Mon, 22 Dec 2025 12:07:36 +0000Latest news in diabetes research/article/capturing-moment-cell-shuts-door-free-radicalsMon, 22 Dec 2025 12:07:36 +0000/article/capturing-moment-cell-shuts-door-free-radicalsFor the first time, researchers have been able to show how a cell closes the door to free radicals – small oxygen molecules that are sometimes needed, but that can also damage our cells. The study is published in Nature Communications and was led from Lund University./article/oral-insulin-delayed-onset-type-1-diabetes-some-children-increased-risk-diseaseMon, 17 Nov 2025 15:42:29 +0000/article/oral-insulin-delayed-onset-type-1-diabetes-some-children-increased-risk-diseaseAn international team of researchers has investigated whether oral insulin can prevent early signs of type 1 diabetes and clinical diagnosis in children with an increased risk of developing the disease. Although treatment with oral insulin could not prevent development of diabetes-related autoantibodies, oral insulin delayed the rate of disease progression in children who developed such autoantibodies. The results from the POInT study are now published in The Lancet./article/type-1-diabetes-increased-among-young-people-during-pandemicWed, 15 Oct 2025 10:05:03 +0000/article/type-1-diabetes-increased-among-young-people-during-pandemicDuring the Covid-19 pandemic, there was an unexpected increase in the number of cases of type 1 diabetes in Sweden, particularly among children under five and young adult men. The infection accelerated the onset of diabetes among children between the ages of five and nine. /article/link-identified-between-low-fibre-diet-and-more-dangerous-type-atherosclerotic-plaque-coronaryMon, 16 Jun 2025 05:57:10 +0000/article/link-identified-between-low-fibre-diet-and-more-dangerous-type-atherosclerotic-plaque-coronaryA Swedish multi-centre study led by researchers at Lund University shows a link between low fibre consumption and the presence of unstable or high-risk plaque in coronary arteries – the type of plaque that can trigger blood clots and cause heart attacks. The study also links dietary pattern to the composition of the plaques, i.e. how potentially dangerous they are. /article/new-knowledge-about-type-1-diabetes-large-scale-teddy-study-will-soon-be-completedMon, 04 Nov 2024 16:16:57 +0000/article/new-knowledge-about-type-1-diabetes-large-scale-teddy-study-will-soon-be-completedIn 2025, children within the TEDDY study will submit their final samples.The study has provided new knowledge about how type 1 diabetes develops./article/positive-metabolic-effects-gastric-bypass-disappear-quicklyThu, 17 Aug 2023 10:07:41 +0000/article/positive-metabolic-effects-gastric-bypass-disappear-quicklyA new study from Lund University in Sweden raises questions about the efficacy of bariatric operations involving gastric bypass. The results show that the biggest metabolic changes happened directly after surgery. Just a year after the operation, the concentration of metabolites and fats had returned to almost the same levels as before the procedure. /article/new-discoveries-about-where-atherosclerotic-plaques-rupture-can-lead-preventive-treatmentsMon, 12 Jun 2023 08:57:38 +0000/article/new-discoveries-about-where-atherosclerotic-plaques-rupture-can-lead-preventive-treatmentsA common cause of myocardial infarction and stroke is the rupture of atherosclerotic plaques. The exact location of plaque ruptures has previously been unknown, but now researchers at Lund University have mapped this. The research team has also identified an enzyme, a marker, that they hope will help predict who is at risk of having a myocardial infarction or a stroke due to a ruptured atherosclerotic plaque. /article/erc-grants-research-diabetes-and-immunotherapyWed, 25 Jan 2023 11:36:21 +0000/article/erc-grants-research-diabetes-and-immunotherapyTwo innovation-driven research projects at Lund University have been awarded a Proof of Concept Grant by the European Research Council, ERC. They relate to biomarkers for predicting who benefits from metformin in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and new technology to enable powerful and focused therapies for the treatment of solid tumours./article/learning-more-about-endocrine-system-could-lead-fewer-cases-type-2-diabetes-and-obesityWed, 25 Jan 2023 08:13:09 +0000/article/learning-more-about-endocrine-system-could-lead-fewer-cases-type-2-diabetes-and-obesityHow much water do we need to drink to