the top scientists working in medicine and life science, and are regularly recognised for their contribution in teaching, research and innovation. Yihai Cao was recently elected to become one of them.

Swedish Foundations' Starting Grant 2020 is awarded to KI researcher, Carl Sellgren Majkowitz for his research in schizophrenia.

Liver transplantation is currently the only treatment available for the severe liver disease PSC. Now, however, researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Oslo University have discovered the first reported genetic mutation that causes PSC. The study, which is published in Science Translational Medicine, opens new paths to future treatments.

Karl Ekwall, from the Department of Biosciences and Nutrition (BioNut), is one of the new elected members of the Faculty Council. The new members’ mandate periods are 1 January 2021 through 31 December 2023.

The European Commission has launched a contingency plan to meet the challenge of the various mutations of the coronavirus. KI and Karolinska University Hospital are contributing to a new network for the evaluation and testing of new vaccines.

We can produce spider silk fibers stronger than those created by the spiders themselves. This according to the Professors Jan Johansson (KI) and Anna Rising (KI and SLU).

Chlamydia trachomatis infection is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI), with about 127 million new cases estimated annually worldwide. Since it is an asymptomatic infection, individuals may carry it for a long time and unknowingly transmit the infection to others.

Disorders of the cells’ energy supply can cause a number of serious diseases, but also seem to be connected to ageing. More research is needed on mitochondrial function to find future treatments. A new study involving researchers at Karolinska Institutet shows how an important molecule inside the mitochondria affects their function in mice and fruit flies. The study, which is published in Science Advances, adds valuable knowledge on formerly relatively unexplored protein modifications.

Hi Roman Kuster, PhD student at the Division of Physiotherapy! On March 12 you will defend your thesis “Advancing the measurement of sedentary behaviour – Classifying posture and physical (in-) activity”. What’s the main focus of the thesis?

People with cardiometabolic risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes have an increased risk of life-threatening COVID-19 requiring treatment with invasive ventilation in the intensive care unit. The risk factors are more important in younger people, but there are also clear links between severe COVID-19 and other diseases such as asthma and chronic inflammatory diseases. The researchers believe the findings may be important for future vaccinations in younger age groups.

Almost one in five people lacks the protein α-actinin-3 in their muscle fibre. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet now show that more of the skeletal muscle of these individuals comprises slow-twitch muscle fibres, which are more durable and energy-efficient and provide better tolerance to low temperatures than fast-twitch muscle fibres. The results are published in The American Journal of Human Genetics.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet explain that the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) binds to the receptor tropomyosin receptor kinase B (trkB) present on the surface of many neurons, triggering signaling pathways critical to the maturation and growth of neurons during development. In their latest article however, they show that BDNF-trkB signaling also plays a significant role in the functioning of the adult brain.

Last year, researchers at Karolinska Institutet and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany showed that a major genetic risk factor for severe COVID-19 is inherited from Neandertals. Now the same researchers show, in a study published in PNAS, that Neandertals also contributed a protective variant. Half of all people outside Africa carry a Neandertal gene variant that reduces the risk of needing intensive care for COVID-19 by 20 percent.

The pandemic has meant that courses and programmes have only had a short time to transition to distance teaching – something which has required major involvement from teachers, students and educational administrators. At the same time, these experiences have propelled the development of teaching methods.

From 2017 to 2020, KI developed an educational development project focused on internationalisation of the curriculum and the project team is now sharing solutions so as to inspire others to initiate the same process in their own institutions.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have revealed a large diversity of proprioceptive neurons and unveiled a new type of plasticity suggesting neuronal individuality in the nervous system to adapt its performance to changing environment. The article was recently published in Nature Communications.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have revealed a central proprioceptive organ built directly into the central nervous system that acts as an inner movement sensor. The article was recently published in the Scientific Journal Neuron.

During a one-week challenge Praveen Pillai and Stephen Townsend, two KI students, worked together with students from other schools to solve the case on how Pfizer and IBM could ensure a successful COVID-19 vaccine distribution – and their solution ended up winning the challenge!

Anti-retroviral drugs are a vital tool in the prevention and treatment of HIV. A new study of pregnant women in Tanzania shows that life-long antiviral treatment also seems to prevent viral transmission from mother to baby. The results of the study, which was conducted in part by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and published in Lancet HIV, make a promising contribution to the WHO’s work with HIV prevention in low and middle-income countries.

Hi Petra Adebäck, PhD student at the Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care! On March 19 you will defend your thesis “To be a child and survive a natural disaster”. What’s the main focus of the thesis?

Variants of nine genes increase the risk of developing Addison’s disease, a rare disease in which the immune system attacks the adrenal glands. That is according to the largest genetic study to date on patients with Addison’s disease. The findings help increase knowledge about what causes the disease. The study was conducted by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and University of Bergen, Norway, and is published in the journal Nature Communications.

Neuroblastoma arises within the sympathetic nervous system and is the most frequent extracranial solid childhood cancer, exhibiting a high degree of clinical heterogeneity ranging from spontaneous regression to fatal progression despite intense clinical intervention.