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Karolinska Institutet

@ki.se

Science news from the medical university Karolinska Institutet (KI) in Sweden. Our vision is to advance knowledge about life and strive towards better health for all. https://ki.se/

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Latest posts by Karolinska Institutet @ki.se

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Psychological factors associated with postoperative cognitive outcomes in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis Older adults face increased risk of postoperative cognitive complications, which can prolong hospitalisation and impair function. Preoperative psychol…

Link to publication ➡️
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

05.03.2026 09:33 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Depression and other psychological factors may be linked to the risk of postoperative confusion in older adults. This is shown in a new systematic review published in @bjajournals.bsky.social 🧪
news.ki.se/mental-healt...

05.03.2026 09:31 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
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Dysregulation of the DNA damage response by phosphorothioate antisense oligonucleotides Nature Communications - Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are used in research and therapy. Here, the authors show that PS-modified ASOs bind key DNA repair enzymes and form nuclear condensates...

Link to publication: rdcu.be/e6qMg

03.03.2026 13:47 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Synthetic gene medicines may disrupt DNA repair Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), used to treat genetic diseases, can affect how cells repair damage to their DNA. This is shown in a new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in the journal Na...

#AntisenseOligonucleotides (ASOs), used to treat #GeneticDiseases, can affect how cells repair damage to their DNA. New findings published in @natcomms.nature.com may have implications for the development of future genetic medicines 🧪 #pharmaceuticals news.ki.se/synthetic-ge...

03.03.2026 13:47 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
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Distinct radial glia subtypes regulate midbrain dopaminergic neuron development - Nature Neuroscience The authors find that distinct radial glia subtypes generate and support midbrain dopaminergic neurons, revealing specialized function and lineage relationships among the diverse cell types that shape...

Link to publication: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

17.02.2026 14:03 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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How dopamine producing neurons arise in the developing brain In a new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Nature Neuroscience, researchers have identified the neurogenic progenitor that give rise to dopaminergic neurons, the primary neurons affected ...

KI researchers have identified the neurogenic progenitor that gives rise to dopaminergic neurons – the primary neurons affected in #Parkinsons disease and essential for controlling movement. The study is published in @natneuro.nature.com 🧪 #neuroscience news.ki.se/how-dopamine...

17.02.2026 14:03 👍 7 🔁 3 💬 1 📌 0
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Link to publication: doi.org/10.1681/ASN....

12.02.2026 15:30 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Kidney function may affect Alzheimer’s blood biomarkers People with lower kidney function may have higher levels of several blood markers often used in research on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. This is shown in a new systematic review and meta...

People with lower #kidney function may have higher levels of several blood markers often used in research on #Alzheimers disease and related dementias, according to a systematic review and meta‑analysis published in The Journal of the American Society of Nephrology 🧪 news.ki.se/kidney-funct...

12.02.2026 15:30 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
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Mitochondrial CircRNA CircMT‐RNR2 Safeguards Antioxidant Defense to Support Fibroblast Functions in Wound Repair CircMT-RNR2 promotes wound healing by enhancing fibroblast proliferation, migration, contraction, and extracellular matrix (ECM) production. It sustains mitochondrial redox balance by stabilizing the...

Link to publication: doi.org/10.1002/advs...

12.02.2026 15:01 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Mitochondrial RNA may contribute to improved wound healing in diabetes Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified a circular RNA in mitochondria that plays an important role in the healing of chronic wounds. The study is published in Advanced Science.

KI researchers have identified a circular #RNA in #mitochondria that plays an important role in the healing of chronic wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers. The study is published in Advanced Science 🧪 #WoundHealing news.ki.se/mitochondria...