stay healthy? How do different diets affect our metabolism? Studies of various hormones in the body are providing diabetes researchers with new answers to these questions. The goal is to develop individualized treatments and dietary recommendations that could lower the risk of developing obesity and diseases such as type 2 diabetes./article/hands-people-diabetes-more-often-affected-trigger-fingerWed, 19 Oct 2022 13:41:50 +0000/article/hands-people-diabetes-more-often-affected-trigger-fingerLocked fingers, known as trigger finger, are more common among people with diabetes than in the general population. A study led by Lund University in Sweden shows that the risk of being affected increases in the case of high blood sugar. The study has been published in Diabetes Care. /article/blood-testing-children-leads-better-understanding-type-1-diabetesTue, 23 Aug 2022 08:59:23 +0000/article/blood-testing-children-leads-better-understanding-type-1-diabetesWhy do some people develop type 1 diabetes and others do not? Worldwide, researchers are now collaborating to find the answer to this complex question.Diabetes researchers at Lund University recently contributed data to a new study that shows that type 1 diabetes develops in three different ways in children. This improved understanding makes it possible for scientists to conduct new types of studies with the goal of preventing the disease. /article/epigenetic-markers-predict-complications-patients-type-2-diabetesWed, 25 May 2022 09:55:16 +0000/article/epigenetic-markers-predict-complications-patients-type-2-diabetesA new study by researchers at Lund University supports the notion that patients with type 2 diabetes patient should be divided into subgroups and given individualised treatment. The study demonstrates that there are distinct epigenetic differences between different groups of patients with type 2 diabetes. The epigenetic markers are also associated with different risks of developing common complications in type 2 diabetes, such as stroke, heart attack and kidney disease./article/metabolic-bmi-can-predict-risk-type-2-diabetes-normal-weight-patientsTue, 03 May 2022 11:03:35 +0000/article/metabolic-bmi-can-predict-risk-type-2-diabetes-normal-weight-patientsObesity and excess weight increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but individuals of normal weight can also develop the disease. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have discovered that it is possible to identify at-risk individuals by measuring BMI in a new way. The authors of the study have identified metabolic changes associated with obesity that can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. /article/better-methods-are-needed-understand-how-sugar-affects-our-bodiesWed, 16 Feb 2022 14:59:55 +0000/article/better-methods-are-needed-understand-how-sugar-affects-our-bodiesLess than ten per cent of energy intake from food should come from added sugar, according to the current Nordic Nutrition Recommendations. For adults, this corresponds to approximately 50–75 grams of added sugar per day and one can of soft drink contains approximately 30 grams of sugar. “Drinking soft drinks is not necessarily dangerous for a particular individual, however, at the group level, across a whole population, we can observe the effects”, says Stina Ramne, certified dietician and nutrition researcher. /article/twin-study-finds-type-2-diabetes-clues-epigenetic-changesMon, 22 Nov 2021 09:35:38 +0000/article/twin-study-finds-type-2-diabetes-clues-epigenetic-changesIdentical twins share the same DNA, but one twin can suffer from type 2 diabetes while the other twin does not develop the disease. A study led by Lund University in Sweden has now discovered that there are differences in gene activity in twins where only one sibling had developed the disease. The researchers’ discovery could contribute to the development of new treatment methods./article/diabetes-research-collaboration-can-pave-way-innovationThu, 11 Nov 2021 07:52:04 +0000/article/diabetes-research-collaboration-can-pave-way-innovationMetformin is often described as the first-line medication for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. However, not all patients respond to the drug. Researchers at Lund University have discovered a combination of biomarkers that can predict which patients will benefit from the treatment. This work is now continuing in order to confirm the results in a larger patient group, with