News archive

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.

Håkan Mellstedt, Professor at the Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, has passed away at the age of 82.
He is mourned by his wife Eva and Håkan’s brother with family. He leaves behind a long and exceptionally successful legacy as a colleague, researcher, and friend.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Lund University have identified a new treatment strategy for neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of childhood cancer. By combining two antioxidant enzyme inhibitors, they have converted cancer cells in mice into healthy nerve cells. The study is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

A new Swedish registry study shows that women who are affected by cervical cancer are not only at risk of mental health and financial difficulties themselves – their children and partners also appear to be negatively affected. The study is published in the prestigious scientific Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The prestigious Nordic Anders Jahre Award for 2025 goes this year to two researchers at Karolinska Institutet. Professor Sten Eirik Wælgaard Jacobsen is to receive the Anders Jahre Award for Medical Research for his work on normal and leukemic blood stem cells. William Nyberg is honoured with the Anders Jahre Award for Young Researchers for his work on the development of T-cell immunotherapy for cancer.

Karolinska Comprehensive Cancer Center (Karolinska CCC) will be the first center in Sweden to receive renewed accreditation. This milestone marks an important step in further strengthening the collaboration between Karolinska University Hospital and KI. Childhood cancer is now also part of Karolinska CCC.

The partnership between Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine (J&J) and Karolinska Institutet (KI) marks this year a decade of joint initiatives for promoting the development of tomorrow’s therapies. This long-standing collaboration between industry and academy has given rise to significant scientific advances in several fields of medicine.

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.

A newly published study involving researchers from Karolinska Institutet indicates that prostate cancer can be diagnosed at an early stage through a simple urine sample. With the aid of AI and extensive analyses of gene activity in tumours, they have identified new biomarkers of high diagnostic precision.

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.

The 5th edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Endocrine and Neuroendocrine Tumors has now been officially published in print. This highly anticipated reference work is widely regarded as the global gold standard for tumor diagnosis, offering a comprehensive synthesis of traditional histopathology with cutting-edge digital and molecular pathology.

In a new study, researchers from Karolinska Institutet have shown that so-called interval cancers, which are detected between two screening sessions, account for a significant proportion of breast cancer cases and that certain risk factors may increase the likelihood of developing this type of cancer. The study was published in the journal JAMA Oncology.

In a study published in Nature, researchers at Karolinska Institutet and SciLifeLab, among others, have identified a new mechanism for how cells deal with stress. This could have implications for treating certain hereditary, neurodegenerative diseases, but may also be relevant for future cancer treatment.

Helene Lindfors, PhD student at the Endocrine Surgery research group, the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, will defend her thesis "Tumor burden, thyroglobulin and Ki-67 as prognostic indicators in papillary thyroid cancer" on April 2025.
Main supervisor is Ivan Shabo.

In a study on ovarian cancer cells, researchers from Karolinska Institutet demonstrate how the tumor environment influences how cancer cells respond to drugs by using AI. The study has been published in the journal Communications Biology.

Professor Rolf Kiessling at Karolinska Institutet has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 CIMT Lifetime Achievement Award for his groundbreaking discovery of natural killer (NK) cells, which has significantly advanced our understanding of the immune response to viruses and cancer cells.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital have identified biomarkers in the blood that can be used to distinguish gallbladder cancer from inflammation of the gallbladder. This could lead to fewer unnecessary operations and better treatment decisions for patients with suspected gallbladder cancer. The study has been published in the journal JHEP Reports.

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet have developed a new way to understand how cancer drugs interact with different forms of protein. The study has been published in Nature Communications.

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.

Eminent cancer researcher and Karolinska Institutet professor Eva Klein has passed away at the age of 99. She is survived by her and her late husband Georg Klein’s three children. Eva Klein won numerous prizes and awards over the years for her important discoveries in cancer research. She was elected onto the Royal Swedish Academy of Science in 1987.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and the Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital in Sweden have determined how children’s immune systems react to different kinds of cancer depending on their age. The study, which is published in the journal Cell, reveals significant differences between the immune response of children and adults, and has the potential to lead to new tailored treatments for children with cancer.

For children battling both congenital heart defects (CHD) and cancer, the road to recovery is far more precarious than previously understood, according to a new study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The research reveals that these children face a higher risk of death within five years after a cancer diagnosis compared to their peers without CHD. Although their survival rates have improved over recent decades, lymphoma mortality remains disproportionately high.

Hi Elinor Nemlander, doctoral student at the Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care. On January 31 you will defend your thesis ”Early cancer detection through symptoms and signs”. What is the main focus of the thesis?

Researchers in the group of Associate Professor Ninib Baryawno, Department of Women's and Children's Health, KI, have made significant strides in the fight against pediatric cancer by studying tumors of the nervous system, particularly neuroblastoma. The study is published in Cancer Research, the journal of the American Association for Cancer.

Radiotherapy is a cornerstone of cancer care. However, in recent decades, Sweden has fallen behind in this area, both in terms of healthcare resources and research. Medicinsk Vetenskap has interviewed researchers who want to continue developing a bright idea.

Radiation oncologist Alexander Valdman conducts research at the Department of Oncology-Pathology at Karolinska Institutet. He works to ensure that patients with rectal cancer experience fewer side effects from their treatment.