12.02.2026 15:01 👍 8 🔁 3 💬 1 📌 0
Equity in mental healthcare use in Sweden : needs-adjusted utilisation rates, trends, and modifiable factors Individuals with lower socioeconomic position face higher risk and burden of mental disorders, but it is unclear if their mental healthcare use matches their needs. Migrants use less mental healthcare than non-migrants, but whether this reflects differences in needs is unclear. The aim of this thesis was to enhance our understanding of unmet mental healthcare needs and the modifiable mechanisms underlying inequities in mental healthcare utilisation in Sweden.A registry-based follow up of mental healthcare use was performed in a selected group of adolescents and adults who answered questionnaires about their mental health status in surveys. Adolescents were from the KUPOL longitudinal study (Kunskap om ungas psykiska hälsa och lärande; 2013-2018) which was conducted in eight counties in Sweden. Adults were from the Hälsa Stockholm surveys in 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2021. Adolescents' mental healthcare use was based on records from secondary care and filled prescriptions of psychotropic medication during 12 months after each survey (Study I). Adults' mental healthcare use was identified using records from primary and secondary care and filled prescriptions of psychotropic medication during six months after the date of survey response (Study II-V).Study I assessed socioeconomic differences in adolescents' mental healthcare use, accounting for mental health status (measured by the Strengths and difficulties questionnaire). The sample included 3,517 adolescents aged 13-16 years, observed in grades 7-9. Logistic regression and negative binomial regression analyses were used to estimate differences in mental healthcare use (yes/no) and in the frequency of outpatient visits among users, with mental health status as a moderator. Adolescents with lower socioeconomic position (parental education and household income level) were more likely to use services, especially for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or autism spectrum disorders (ADHD/ASD), but these differences diminished with increasing symptom severity. However, adolescents with lower socioeconomic position were less likely to use services for other mental disorders such as depression and anxiety.Study Il assessed socioeconomic differences in adults' mental healthcare use, accounting for psychological distress. Data from 31,433 adults (18-64 years) in the 2014 and 2021 Hälsa Stockholm surveys were analysed using logistic and negative binomial regressions, with psychological distress as a moderator. Adults with lower socioeconomic position (education and household income level) were more likely to use mental healthcare than those with higher socioeconomic position. Education-related differences diminished with increasing distress severity, but income-related differences did not. Among those with moderate- to-severe distress, adults with lower education were less likely than those with higher education to use primary mental healthcare services. Differences in the number of outpatient visits among patients were generally marginal.Study III assessed changes in income-related differences in adults' use of mental healthcare services. The sample included 81,650 adults aged 18-64 years from the Hälsa Stockholm surveys (2006-2021). Using indirect standardisation and concentration indices, need-standardised differences were estimated for each period (2006/07, 2010/11, 2014/15, 2021/22). In addition to psychological distress (the main need-indicator), additional need-indicators included general health status and long-term limiting illness. Lower-income individuals consistently used more mental healthcare services in all study periods, but differences became marginal after standardising for all need-indicators. Between 2006/07 and 2014/15, lower-income groups' use of services increased more than that of higher-income groups. By 2021/22, their use of services stagnated or declined relative to higher-income groups. Among patients, lower-income groups made more visits, but these differences decreased over time.Study IV assessed differences in mental healthcare use by migrant status among 81,650 adults (18-64 years) from Hälsa Stockholm surveys (2006-2022). Period-stratified logistic regressions estimated differences in service use (yes/no), and zero-truncated negative binomial regressions assessed visit frequency, conditional on at least one outpatient visit. Non-Nordic migrants were consistently less likely to use mental healthcare than Swedish-born individuals, with differences widening over time and after adjusting for need-indicators. By 2021/22, non-Nordic migrants used services at half the rate of Swedish-born individuals. However, among patients, migrant-related differences in outpatient visits were marginal.Study V explored modifiable factors behind the gap in mental healthcare use between migrants and Nordic-born individuals among 15,943 adults (18-64 years) from the 2021 Hälsa Stockholm survey. Separate causal mediation analyses were performed, with exposure-mediator interaction, for each of the eight measured mediators. A two-way decomposition was used to decompose the "observed inequalities" (Total Effect) into (1) "residual inequalities" (Controlled Direct Effect) and (2) proportion eliminated, while controlling for sociodemographic factors. The proportion eliminated is the portion of the "observed inequalities" that would be removed if the mediator were set to a single value for everyone i.e., under a hypothetical intervention that modifies exposure to a barrier in the entire sample (or target groups). The results suggested that hypothetically removing cost barrier or increasing length of residence in the neighbourhood (≥3 years, e.g., indicating familiarity with the healthcare system) would reduce observed inequalities by 8.9% and 17.6%, respectively. While setting individual trust in healthcare services at the highest level would reduce the observed migrant inequalities by 18%. Setting neighbourhood socioeconomic deprivation, migrant density, or neighbourhood average trust in public institutions at the most advantaged levels (e.g., the tenth percentiles) would reduce observed inequalities by about 30%. However, large unexplained residual inequalities remained in each model.In conclusion, lower socioeconomic groups used mental healthcare services more than those with higher socioeconomic position, consistent with indicated mental healthcare needs (i.e., more equitable use). However, there were indications of unmet need for depression and anxiety care among adolescents with lower socioeconomic position, and inequities faced by adults with lower education in primary mental healthcare services.Non-Nordic migrants faced persistent inequities in mental healthcare use, which widened during the COVID-19 pandemic. To reduce these inequities and meet Sweden's equity goals, policies should target modifiable barriers to seeking and accessing mental healthcare services.List of scientific papersI. Muwonge JJ, Dalman C, Burström B, de Leon AP, Galanti MR, Jablonska B, Hollander AC. Are the estimated needs for mental health care among adolescents from different socioeconomic backgrounds met equally in Sweden? A longitudinal survey-registry linkage study. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-023-02341-2II. Muwonge JJ, Dalman C, Burström B, Jablonska B, Hollander AC. Exploring socio-economic inequalities in mental healthcare utilization in adults with self-reported psychological distress: a survey-registry linked cohort design. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences. 2025;34:e6. https://doi.org/10.1017/s2045796024000842III. Muwonge JJ, Jablonska B, Dalman C, Burström B, Galanti MR, Hollander A-C. More or less equal? Trends in horizontal equity in mental health care utilization in Stockholm county, Sweden (2006- 2022). Repeated survey-registry linked studies. International Journal for Equity in Health. 2025;24(1):98. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-025-02453-yIV. Muwonge JJ, Jablonska B, Dalman C, Burström B, Galanti MR, Hollander A-C. Mental healthcare utilisation among migrants and Swedish born adults accounting for probable needs, 2006-2022. [Submitted]V. Muwonge JJ, Jablonska B, Dalman C, Burström B, Galanti MR, Hollander A-C, Dykxhoorn J. Modifiable factors to migrant-related inequalities in mental healthcare utilisation among adults in Stockholm County, Sweden. [Manuscript]