the intention of developing a test for clinical use./article/blood-biomarker-identified-predicts-type-2-diabetes-many-years-diagnosisThu, 11 Nov 2021 06:28:37 +0000/article/blood-biomarker-identified-predicts-type-2-diabetes-many-years-diagnosisA large study led by Lund University in Sweden has identified a protein in the blood that could predict type 2 diabetes up to nineteen years before the onset of the disease. The study is published in Nature Communications./article/precision-medicine-emerging-approach-complex-diseasesTue, 06 Jul 2021 12:35:44 +0000/article/precision-medicine-emerging-approach-complex-diseasesNewborn babies are already being screened for mutations and genetic tests help families with hereditary breast cancer. Genomic-driven precision medicine (GDPM) is an emerging approach for disease treatment. Around 30 Swedish researchers suggest a direction forward in a review article in Journal of Internal Medicine (JIM)./article/study-tracks-spread-covid-19-swedenWed, 09 Jun 2021 06:26:22 +0000/article/study-tracks-spread-covid-19-swedenDuring the pandemic, the free COVID Symptom 92kyy�����ϼ� app has helped researchers understand the complexity and spread of the corona virus better. “The study has exceeded our expectations since its launch in Sweden in April 2020. Participants from all over Sweden got involved and many of them have spent one minute every day answering questions about their health”, says Maria Gomez, Professor of physiology at Lund University. /article/muscle-gene-linked-type-2-diabetesFri, 23 Apr 2021 10:35:59 +0000/article/muscle-gene-linked-type-2-diabetesPeople with type 2 diabetes tend to have poorer muscle function than others. Now a research team at Lund University in Sweden has discovered that in type 2 diabetes, a specific gene is of great importance for the ability of muscle stem cells to create new mature muscle cells. The findings are published in Nature Communications./article/incretin-hormone-levels-linked-arteriosclerosisThu, 19 Nov 2020 10:59:45 +0000/article/incretin-hormone-levels-linked-arteriosclerosisDiabetes is currently treated using incretin hormones to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and other medical issues that the illness can trigger. Now researchers from Lund University in Sweden have noted new links between these hormones and arteriosclerosis, and believe their discovery could be significant for treatment of diabetes in the future. The study is published in Diabetes Care./article/metformin-type-2-diabetes-patients-or-not-researchers-now-have-answerThu, 17 Sep 2020 08:15:50 +0000/article/metformin-type-2-diabetes-patients-or-not-researchers-now-have-answerMetformin is the first-line drug that can lower blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes patients. One third of patients do not respond to metformin treatment and 5 per cent experience serious side effects, which is the reason many choose to stop medicating. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have now identified biomarkers that can show in advance how the patient will respond to metformin treatment via a simple blood test. /article/roadmap-precision-medicine-diabetes-careMon, 22 Jun 2020 14:12:34 +0000/article/roadmap-precision-medicine-diabetes-careA new joint report from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the 92kyy�����ϼ� of Diabetes (EASD) presents the largest venture ever on precision medicine in diabetes. The report includes a detailed overview and roadmap for how this new approach to diabetes medicine can be evaluated and implemented into clinical practice./article/lund-university-participate-international-obesity-research-projectMon, 08 Jun 2020 13:18:20 +0000/article/lund-university-participate-international-obesity-research-projectLund University Diabetes Centre will be part of a new project aiming to contribute to a more patient-centric and equitable narrative around obesity. It will look at multiple impacts on individuals from both a social and medical perspective. The project will provide evidence-based classification of predictors for obesity complications and response to obesity treatment./article/unique-3d-images-reveal-architecture-nerve-fibersWed, 06 May 2020 10:36:25 +0000/article/unique-3d-images-reveal-architecture-nerve-fibersIn an international collaboration led by Lund University in Sweden, researchers have used synchrotron light to study what happens to the nerves in diabetes. The technique