Department of Cell and Molecular Biology
The Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at Karolinska Institutet is a nationally leading academic research center of high international standard where science comes first and foremost. CMB researchers publish regularly in the best international science journals, a result of a long-term in-house culture that promotes real impact and key breakthroughs.
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CMB News
Photo: N/AProfessor Sten Eirik Jacobsen is to receive the 2025 Anders Jahre Award
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.
“I am grateful and humbled having been selected as this year’s recipient of Anders Jahre Award,” says Sten Eirik Wælgaard Jacobsen, professor at the Department of Medicine in Huddinge and the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at KI, and at the Center of Haematology, Karolinska University Hospital. “I feel a high level of gratitude towards the essential contributions from all outstanding mentors, lab members, and collaborators who I have had the privilege of working closely with. Honoring the pursuit of fundamental research, this award also reminds me about the critical moment of history we are living in, when not only academic freedom but also other fundamental pillars of our democracy are under massive attack.”
Photo: Ulf SirbornNew method reveals how the brain and inner ear are formed
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed a method that shows how the nervous system and sensory organs are formed in an embryo. By labelling stem cells with a genetic ‘barcode’, they have been able to follow the cells’ developmental journey and discover how the inner ear is formed in mice. The discovery, published in Science, could provide important insights for future treatment of hearing loss.
“Our study shows how different cell types arise from stem cells in the embryo and how they are organised to create important structures in the brain,” explains Emma Andersson, docent at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet. “You could say that we have created a family tree for the cells of the nervous system and the inner ear.”
Photo: Martin StenmarkThe Andersson Lab Receives Prestigious Grant from LEO Foundation to Advance Skin Development Research
The Andersson Lab at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biolgy, Karolinska Institutet has been awarded a grant of DKK 3,990,001 over three years by the LEO Foundation for their project, “Unraveling Skin Origins: Developing In Utero Gene Manipulation Tools to Decipher Ectoderm and Mesoderm Contributions to Skin Health and Disease.”
The project aims to develop new genetic tools for manipulating the dermis in vivo, enabling a deeper understanding of how different embryonic tissues contribute to skin development, function, and disease. The Andersson group will build on their recent breakthroughs in next-generation single-cell lineage tracing to pioneer novel in utero gene editing approaches targeting the dermal compartment.
Photo: Markus MarceticPrestigious Göran Gustafsson Prize to Laura Baranello
Laura Baranello, principal researcher at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at Karolinska Institutet, receives the Göran Gustafsson Prize in molecular biology. The goal of her research is to find a new strategy for gentler cancer treatments. The idea is to improve both survival and quality of life for patients in the future.
"The biggest challenge today with chemotherapy is that the drugs cannot distinguish between cancer cells and fast-growing healthy cells. This means that doctors sometimes hesitate to start treatment because the patient suffers from so many side effects. Our goal is to achieve a greater understanding of the molecular mechanism of the topoisomerases in cancer cells using a combination of genomics and molecular biology approaches".
Photo: PrivatErling-Persson Foundation supports development of advanced Parkinson’s therapy
The Erling-Persson Foundation is donating SEK 8 million to KI researcher Johan Ericson to fund the verification of his ATMP (Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products) concept with the aim of producing a highly effective restorative Parkinson’s therapy.
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative motor disorder affecting over 10 million people around the world. There is currently no cure and the effects of symptom treatments wanes over time.
Parkinson’s disease occurs when neurons, particularly those that produce dopamine, die. Research has shown that when these particular neurons are replaced, motor function can be restored.
Latest publications
Tiny Tweaks to microRNAs Uncover Big Insights into Gene Control
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Uppsala University have developed a powerful new technique to better understand how tiny molecules in our cells, called microRNAs, control which genes are turned on or off — a discovery that could improve how we study diseases from cancer to neurodevelopmental disorders.
Led by Dr. David Kosek and Dr. Emma R. Andersson from the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology the team used a clever molecular trick: they altered just two tiny spots in the miRNA specifically in miR-34a so it could no longer bind to parts of the target RNA. They then measured how this change affected gene expression in human cells.
Mapping of a gigantic salamander genome reveals secrets of regeneration
Researchers at Department of Cell and Molecular Biology have mapped the genome of the Iberian ribbed newt and revealed how the composition and organization of the DNA are linked to its ability to regenerate entire body parts.
Salamanders are known for their unique ability to regenerate entire body parts and for their resistance to tumor development. The molecular mechanisms behind these traits have been difficult to study due to a lack of knowledge about the composition of their genome. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have now succeeded in mapping the genome of the Iberian ribbed newt, providing new insights into these fascinating processes.
New technique developed for targeted protein degradation
A new publication in Nature Communications from researchers at The Department of Cell and Molecular Biology solves a long-standing problem by establishing a system that allows site-specific protein degradation within mitochondria, the cellular hubs for energy production and metabolism.
Understanding how cells work often requires manipulating protein function. Methods used to do this usually cause total ablation of protein function and cannot provide information about their specific roles within different cellular compartments. This is especially challenging for organelles like mitochondria. Addressing this, the researchers present, for the first time, a technique for targeted protein degradation within the mitochondria of yeast and human cells. They have also devised a way to control the induction of degradation, thereby allowing time-resolved analysis.
Understanding Liver Fibrosis: Insights from Alagille Syndrome
Researchers from Karolinska Institutet and Charles University studying liver fibrosis have made an exciting new discovery, now published in EMBO Molecular Medicine. Their latest findings could pave the way for innovative approaches to treating this challenging condition.
What influences the extent of scar tissue, or fibrosis, that develops in the liver when people suffer from liver disease? While a small amount of fibrosis is a normal part of the healing process, excessive fibrosis can occur, leading to complications and, ultimately, liver failure. Understanding the mechanisms that drive this escalation is essential in the fight against liver disease.
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