StratRegen - Strategic research area in stem cells and regenerative medicine
Stem cells play an important role in the development of tissues, and for maintenance and regeneration of tissues in adulthood. Research in this field is rapidly expanding our understanding of these processes. Stem cell therapies are established in clinical medicine for malignant as well as for non-malignant conditions and novel therapies are continuously developed and entered in preclinical and clinical trials.
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Education
Outreach
Call for funding
New initiatives
Do you have any ideas for new initiatives in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine, suggestions for innovative collaborations or cutting-edge equipment, that can help drive the field forward?
Send us an e-Mail or talk to the board members.
The steering group is committed to implementing new ideas in the upcoming calls.
StratRegen Education, Outreach and Networking support 2025
The application deadline has passed (November 28th)
The SFO will by this call provide funding for education, outreach and networking activities at Karolinska Institutet (KI) based on scope, quality, and the potential to strengthen and develop the field.
Thank you for all the applications and for your great efforts to promote and advance education in our field of research.
StratRegen Research Grants 2025-2026
The application deadline has passed (November 8th 2024)
Over 70 researchers have applied for StratRegen grants. The applications are now undergoing rigorous external evaluation. Results will be announced by the end of January.
Thank you to all applicants for your dedication to advancing research and innovation.
Promotion
Summer by Design
How do you move innovative discoveries out of the lab efficiently and effectively so patients benefit sooner? What are the steps involved in translating and commercializing regenerative medicine discoveries? What career opportunities exist beyond academia?
Apply for Summer by Design, an intensive program for PhD students and post-doctoral fellows from Canadian and international universities, which will run from
2-11 of June 2025, University of Toronto
Deadline: 20th of December 2024
National ATMP Research School
The National ATMP Research School is a collaborative effort among Sweden's top higher education institutions to prepare professionals with deep understanding and research experience in the development and clinical use of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs).
Open call for applications for doctoral projects within the National ATMP Research School for the 2025/2026 academic year:
Deadline: 20th of January 2025
Call for Interest: Short course on Human Organoids - Model Systems for Human Biology and Medicine
Are you a doctoral student at KI specializing in Genetics and Genomics, Neurosciences, Biomedicine, Biotechnology, or Physiology? Would you want to dive deep into the latest advancements in stem cells, iPSC characterization, and 3D organoid technology?
3-9 of July 2025, University of Barcelona
Nervous System Injury and Repair
Vacant spots for doctoral course "Nervous System Injury and Repair"
This course will provide curious students with an overview of the field of nervous system injury and possibilities for repair. We will focus on the cellular pathobiology but have a translational outlook and integrate the clinical perspective.
3-7 of February 2025
KI News in Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine
New imaging method enables detailed RNA analysis of the whole brain
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital have developed a microscopy method that enables detailed three-dimensional (3D) RNA analysis at cellular resolution in whole intact mouse brains. The new method, called TRISCO, has the potential to transform our understanding of brain function, both in normal conditions and in disease, according to a study in Science.
Researchers have created an atlas of human embryonic development
The Petropoulos and Lanner labs at CLINTEC created a reference map of early human embryo development. They also launched an ‘Early Embryogenesis Prediction Tool’ that accurately predicts cell types across different embryonic stages and datasets, with plans to expand as more data becomes available.
The human heart may have a hidden ability to repair itself
After severe heart failure, the ability of the heart to heal by forming new cells is very low. However, after receiving treatment with a supportive heart pump, the capacity of a damaged heart to repair itself with new muscle cells becomes significantly higher, even higher than in a healthy heart. This is according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Circulation.
Blocking THBS1 with antibodies may heal radiotherapy induced skin injury
In a recently published study, researchers at Karolinska Institutet and KI University Hospital show that radiotherapy (RT) creates an "epigenetic memory" in skin fibroblasts which impairs skin healing in cancer survivors. They also found that by targeting this memory with antibodies the damage could be reversed. This finding can lead to new therapies for both preventing and treating RT-induced skin issues.
New study on microRNAs could lead to better fertility treatment
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have mapped how small RNA molecules, such as the recently Nobel Prize-awarded microRNAs, control cell development in the human embryo during the first days after fertilisation. The findings, published in Nature Communications, may eventually contribute to improved fertility treatment.
Key molecule in wound healing identified
A new study from Karolinska Institutet and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences has identified an RNA molecule that is important for skin wound healing. The research, published in Nature Communications, may have implications for the treatment of hard-to-heal wounds.
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.
New study reveals sex-specific gene expression in adipose stem cells in mice
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and AstraZeneca have discovered that gene expression in adipose stem cells varies according to sex and type of adipose tissue in mice. These findings may pave the way for future therapeutic interventions to increase the body's fat storage capacity and improve metabolism.
ERC Starting Grants awarded to
Elif Eroglu, research group leader at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB).
Project title: “Tightly Controlled – Tight Junctions and Tissue Mechanics as Sensors and Executers of Heart Regeneration” and William A. Nyberg, assistant professor at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge. Project title: “Improving CAR-T cell therapies through AAV-mediated genetic engineering”
ERC Proof of Concept för andra gången till KI-forskaren Georgios Sotiriou
Docent Georgios Sotiriou tilldelas ERC Proof of Concept-anslaget från Europeiska forskningsrådet (ERC). Syftet med Photocure-projektet är dels att undersöka om en ljusaktiverad nanokompositfilm kan vara en effektiv behandling för svåra, infekterade sår som till exempel diabetiska fotsår. Men också att förbereda steget från innovation till medicinteknisk produkt. Det är andra gången Georgios Sotiriou tilldelas det prestigefyllda anslaget, och tredje gången han får finansiering från ERC.
Scar formation after spinal cord injury is more complex than previously thought
New research reveals that scar formation after spinal cord injuries is more complex than previously thought. Scientists have identified two types of perivascular cells as key contributors to scar tissue, which hinders nerve regeneration and functional recovery. These findings are also relevant for other brain and spinal cord injuries and could lead to targeted therapies for reducing scarring and improving outcomes.
Findings in zebrafish give hope for future treatment of spinal cord injury
Zebrafish have a remarkable ability to heal their spinal cord after injury. Now, researchers at Karolinska Institutet have uncovered an important mechanism behind this phenomenon – a finding that could have implications for the treatment of spinal cord injury in humans.
The Svedberg Prize to KI researcher Björn Reinius
The 2024 Svedberg Prize is awarded to Björn Reinius, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics at Karolinska Institutet, for his discoveries regarding the gene regulation mechanisms of the X chromosome and his substantial impact on COVID-19 clinical diagnostics.
Pauliina Damdimopoulou receives ERC Consolidator Grant for research on women's fertility
KI-researcher Pauliina Damdimopoulou has been awarded a EUR 2 million ERC Consolidator Grant (European Research Council) for the SAFER project (SAfeguarding female FERtility-development of human-relevant in vitro tools for reproductive toxicity). The research will investigate the impact of commonly occurring environmental chemical contaminants on women's reproductive health.
Stem cell legislation
Embryos and embryo models – the need for updated regulations for research on the early development of human life.
The Swedish National Council on Medical Ethics (Smer) urges the government to review the current rules for research on human embryos and stem cell-based embryo models. The regulatory framework needs to be updated to reflect scientific developments in embryo and stem cell research. In particular they suggest that the so-called 14-day rule, should be extended to 28 days.