shows the 3D-structure of nerve fibers in very high resolution./article/two-erc-advanced-grants-awarded-lund-university-researchersTue, 31 Mar 2020 13:27:09 +0000/article/two-erc-advanced-grants-awarded-lund-university-researchersTwo Lund researchers have received the prestigious European Research Council’s (ERC) Advanced Grant of approximately SEK 25 million each: Anne L’Huillier, professor of Atomic Physics and Olle Melander, professor of Internal Medicine and consultant at Skåne University Hospital. The grants are for research on atomic physics and quantum mechanics, and diabetes and cardiovascular disease respectively. /article/worlds-largest-stem-cell-biobank-launchedWed, 26 Feb 2020 12:08:05 +0000/article/worlds-largest-stem-cell-biobank-launchedDiabetes, cardiovascular disease, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease make up the world’s most common diseases. A new biobank at Lund University in Sweden - the largest of its kind - with stem cells from both those affected and healthy individuals, will contribute to an increased understanding of how these diseases arise./article/award-research-increased-risk-type-2-diabetes-greenlandTue, 04 Feb 2020 15:14:15 +0000/article/award-research-increased-risk-type-2-diabetes-greenlandThe Leif C. Groop Award for Outstanding Diabetes Research has been awarded to Niels Grarup of the Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Basic Metabolic Research at the University of Copenhagen. His research has shown that there is a genetic explanation for the increase in type 2 diabetes in Greenland. The prize, worth SEK 100 000, is donated by the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk Scandinavia. Niels Grarup will receive the award in connection with Diabetes Research Day, which is arranged by the Lund University Diabetes Centre on 11 February. /article/blood-lipid-profile-predicts-risk-type-2-diabetes-better-obesityTue, 17 Dec 2019 10:58:08 +0000/article/blood-lipid-profile-predicts-risk-type-2-diabetes-better-obesityUsing lipidomics, a technique that measures the composition of blood lipids at a molecular level, and machine learning, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have identified a blood lipid profile that improves the possibility to assess, several years in advance, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The blood lipid profile can also be linked to a certain diet and degree of physical activity./article/key-mechanism-insulin-release-cholesterol-metabolite-foundThu, 31 Oct 2019 11:40:39 +0000/article/key-mechanism-insulin-release-cholesterol-metabolite-foundInsulin which is released by pancreatic beta-cells is the main regulator of blood sugar. Previous and current studies by a research group at Lund University in Sweden have identified around hundred different receptors on the surface of the beta-cells, with a diverse functional impact on the beta-cells. Now researchers at Lund University in collaboration with researchers at University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates have discovered that one of these receptors plays a key role in the release of insulin. /article/association-between-coeliac-disease-risk-and-gluten-intake-confirmedWed, 14 Aug 2019 09:08:44 +0000/article/association-between-coeliac-disease-risk-and-gluten-intake-confirmedAn extensive study has confirmed that the risk of developing coeliac disease is connected to the amount of gluten children consume. The new study is observational and therefore does not prove causation; however, it is the most comprehensive of its kind to date. The results are presented in the prestigious journal JAMA. /article/gestational-diabetes-india-and-swedenFri, 26 Apr 2019 08:49:02 +0000/article/gestational-diabetes-india-and-swedenIndian women are younger and leaner than Swedish women when they develop gestational diabetes, a new study from Lund University shows. The researchers also found a gene that increases the risk of gestational diabetes in Swedish women, but which, on the contrary, turned out to have a protective effect in Indian women./article/how-lifestyle-affects-our-genes-reviewTue, 23 Apr 2019 13:40:38 +0000/article/how-lifestyle-affects-our-genes-reviewIn the past decade, knowledge of how lifestyle affects our genes, a research field called epigenetics, has grown exponentially. Researchers at the Lund University Diabetes Centre have summarised the state of scientific knowledge within epigenetics linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes in a review article published in the scientific journal Cell Metabolism./article/how-lifestyle-affects-our-genesTue, 23 Apr 2019 13:29:00 +0000/article/how-lifestyle-affects-our-genesIn the past decade, knowledge of how lifestyle affects our genes, a research field called epigenetics, has grown exponentially. Researchers at Lund University have summarised the state of scientific knowledge within epigenetics linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes in a review article published in the scientific journal Cell Metabolism. /article/prize-awarded-research-zebrafish-could-lead-new-treatments-diabetesTue, 05 Mar 2019 09:55:20 +0000/article/prize-awarded-research-zebrafish-could-lead-new-treatments-diabetesIn his research in zebrafish, Olov Andersson of Karolinska Institutet strives to generate insulin-producing cells and new treatment methods for diabetes. This has led to his selection as a recipient of the Leif Groop award for outstanding research, awarded by the Lund University Diabetes Centre and sponsored by Novo Nordisk Sweden. /article/can-new-methods-help-doctors-find-high-risk-patientsThu, 14 Feb 2019 12:57:53 +0000/article/can-new-methods-help-doctors-find-high-risk-patientsHeart attacks and strokes are the most common causes of death in the world. One of the biggest risk factors for these diseases consists of elevated levels of blood lipids. Researchers are currently working on developing and testing new methods to help doctors find patients at high risk of these diseases. If proven successful, they could also help patients with diabetes. /article/new-discovery-restores-insulin-cell-function-type-2-diabetesMon, 08 Oct 2018 10:27:33 +0000/article/new-discovery-restores-insulin-cell-function-type-2-diabetesBy blocking a protein, VDAC1, in the insulin-producing beta cells, it is possible to restore their normal function in case of type 2 diabetes. In preclinical experiments, the researchers behind a new study have also shown that it is possible to prevent the development of the disease. The findings are published in the scientific journal Cell Metabolism./article/new-function-key-component-immune-system-discoveredFri, 05 Oct 2018 08:32:06 +0000/article/new-function-key-component-immune-system-discoveredThe complement proteins that circulate in our blood are an important part of our immune system. They help identify bacteria, viruses and other harmful organisms, making it easier for our white blood cells to find and neutralise dangerous microbes. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have now discovered a previously unknown function of the central complement protein, C3, which describes how C3 regulates autophagy. /article/risk-type-2-diabetes-increases-ageWed, 22 Aug 2018 22:00:00 +0000/article/risk-type-2-diabetes-increases-ageA mapping conducted at Lund University shows that 40 per cent of all adults that has the disease got it at an average age of 67. Bo Hansson received his diagnosis the year before he retired during a routine visit to the Occupational Health Service. “The doctor said, ‘You have diabetes, I will prescribe you some pills.’”/article/how-healthy-your-food-patternFri, 17 Aug 2018 12:25:37 +0000/article/how-healthy-your-food-patternDo you eat a lot of chicken, pasta, cheese and oils? Or do you prefer yogurt and cereal, but stay away from coffee and meat? A unique population study from Lund University in Sweden has identified different food patterns - and found that some are healthier than others./article/paradigm-shift-diagnosis-diabetesThu, 01 Mar 2018 23:30:00 +0000/article/paradigm-shift-diagnosis-diabetesA completely new classification of diabetes which also predicts the risk of serious complications and provides treatment suggestions. We are now seeing the first results of ANDIS – a study covering all newly diagnosed diabetics in southern Sweden — published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology./article/new-link-between-gut-bacteria-and-obesityFri, 23 Feb 2018 12:52:30 +0000/article/new-link-between-gut-bacteria-and-obesityResearchers at Lund University in Sweden have discovered a new link between gut bacteria and obesity. They found that certain amino acids in our blood can be connected to both obesity and the composition of the gut microbiome./article/gold-diabetes-researchersThu, 22 Feb 2018 23:00:00 +0000/article/gold-diabetes-researchersThe cells that produce insulin and glucagon