News archive

Jakob Skov from the group Experimental and Clinical Neuroendocrinology, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, will defend his thesis "Epidemiological studies on comorbidity, heritability and co-aggregation in organ-specific autoimmune diseases" on June 5, 2020. Main Supervisor is Sophie Bensing.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed a new sequencing method that makes it possible to map how DNA is spatially organised in the cell nucleus – revealing which genomic regions are at higher risk of mutation and DNA damage. The technique is described in an article published in the scientific journal Nature Biotechnology.

Victor Bloniecki Kallio, PhD-student at the Division of Clinical Geriatrics. On May 27, 2020, you will defend your thesis "Using CSF biomarkers to understand mechanisms of behavioral changes and effects of drug treatment in dementia", what's the main focus of the thesis?

A simple blood test may help predict which people with multiple sclerosis (MS) will get worse during the following year, according to a study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden published online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

It is highly likely that children can transmit the new coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, but several factors suggest that children are unlikely to be the main drivers of the pandemic. Opening up schools and kindergartens is unlikely to impact COVID-19 mortality rates in older people, according to a systematic review that spanned 47 publications and was conducted by researchers at Karolinska Institutet. The paper is published in the scientific journal Acta Paediatrica.

Childhood environment and socioeconomic status affect cognitive ability and brain development during adolescence independently of genetic factors, researchers at Karolinska Institutet report in a new study published in the journal PNAS. The study demonstrates how important the family environment is, not just during early infancy but also throughout adolescence.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Lund University have conducted a single cell RNA sequencing study of human pluripotent stem cell-derived grafts in an animal Parkinson’s disease model. This is the first study of its kind, and the results are now published in Nature Communications.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet are coordinating a recently initiated multi-national clinical trial that will evaluate the effect of hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBO) in severe cases of COVID-19. A total of 200 adults admitted to hospital with moderately severe COVID-19 pneumonia will be recruited. The trial could start as early as next week at a hospital in Region Blekinge, Sweden.

KI Holding and its subsidiary KI Innovations have now combed forces by creating a common board, to which they have added three new members and a new chairperson.

In order for students to continue their education, Karolinska Institutet (KI) has decided to make it possible to, during the summer, provide courses and activities that due to the prevailing pandemic could not be completed during the spring term.

EU-financed Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) has boosted funding for research on diagnostics, medicines and vaccines against the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Ali Mirazimi, researcher at Karolinska Institutet and Sweden’s National Veterinary Institute (SVA), coordinates one of eight projects provisionally selected among 144 applicants.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have compared two ways of delivering cognitive behavioral therapy to treat people with health anxiety, a condition that may increase in the wake of COVID-19. Out of about 200 study participants, half received Internet-CBT and half received conventional face-to-face CBT. The results, published in JAMA Psychiatry, show that Internet-delivered treatment had comparable effects, and may serve as an alternative in helping people who are worried about their health.

In a study recently published in Nature Methods, researchers from Karolinska Institutet and Oxford University have developed a method to identify molecules that are attached to proteins in the membrane.

The focus of Johanna Sieurin's thesis was to investigate the relationship of personality and stress with subsequent risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD).

In a new study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen and Karolinska Institutet have found neurons in the brain that control how mice turn left and right. The studdy was recently published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet show that different measures of psychopathology can be combined into a single factor, “p”, which predicts the patient’s prognosis and need of extra support. The general factor of psychopathology reflects the overall risk of adverse psychiatric outcomes with an accuracy equal to that currently used for intelligence, they report in a paper published in World Psychiatry.

Maria Hagströmer has been appointed Professor of Physiotherapy at the Division of Physiotherapy. She has also been ben named deputy head of division with a special assignment as research coordinator, starting April 15.

The world has essentially hit pause while waiting for a vaccine against the new coronavirus. But vaccine developer Matti Sällberg feels no pressure. “I’m a realist,” he says. “We cannot work any faster than what we already do. Others will be quicker, and therefore we are thinking long-term and focusing on finding a vaccine that can protect against several coronaviruses, including those that may pop up in the future.”

Immunologist Qiang Pan Hammarström has worked every day since late January to find medicines against the new coronavirus. With her husband and KI-colleague Lennart Hammarström, she coordinates an international research consortium that is working on three tracks to develop treatments against COVID-19.

The coronavirus pandemic has shaken all our lives—and researchers around the world are working hard to find solutions to the crisis. Gerald McInerney, Associate Professor of Virology at Karolinska Institutet, focuses on developing antibodies that can block the virus’ ability to infect cells, so-called neutralizing antibodies.

KI Researchers present new insights on the ability of humans and other mammals to adapt to food availability and exposure to cold temperatures in a study recently published in eLife. The findings could enhance the development of new methods to treat metabolic disorders such as obesity or type 2 diabetes.

Millions of people around the world use acid suppressants called proton pump inhibitors for conditions like heartburn, gastritis and stomach ulcers. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden now report how the long-term use of these drugs could increase the risk of developing dementia. Their results are published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia.

In severe cases of COVID-19, a massive release of the endogenous protein HMGB1 in the lungs may contribute to pulmonary inflammation and tissue damage, according to a recent review article published in the journal Molecular Medicine. The researchers conclude that the inflammation could hypothetically be treated with an HMGB1 inhibitor.

Three questions to Mats Hallgren, assistant professor at the Department of Global Public Health, first author of several publications studying the effects of sedentary behaviour on mental health. Two related studies show that the context of these behaviours appears to be relevant.

Patients with acutely decompensated cirrhosis frequently develop acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), a syndrome characterized by intense systemic inflammation, multi-organ failure and high short-term mortality. The Craig Wheelock group has now contributed to a study, recently published in the Journal of Hepatology, that associates specific profiles of circulating lipid mediators with the severity and prognosis of patients with acutely decompensated cirrhosis.