Radiotherapy can cause long-term skin damage in cancer patients. New research shows that radiation creates a memory in skin cells that hinders healing, but also that antibodies can help restore the damage.

Neuroblastoma is a rare disease that affects children, often before the age of two. Some are born with the disease. Paediatric surgeon Jakob Stenman is investigating whether targeted radioactive drugs can slow down the disease in those with the most severe form.

A new international study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows that AI-based models can outperform human experts at identifying ovarian cancer in ultrasound images. The study is published in Nature Medicine.

Analyses of self-tests for human papillomavirus (HPV) can be used to divide HPV-positive women into three risk groups, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet and Queen Mary University of London published in PLOS Medicine. This method could be important for enhancing cervical cancer screening.

The Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation is awarding more than SEK 80 million to Karolinska Institutet for paediatric oncology research in 2024. The allocation includes 29 projects run by researchers at KI.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have found a molecule that can both help the intestines to heal after damage and suppress tumour growth in colorectal cancer. The discovery could lead to new treatments for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and cancer. The results are published in the journal Nature.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have investigated how well different AI models can predict the prognosis of triple-negative breast cancer by analysing certain immune cells inside the tumour. The study, published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, is an important step towards using AI in cancer care to improve patient health.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) has published this year's 100 list of the most promising research projects from Sweden's colleges and universities. All applications to the list have been reviewed by IVA's expert group and the selected projects are considered to have great potential to benefit society. The list includes several projects involving researchers at Karolinska Institutet.

Congratulations to Linda Björkhem-Bergman and Erland Axelsson for their respective research grants!

The Swedish Cancer Society has decided on the research grants for 2024. Researchers from the Department of Oncology-Pathology at Karolinska Institutet received a total of over 70 million SEK.

In a recently published study, researchers at Karolinska Institutet and KI University Hospital show that radiotherapy (RT) creates an "epigenetic memory" in skin fibroblasts which impairs skin healing in cancer survivors. They also found that by targeting this memory with antibodies the damage could be reversed. This finding can lead to new therapies for both preventing and treating RT-induced skin issues.

Thuy Tran's research group at Karolinska Institutet has been awarded SEK 8 million over three years from the Erling-Persson Foundation to develop a precision-orientated, theranostic, method that integrates the diagnosis and treatment of advanced, solid tumours.

Karin Holmsten at Karolinska Institutet has been awarded Pfizer’s and the Swedish Society for Urological Oncology’s (SFUO) newly established research grant for oncologists in urology. The grant of 50,000 SEK was awarded on October 17th at SFUO’s annual meeting in Stockholm.

Svenska Läkaresällskapet (the Swedish Medical Society, SLS) has decided to award Jana de Boniface, adjunct professor at Karolinska Institutet and senior physician and surgeon at the surgery and oncology clinic, Capio St. Göran's Hospital, with their prestigious Jubilee Prize. The awardee is rewarded with SEK 175,000 and the SLS century medal in silver.

Vinnova is investing in precision medicine and awarding grant funding to six innovation environments. Two of them are at Karolinska Institutet, and both focus on treating cancer. The aim of the grants is to fund efforts to bring greater precision to the diagnosis and treatment of common diseases.

Hi Katarina Holmberg, doctoral student at the Division of Nursing. On October 11 you will defend your thesis ”Symptom burden, preparedness, self-efficacy and self-care in allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation”. What is the main focus of the thesis?

Merkel cell carcinoma is an aggressive and often fatal form of skin cancer. Weng-Onn Lui intends to find out how the Merkel cell polyomavirus influences tumour growth and the development of treatment resistance. Meet one of the new professors of Karolinska Institutet who will participate in this year's installation ceremony at Aula Medica on 3 October.

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet has made a significant breakthrough in the study of childhood neuroblastoma, a type of cancer that begins before birth during the early stages of adrenal gland development.

Cervical cancer is a major global health problem. It ranks as the fourth most common cause of cancer-related deaths among women, despite the disease being largely preventable. Now, researchers from Karolinska Institutet have received funding from the UICC to investigate how an HPV self-screening programme can be implemented in war-torn Ukraine.

The risk of skin cancer for adults under the age of 50 is now decreasing for the first time in Sweden, according to a study from Karolinska Institutet published in JAMA Dermatology.

Prostate cancer accounts for more male deaths in Sweden than any other form of cancer. However, how the disease progresses and how fatal it is depend on the type of tumour. Olof Akre hopes to find better prognostic indicators that will help to personalise treatment. Meet one of the new professors of Karolinska Institutet who will participate in this year's installation ceremony at Aula Medica on 3 October.

Children who have undergone treatment for cancer often lose the protection against infection provided by previous vaccinations. Anna Nilsson is studying how cancer therapies affect the immune system in order to improve vaccination guidelines for these children. Meet one of the new professors of Karolinska Institutet who will participate in this year's installation ceremony at Aula Medica on 3 October.

Girls with mental illness or neurodevelopmental conditions are less likely than their peers to be vaccinated with the HPV vaccine that protects against future cervical cancer. This is according to a new registry study from Karolinska Institutet published in The Lancet Public Health.

Men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer should be treated primarily with second-generation hormone drugs, which offer better treatment response and longer life expectancy than chemotherapy. However, the effect depends on which mutations the patient’s tumour carries. This is shown by results from the ProBio study, led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. The findings are published in Nature Medicine.