New research led by the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden and the University of Glasgow, Scotland, has identified a link between a human gene and the composition of human gastrointestinal bacteria. In a study published as a [...]
Author Archive | Karolinksa Institutet
Anti-depressants in pregnancy not tied to stillbirth, infant death
In a study that included nearly 30,000 women from Nordic countries who had filled a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) prescription during pregnancy, researchers found no significant association between use of these medications during pregnancy [...]
Fat influences decisions taken by brain cells for production and survival
Scientists at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have identified two molecules that play an important role in the survival and production of nerve cells in the brain, including nerve cells that produce dopamine. The discovery, which [...]
New hope for MRSA
Scientists at Karolinska Institutet have presented a new principle for fighting bacterial infections, in other words, a new type of antibiotic, in the FASEB Journal. The new antibiotic mechanism is based on selectively blocking the [...]
How the common ‘cat parasite’ Toxoplasma gets into the brain
Toxoplasma is a common ‘cat parasite’, and has previously been in the spotlight owing to its observed effect on risk-taking and other human behaviours. To some extent, it has also been associated with mental illness. [...]
Exposure to traffic air pollution in infancy impairs lung function in children
Exposure to ambient air pollution from traffic during infancy is associated with lung function deficits in children up to eight years of age, particularly among children sensitized to common allergens, according to a new study. [...]
Chewing ability linked to reduced dementia risk
The population is ageing, and the older we become the more likely it is that we risk deterioration of our cognitive functions, such as memory, decision-making and problem solving. Research indicates several possible contributors to [...]
Most with celiac disease unaware of it, others go gluten-free without diagnosis
Roughly 1.8 million Americans have celiac disease, but around 1.4 million of them are unaware that they have it, a Mayo Clinic-led analysis of the condition’s prevalence has found. Meanwhile, 1.6 million people in the [...]
Alzheimer’s vaccine trial a success
A study led by Karolinska Institutet reports for the first time the positive effects of an active vaccine against Alzheimer’s disease. The new vaccine, CAD106, can prove a breakthrough in the search for a cure [...]
Suicides drop after antidepressive treatment for schizophrenia
Antidepressive drugs reduce the mortality rate of schizophrenic patients, while treatment with bensodiazepines greatly increases it, especially as regards suicide. Giving several antipsychotics simultaneously, however, seems to have no effect at all. This according to [...]
Epigenetic changes in blood samples may point to schizophrenia
In a new study, researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have identified epigenetic changes – known as DNA methylation – in the blood of patients with schizophrenia. The researchers were also able to [...]
Surprising Results in Study of Cancer Survivor Twins
Older female cancer survivors are significantly more likely to suffer from long-term cognitive impairment after diagnosis and treatment compared to their twin sibling with no history of cancer, a USC study found. The risk was [...]
Low-stress babies show fewer allergies
A new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows that infants with low concentrations of the stress-related hormone cortisol in their saliva develop fewer allergies than other infants. Hopefully this new knowledge will be useful [...]
Genetic Study Confirms: First Dogs Came from East Asia
Researchers at KTH say they have found further proof that the wolf ancestors of today’s domesticated dogs can be traced to southern East Asia — findings that run counter to theories placing the cradle of [...]
Several methods for early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease developed by European scientists
PredictAD is an EU-funded research project that develops objective and efficient methods for enabling earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Diagnosis requires a holistic view of the patient combining information from several sources, such as, clinical [...]
New mitochondrial control mechanism discovered
Scientists have discovered a new component of mitochondria that plays a key part in their function. The discovery, which is presented in the journal Cell Metabolism, is of potential significance to our understanding of both inherited and age-related…
Newly discovered role for enzyme in neurodegenerative diseases
Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are partly attributable to brain inflammation. Researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet in Sweden now demonstrate in a paper published in Nature that a well-known…