Link to doctoral thesis: openarchive.ki.se/articles/the...

04.02.2026 13:47 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Portrait photo of Joseph Junior Muwonge by Martin Stenmark

Portrait photo of Joseph Junior Muwonge by Martin Stenmark

Joseph J Muwonge’s doctoral thesis shows socioeconomic and migrant gaps in mental #healthcare use vs self-reported need, including widening inequities for foreign-born people in Sweden during the pandemic, with larger gaps in expanded digital service use 🧪 #HealthEquity news.ki.se/socioeconomi...

04.02.2026 13:47 👍 4 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0
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Genetic and environmental factors in pain symptoms and self-harm, and their association. A twin study Individuals who self-harm are often insensitive to pain, and consequently pain sensitivity has been proposed as a barrier for self-harm. It is unclear…

Link to publication: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

30.01.2026 07:42 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Illustration of mental ill-health in adolescents. Image: Getty Images

Illustration of mental ill-health in adolescents. Image: Getty Images

Adolescents who report #pain at the age of 18 are at higher risk of later self-harm, according to a new KI study published in Psychiatry Research. The findings suggest that pain may form part of the chain of events leading to self-harming behaviour 🧪 #mentalhealth news.ki.se/pain-in-adol...

30.01.2026 07:42 👍 5 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0
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New systematic review & meta-analysis finds no clear link between prenatal paracetamol and autism, ADHD or intellectual disability. Published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health 🧪
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

22.01.2026 10:24 👍 3 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 0
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A prefrontal cortex map based on single-neuron activity - Nature Neuroscience The authors mapped spontaneous and choice activity across mouse prefrontal cortex. The activity maps aligned with intrinsic connectivity rather than anatomical subregions, suggesting that connectivity...

Link to publication: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

20.01.2026 18:14 👍 4 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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New brain maps challenge traditional descriptions of the brain For more than a century, maps of the brain have been based on how brain tissue looks under the microscope. These anatomical maps divide the brain into regions according to structural variations in the...

Activity-based maps of the prefrontal cortex in mice, presented in @natneuro.nature.com today, challenge classical descriptions of the brain. The new maps reveal functional territories that differ from traditional, tissue-based maps. #Neuroscience #Brain 🧪 news.ki.se/new-brain-ma...

20.01.2026 18:14 👍 14 🔁 7 💬 1 📌 0
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A new randomized controlled trial shows that fully internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) reduces asthma-related anxiety, improves asthma control, and enhances quality of life in adults with asthma 🧪
thorax.bmj.com/content/earl...

07.01.2026 10:32 👍 5 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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In silico docking yields small molecule negative allosteric modulators targeting the core of Frizzled 7 - Nature Communications Although FZDs are promising drug targets, so far no small molecules targeting them were described. Here, the authors report the a FZD7 core-targeting small molecule negative allosteric modulators of W...

Link to publications:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
doi.org/10.1016/j.jb...