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has revolutionized the ability to characterize cell types and their gene expression programs in organisms and tissues. Although great improvements in cellular throughput have been made, methods generally suffer from low sensitivity and quantification that is limited to short RNA pieces. Now, researchers at Karolinska Institutet have released Smart-seq3 that greatly improves the quality in scRNA-seq. The study is published in Nature Biotechnology.

According to many observations, certain virus infections may play a part in the autoimmune attack that leads to type 1 diabetes. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and their Finnish colleagues have now produced a vaccine for these viruses in the hope that it could provide protection against the disease. The study is published today in the scientific journal Science Advances.

Many nerve cells in the brain region hypothalamus have unexpected origins and go through complex development programs, where millions of neurons assemble into a precisely knit network by birth. That is according to a study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the Medical University of Vienna published in the journal Nature. The findings may further our understanding of hormonal diseases and their origins, according to the researchers.

João Ramos from the group Clinical Physiology at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery will defend his thesis "Pulmonary hypertension and heart failure : physiological markers assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance" on May 8th, 2020. Main Supervisor is Martin Ugander.

Sweden can contribute solid data to Solidarity, a global study run by the WHO to test the efficacy and safety of drugs considered for use in the treatment of COVID-19, says Soo Aleman, docent and consultant, and coordinator of the Swedish arm of the study.

The British Ambassador to Sweden, Judith Gough, visited KI on Walpurgis Eve to discuss the COVID-19 research being led by Lars Engstrand at KI and SciLifeLab in collaboration with KTH and with primary funding from Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.

Use of sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors to treat type 2 diabetes may help to lower the risk of serious kidney problems, according to a Scandinavian study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet. The findings, now published in the journal The BMJ, provide support for the use of SGLT2 inhibitors in a broad range of patients with type 2 diabetes, according to the researchers.

A drug that lowers levels of the male hormone testosterone in the body reduces the risk of men with pedophilic disorder sexually abusing children, a study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry shows.

Asle Hesla from the group Orthopaedics will defend his thesis "Ewing Sarcoma - treatment, prognosis and late effects" on May 8th, 2020. Main Supervisor is Henrik Bauer.

Comprehensively adapting cancer care and clinical cancer research to the COVID-19 pandemic is a necessity, researchers and doctors at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital write in a paper published in the journal Nature Medicine. In it, seven top European cancer centres propose adaptations to protect patients.

An international network of researchers in 10 countries are to study the effectiveness of homeschooling during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The gathering of data via online surveys in the various languages is being led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet. The aims of the study are to look at the challenges facing families during the COVID-19 pandemic and to produce recommendations and technical methods for both homeschooling and teaching in general.

Nina Brodin, docent and senior lecturer, has been named new deputy head of the Division of Physiotherapy, starting April 15 2020.

Sten Orrenius, Professor Emeritus at Karolinska Institutet, died on April 27, 2020. Dr. Orrenius was an internationally renowned and highly respected toxicologist because of his groundbreaking research in drug metabolism, the role of disruption of calcium homeostasis in cellular toxicity and mechanisms of programmed cell death (apoptosis).

A new co-working facility will be opening in May at Nanna Svartz väg 4 in Solna. Here, at A Working Lab Innomedicum, researchers, students and companies will be able to meet in a campus environment to find ways to collaborate on life science innovations.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden have developed an online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) program for people who struggle with excessive worry.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and the University of North Carolina have mapped out the cell types behind various brain disorders. The findings are published in Nature Genetics and offer a roadmap for the development of new therapies to target neurological and psychiatric disorders. One interesting finding was that cells from the gut's nervous system are involved in Parkinson's disease, indicating that the disease may start there.

The objective of Peter's thesis is to develop and improve technologies for prostate cancer diagnostics and to acquire knowledge related to these technologies that directly translate to clinical utility.

Thomas Helleday’s research group has been awarded a prestigious grant from the European Research Council (ERC) for the sixth time. The latest ERC Proof of Concept Grant is aimed at the development of new anti-inflammatory drugs for lung diseases such as fibrosis.

Gustav Mårtensson, PhD-student at the Division of Clinical Geriatrics. On May 15, 2020 you will defend your thesis "Quantifying neurodegeneration from medical images with machine learning and graph theory", what's the main focus of the thesis?

Only about five per cent of the babies born to mothers with hepatitis C are themselves infected by the disease. A possible reason for this low figure is that the baby’s immune system has already destroyed the virus before birth. A new study from researchers at KI and published in tje journal Gut reveals clear adaptations of the uninfected babies’ immune system that can lead the way to new treatment methods.

Märta Dahlström, PhD-student at the Division of Clinical Geriatrics. On April 30, 2020 you will defend your thesis: "Drug discovery targeting non-amyloid pathways in Alzheimer’s disease", what's the main focus of the thesis?

Physical exercise can act prophylactically for people with the metabolic syndrome and protect them against cardiovascular diseases, a new study from the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, GIH, and Karolinska Institutet published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology reports. Even light physical exercise has been shown to have good prophylactic effects, for both women and men.

During the new coronavirus outbreak many researchers at Karolinska Institutet are contributing their competence and views to the public flow of information. Sharing knowledge is important. But researchers, particularly, must also base their reasoning on facts and express themselves clearly, including about matters of uncertainty, says Jan Albert, professor of infectious disease control at Karolinska Institutet and convenor of KI’s COVID-19 expert team.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have together with researchers in China developed a new diagnostic test for COVID-19. The test can be performed without advanced laboratory equipment and deliver the result in about half an hour, according to a study published in the journal Clinical Chemistry. The researchers are now working on verifying the test results on confirmed COVID-19 patients at the Karolinska University Hospital.