COMMUNICATING RESEARCH. Vaccines have been extremely important for humanity. They prevent millions of children from dying annually and have eliminated certain diseases. At the same time, opposition to and hesitancy about vaccines is one of the major global threats to public health. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has now produced a publication on vaccines, the first in its “The Science Behind” series. Its author is Ann-Marie Svennerholm, member of…
Defects in a specific cell type may cause ulcerative colitis
NEW STUDY. There are many variants of “goblet cells” in the intestines and they seem to have different functions, according to a new study from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The study indicates that defects in goblet cells of a particular type may be a factor contributing to ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease. The entire inside of our intestines is covered by a thin layer of mucus that protects…
Meet Ali Harandi – one of the University of Gothenburg’s vaccine experts
PEOPLE. Several new variants of the coronavirus are attracting attention, and many people now wonder how long the available vaccines will provide adequate protection. Ali Harandi, vaccine expert at the University of Gothenburg, is looking into this. He and his colleagues are studying new ways to differentiate antibodies against different virus variants and against COVID vaccines. Since the COVID-19-pandemic started in Sweden, Ali Harandi has emerged as one of the…
National research program on the effects of COVID-19 vaccines – two projects at the University of Gothenburg
COMBATING COVID-19. The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation is investing SEK 53 million on a national research program to study the effects of COVID-19 vaccines. Of the 10 projects receiving funding, two are being led by researchers at the University of Gothenburg. Anna Lundgren is coordinating a project on immune response after vaccination among individuals who were previously infected by COVID-19, individuals who were unexposed, and immunosuppressed individuals. Fredrik Nyberg…
A new hub for developing medicines of the future at the University of Gothenburg
CONDITIONS OF RESEARCH. In recent years, techniques have been developed to treat diseases with what are known as oligonucleotide drugs, based on short DNA or RNA molecules. The Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine at the University of Gothenburg has now been awarded SEK 54 million by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, and SEK 48m from SciLifeLab and the University of Gothenburg, to create a national technology platform…