16.12.2025 07:20 👍 4 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Cracking the code of a hidden cancer receptor Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified small molecules capable of influencing a hard-to-target receptor family linked to cancer development. The findings have been published in Nature Co...

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified small molecules capable of influencing a hard-to-target receptor family linked to #cancer development. The findings have been published in @natcomms.nature.com and the Journal of Biological Chemistry 🧪 #pharmacology news.ki.se/cracking-the...

16.12.2025 07:20 👍 11 🔁 4 💬 1 📌 0
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MultistageOT: Multistage optimal transport infers trajectories from a snapshot of single-cell data | PNAS Single-cell RNA-sequencing captures a temporal slice, or a snapshot, of a cell differentiation process. A major bioinformatical challenge is the in...

Link to publication: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

12.12.2025 08:19 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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New algorithm maps how cells develop Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and KTH have developed a computational method that can reveal how cells change and specialise in the body. The study, which has been published in the journal PNAS,...

Researchers at KI and @kthuniversity.bsky.social have developed a computational method that reveals how cells change and specialise. It can provide important knowledge about why this process sometimes goes wrong and leads to disease. Published in @pnas.org 🧪 #CellBiology news.ki.se/new-algorith...

12.12.2025 08:19 👍 5 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 1

KI researchers have captured the first detailed molecular snapshots of human polynucleotide phosphorylase in action, revealing how this essential mitochondrial enzyme degrades RNA through an elegant base-flipping mechanism. Published in @narjournal.bsky.social 🧪 #mitochondria doi.org/10.1093/nar/...

09.12.2025 14:55 👍 14 🔁 7 💬 0 📌 0
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Human oligodendrocyte progenitor cells mediate synapse elimination through TAM receptor activation - Nature Communications Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) contribute to developmental synapse elimination in animal models. Here, the authors use a human brain organoid model to demonstrate that that uptake of synapses...

Link to publication: doi.org/10.1038/s414...

05.12.2025 16:59 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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New clues to how human brain connections take shape A new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Nature Communications, reveals an unexpected role for immature glial cells known as oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) in shaping the developi...

KI researchers report that human oligodendrocyte progenitor cells help eliminate synapses, highlighting a key mechanism in early #BrainDevelopment. The study was done on advanced human brain organoids, and was published today in @natcomms.nature.com 🧪 #Neuroscience news.ki.se/new-clues-to...

05.12.2025 16:59 👍 4 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0
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Conscious awareness, sensory integration, and evidence accumulation in bodily self-perception | PNAS Conscious awareness refers to the subjective experience of perceiving, thinking, and feeling and the ability to report these experiences. These per...

Link to publication: doi.org/10.1073/pnas...

04.12.2025 18:03 👍 4 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 1
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New study reveals how the brain prioritises bodily signals in conscious awareness A new study shows that visual and tactile impressions that are related to our own body are prioritised for reaching conscious awareness. This helps us understand how we develop the feeling that the bo...

A study in @pnas.org reveals that conscious awareness is tightly linked to our sense of bodily self. Using bodily illusions and computational models, researchers show body ownership relies on conscious processing – reshaping theories of #Consciousness and self-perception 🧪 news.ki.se/new-study-re...

04.12.2025 18:03 👍 15 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0
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Kidney Function, Alzheimer Disease Blood Biomarkers, and Dementia Risk in Community-Dwelling Older Adults | Neurology Background and ObjectivesImpaired kidney function has been linked to altered concentrations of blood biomarkers of Alzheimer disease (AD), but the underlying mechanisms and its potential role in demen...

Link to publication: www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/...

04.12.2025 17:19 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Kidney health affects Alzheimer’s blood biomarkers but not dementia risk Older adults with reduced kidney function show higher levels of Alzheimer’s-related biomarkers in the blood, but are not more likely to develop dementia, according to a new study from Karolinska Insti...

A new study published in Neurology shows impaired kidney function raises most #Alzheimers blood biomarkers, including p-tau217, but doesn’t increase dementia risk – though it may speed symptom onset. #Nephrology 🧪 news.ki.se/kidney-healt...

04.12.2025 17:19 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
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Enhancing diagnostic precision in Alzheimer's disease: Impact of comorbidities on blood biomarkers for clinical integration INTRODUCTION Comorbidities may influence Alzheimer's disease (AD) plasma biomarkers. This study aimed to investigate how medical conditions impact AD plasma biomarkers and whether comorbidity-adjust...

Link to publication: doi.org/10.1002/alz....

03.12.2025 09:55 👍 4 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0