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.
CMB News
There is an alternative strategy to regenerate the heart muscle
There is an alternative strategy to regenerate the heart muscle
Heart progenitors spontaneously regenerate cardiac muscle via a tight junction “honeycomb” in salamanders.
Whether there are endogenous adult heart progenitors that can replenish damaged muscle cells remained controversial. Now researchers at Karolinska Institute in Sweden show that the outermost layer of the heart, called epicardium acts as a source of cardiac muscle cells through formation of an intriguing honeycomb-like structure.
The study, published in Nature Cell Biology, identifies a new paradigm for heart regeneration by studying a salamander model for heart regeneration and reports an important role for tight junctions in the process.
Epigenetic control of transcriptional stability maintains identity and function in dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons
Epigenetic control of transcriptional stability maintains identity and function in dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons
New study from researchers from the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology published in Science Advances show that inactivation of a protein complex that controls gene repression leads to loss of neuronal identity of dopamine-producing cells and to motor symptoms typical of Parkinson's disease.
In vivo drug discovery for increasing incretin-expressing cells in diabetes
In vivo drug discovery for increasing incretin-expressing cells in diabetes
A new study published in Cell Chemical Biology describes an alternative approach to treat diabetes by identifying drugs directly increasing the number of incretin-expressing cells. The work results from researchers at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology.
Enric Llorens is one the appointed “Future research leaders“ from KI
Enric Llorens is one the appointed “Future research leaders“ from KI
The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, SSF, has appointed the eight generation of "Future research leader", three researchers from Karolinska Institutet. The researchers receive 15 million SEK each during a five year period and will join a leadership training program.
The grant supports young, promising researchers and enable them to build their own successful research groups.
Unexpected finding on the 3D organization of chromosomes
Unexpected finding on the 3D organization of chromosomes
New findings reveals an advanced, unexpected two-way communication between the function and organization of chromosomes in the cell nucleus. Previous research shows that the organization of chromosomal DNA into loops regulate gene reading (transcription) and chromosome copying (replication). The new results show that, in turn, transcription and replication control chromosome looping, thus revealing a new interplay known to be important in avoiding diseases, such as cancer.