Department of Cell and Molecular Biology

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Umeå University have investigated how the protein HIF2α affects neuroblastoma, a severe form of childhood cancer. The results show that high levels of HIF2α can reduce the growth of tumor cells and promote their maturation into a less aggressive cell type.

“Our results show that high levels of HIF2α lead to decreased MYCN levels, reduced cell proliferation, and a shift toward a more mature cell type,” says Juan Yuan, one of the researchers behind the study at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB).

The study thus challenges the previous notion that HIF2α always acts as a cancer driver in neuroblastoma. Instead, the findings suggest that the protein may, in some cases, play a tumor suppressive and maturation-promoting role.

“This gives us new insights into how neuroblastoma develops and may eventually contribute to new treatment strategies,” says Johan Holmberg, professor at the Department of Molecular Biology at Umeå University and affiliated to CMB at KI.

In a pilot project within the course Biomedical Communication, students have tackled the complex issue of antibiotic resistance (AMR) through gamification. When the AMR Knowledge Space Game was integrated into the curriculum, the response from both teachers and students was overwhelmingly positive. With the success of the pilot, the interactive game may become part of future courses and educational research at Karolinska Institutet (KI).

Spring 2025, Karolinska Institutet began a collaboration with Captrs to test games as educational tools within the biomedical communication course on the Master's Programme in Biomedicine, taught by Matthew Kirkham, researcher at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology.

There was considerable interest among the participating students. 

The pilot was supported by a departmental grant and brought together experts from biomedicine, global health, education and serious game design. 

Leo Westerberg, a doctoral student in the Spalding lab at Karolinska Institutet, shares insights from his visit to the Mori lab in Campinas, supported by the Collaborative Grant for Collaboration with Brazil.

Leo Westerstberg's research focuses on understanding the role of lysosomes in adipocyte senescence and how this may differ between fat depots and metabolic states. 

His team applied for the Collaborative Grant for collaboration with Brazil to visit the Mori lab at Unicamp in Campinas, Brazil, where Leo had the opportunity to give a talk and teach a reflected-light-based method for detecting cellular senescence that was developed in the Spalding lab. 

The Swedish Brain Foundation (Hjärnfonden) is making its largest donation to date to Swedish brain research. This year, SEK 152.8 million will be awarded to research projects in neuroscience. A total of 112 research projects in Sweden receive funding, and 39 of these are run at KI.

Swedish brain research has taken important steps forward, but many questions remain unanswered, writes the Swedish Brain Foundation (Hjärnfonden) in a press release. 

With this year's award, the Swedish Brain Foundation is giving researchers across the country improved conditions to move their knowledge towards new solutions for brain diagnoses. 

Nico Dantuma, professor at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology will receive funding for his project: Stimulating protein quality control in neurodegenerative disorders