Our research
We study why the immune system sometimes loses its ability to distinguish between self and foreign, thereby causing autoimmune diseases.
Our focus is on model diseases such as Addison’s disease and APS-1 (autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1), which provide insights into the mechanisms underlying organ-specific autoimmunity. We also investigate self-limiting autoimmune conditions, such as postpartum thyroiditis, to understand how the body can, in some cases, restore immune balance on its own.
In our clinical studies, we analyze how different forms of cortisone replacement therapy affect steroid hormone patterns and cardiometabolic risk factors.
Using local and national registries, we also conduct epidemiological studies of various endocrine diseases to better understand their impact on health and socioeconomic outcomes.
We regularly participate in teaching of medical students, contributing to the education of the next generation of researchers and physicians.
The group has well-equipped laboratory facilities at CMM and collaborates closely with Karolinska University Hospital, other research groups at Karolinska Institutet, as well as with national and international research environments.
Video: Is it possible to stop Addison's disease and other autoimmune diseases?
That is the hope of Olle Kämpe, a research physician and member of the research team. Today, we do not know what triggers an autoimmune reaction; we only know that it starts several years before the patient falls ill. Olle and his colleagues have discovered that the immune systems of all patients with Addison's disease reacted to the same substance, the enzyme 21-hydroxylase, and they are now working on a promising treatment for patients with Addison's. In the film, you will meet Olle Kämpe and his patient Eva Raffner.
The film was made by the Wallenberg Foundations in 2024.