are difficult to access, as they are located inside the fragile pancreas. Researchers looking to understand how they function and what underpins the development of diabetes are therefore often advised to conduct their experiments on animals. The Human Tissue Lab, on the other hand, provides researchers with access to cells from deceased human donors; this has led to Lund University’s Diabetes Centre, LUDC, currently being ranked as one of the most outstanding within diabetes research./article/bacteria-important-gut-feelingThu, 22 Feb 2018 23:00:00 +0000/article/bacteria-important-gut-feelingIn the major population survey, Malmö Offspring 92kyy�����ϼ�, researchers are trying to discover how our intestinal flora is affected by diet and the consequences this has on health. “We have about one and a half kilos of bacteria in our intestines”, says Louise Brunkwall – doctoral student in the research group Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease – Genetic Epidemiology./article/new-drink-keeps-blood-sugar-checkFri, 20 Oct 2017 07:36:17 +0000/article/new-drink-keeps-blood-sugar-checkFood researchers at Lund University in Sweden have discovered that consuming small amounts of chromium mixed with certain amino acids before eating is healthy. Why? Well, this mixture diluted in water suppresses the blood sugar spike that occurs when we eat. Now, they are hoping that the drink – which tastes like ordinary mineral water – will be able to compete with soft drinks and flavoured waters./article/risk-type-1-diabetes-not-increased-swine-flu-vaccine-pandemrixMon, 09 Oct 2017 09:25:23 +0000/article/risk-type-1-diabetes-not-increased-swine-flu-vaccine-pandemrixThere has been a fear that the swine flu vaccine, Pandemrix, would increase the risk of autoimmune diseases other than narcolepsy. However, a new study of children from Sweden and Finland shows that the vaccine increased neither the risk of developing autoantibodies against insulin-producing beta cells nor the occurrence of type 1 diabetes./article/new-research-describes-differences-between-mice-and-humansMon, 03 Jul 2017 13:34:44 +0000/article/new-research-describes-differences-between-mice-and-humansResearch from King’s College in London, UK, and Lund University in Sweden could explain why diabetes drugs which have worked in animal experiments are not equally successful in humans. The researchers discovered differences – but also unknown similarities – in the function of insulin-producing beta cells./article/obesity-reprogrammes-muscle-stem-cellsWed, 22 Feb 2017 09:37:49 +0000/article/obesity-reprogrammes-muscle-stem-cellsObesity is associated with reduced muscle mass and impaired metabolism. Epigenetic changes that affect the formation of new muscle cells may be a contributing factor, according to new research from Lund University, Sweden./article/unique-mapping-methylome-insulin-producing-isletsMon, 30 Jan 2017 13:48:34 +0000/article/unique-mapping-methylome-insulin-producing-isletsThroughout our lives, our genes are affected by the way we live. Diet, exercise, age and diseases create imprints that are stored in something called methylome. Now, for the first time, researchers at the Lund University Diabetes Centre in Sweden have been able to map the entire methylome in the pancreatic islets which produce insulin, and the researchers have made several important discoveries./article/crispr-editing-pancreatic-cells-reduced-cell-death-and-increased-insulin-secretionFri, 02 Dec 2016 10:42:40 +0000/article/crispr-editing-pancreatic-cells-reduced-cell-death-and-increased-insulin-secretionWith the help of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene scissors, researchers at Lund University Diabetes Centre in Sweden have managed to “turn off” an enzyme that proved to play a key role in the regulation of the diabetes-associated TXNIP gene. The results are decreased cell death and increased insulin production in the genetically modified pancreatic beta cells./article/type-2-diabetes-and-obesity-what-do-we-really-knowFri, 07 Oct 2016 07:27:40 +0000/article/type-2-diabetes-and-obesity-what-do-we-really-knowSocial and economic factors have led to a dramatic rise in type 2 diabetes and obesity around the world. In a review in Science, Mark McCarthy, professor at the University of Oxford, UK, and Paul Franks, professor at Lund University, Sweden, examine the knowledge of the actual causes and the interplay between genetics and lifestyle factors.