Tue, 27 Jan 2026 15:26:44 +0000Here you can read about how our strategic research areas benefit society./article/health-benefits-if-cities-are-densified-right-wayTue, 27 Jan 2026 15:26:44 +0000/article/health-benefits-if-cities-are-densified-right-wayIt is not easy to be an urban planner. Cities must be built more densely because surrounding agricultural land and nature must be protected – while at the same time health requirements are high. Over a period of five years researchers at Lund University in Sweden, have closely studied densification plans in three cities and found keys to solving this difficult equation. /article/how-your-lifestyle-can-affect-your-risk-dementiaTue, 27 Jan 2026 14:11:46 +0000/article/how-your-lifestyle-can-affect-your-risk-dementiaAlmost half of all dementia cases can be attributed to risk factors that we potentially can influence ourselves, such as smoking and high blood pressure. A new study from Lund University shows which risk factors are associated with two of our most common causes of dementia – Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. /article/recipe-book-reprogramming-immune-cellsWed, 14 Jan 2026 17:26:05 +0000/article/recipe-book-reprogramming-immune-cellsIn order to reprogram readily available cells into specific immune cells that fight various diseases, one must know the “recipe” for the transformation. Researchers at Lund University have now created a library of the 400 factors needed for reprogramming and have begun the work of finding the right combination – the recipe – for each type of immune cell. /article/researchers-create-cells-help-brain-keep-its-coolFri, 02 Jan 2026 12:37:52 +0000/article/researchers-create-cells-help-brain-keep-its-coolResearchers at Lund University in Sweden have created a method that makes it possible to transform the brain’s support cells into parvalbumin-positive cells. These cells act as the brain’s rapid-braking system and are significantly involved in schizophrenia, epilepsy and other neurological conditions. /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/full-fat-cheese-linked-lower-risk-dementiaThu, 18 Dec 2025 01:30:33 +0000/article/full-fat-cheese-linked-lower-risk-dementiaEating cheese and cream with a high fat content may be linked to a lower risk of developing dementia. This is shown by a new large-scale study from Lund University. The researchers analysed the dietary habits of more than 27,000 people and linked these to the occurrence of dementia over a follow-up period of up to 25 years. /article/harmful-exposure-metal-recyclingThu, 04 Dec 2025 10:26:10 +0000/article/harmful-exposure-metal-recyclingThe metal recycling industry is growing, not least due to the use of metals in green energy electronic components. Researchers at Lund University have examined the inhaled air of workers at 13 recycling companies in Sweden. Among the results, high levels of lead in air and elevated levels of multiple metals were detected in the blood of those who work in recycling. /article/electrotherapy-offers-hope-glioblastoma-treatmentTue, 02 Dec 2025 12:27:10 +0000/article/electrotherapy-offers-hope-glioblastoma-treatmentElectrotherapy using injectable nanoparticles delivered directly into the tumour could pave the way for new treatment options for glioblastoma, according to a new study from Lund University in Sweden. /article/tattoos-could-be-risk-factor-melanomaTue, 25 Nov 2025 12:42:02 +0000/article/tattoos-could-be-risk-factor-melanomaA new epidemiological study from Lund University in Sweden suggests that tattoos could be a risk factor for melanoma./article/fishing-phages-lund-universitys-botanical-gardensMon, 24 Nov 2025 09:08:51 +0000/article/fishing-phages-lund-universitys-botanical-gardensKompetensportalen, Lucat, Lupin, Lubas and LUCRIS. Those are the names of some of Lund University’s administrative systems. They are now also the names of five new bacteriophages that have recently been discovered in the ponds of Lund University’s Botanical Gardens./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/new-mechanism-revealed-how-leukemia-cells-trick-immune-systemFri, 03 Oct 2025 12:42:25 +0000/article/new-mechanism-revealed-how-leukemia-cells-trick-immune-systemA research team at Lund University in Sweden has discovered a mechanism that helps acute myeloid leukemia cells to evade the body’s immune system. By developing an antibody that blocks the mechanism, the researchers could restore the immune system’s ability to kill the cancer cells in laboratory trials and in mice. The discovery is published in Nature Cancer./article/detective-mysterious-world-proteinsTue, 23 Sep 2025 15:39:36 +0000/article/detective-mysterious-world-proteinsGemma Atkinson has been awarded this year’s Eric K. Fernström Prize for particularly promising and successful early-career researchers at Lund University. Her research focuses on bacterial proteins in order to understand the protective mechanisms bacteria use against infecting viruses known as bacteriophages./article/ai-model-lund-university-indicates-four-out-ten-breast-cancer-patients-could-avoid-axillary-surgeryWed, 17 Sep 2025 15:13:56 +0000/article/ai-model-lund-university-indicates-four-out-ten-breast-cancer-patients-could-avoid-axillary-surgeryA project at Lund University in Sweden has trained an AI model to identify breast cancer patients who could be spared from axillary surgery. The model analyses previously unutilised information in mammograms and pinpoints with high accuracy the individual risk of metastasis in the armpit. A newly completed study shows that the model indicates that just over 40 per cent of today’s axillary surgery procedures could be avoided./article/largest-ever-taupet-study-alzheimers-deepens-understanding-diseaseWed, 17 Sep 2025 12:25:40 +0000/article/largest-ever-taupet-study-alzheimers-deepens-understanding-diseaseIn a study led by Lund University and the Amsterdam University Medical Center, researchers used PET to analyse aggregates of tau pathology in more than 12,000 people from all over the world. The study – the largest ever of its kind – examines the connection between genetic predisposition, gender and age in relation to tau pathology in Alzheimer’s disease. The study is published in Nature Neuroscience./article/new-digital-cognitive-test-diagnosing-alzheimers-diseaseMon, 15 Sep 2025 09:23:25 +0000/article/new-digital-cognitive-test-diagnosing-alzheimers-diseaseResearchers at Lund University in Sweden have developed a digital cognitive test for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease that is intended for use in primary care. “This digital test, which patients perform on their own with minimal involvement from healthcare personnel, improves the primary care physician's ability to determine who should be further examined by blood tests for Alzheimer's pathology early in the investigation phase,” says Professor Oskar Hansson, who led the study alongside Pontus Tideman./article/why-repetitive-dna-matters-human-brain-evolution-and-diseaseMon, 25 Aug 2025 15:00:01 +0000/article/why-repetitive-dna-matters-human-brain-evolution-and-diseaseFor decades, large stretches of human DNA were dismissed as ‘junk’ and considered to serve no real purpose. In a new study in Cell Genomics, researchers at Lund University in Sweden show that the repetitive part of the human genome plays an active role during early brain development and may also be relevant for understanding brain diseases./article/tiny-fatty-and-vital-meet-medicine-courier-futureMon, 07 Jul 2025 06:10:53 +0000/article/tiny-fatty-and-vital-meet-medicine-courier-futureWhen the Covid-19 pandemic swept across the world in 2020, the mRNA vaccines came to the rescue of many people – but in the background there was another, lesser known, hero: the lipid nanoparticle. Without these tiny “fat droplets”, the vaccines could never have been delivered into the body’s cells. And the fact is that these small particles will probably have more assignments in the future. It could be what enables the delivery of gene scissors and new gene therapies into the body./article/aggressive-skin-cancer-driven-mitochondrial-processes-existing-drugs-offer-promising-treatment-pathWed, 02 Jul 2025 16:40:44 +0000/article/aggressive-skin-cancer-driven-mitochondrial-processes-existing-drugs-offer-promising-treatment-pathA new study led by researchers at Lund University in Sweden, reveals that melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, can in some cases be driven by mitochondrial processes, which can be effectively targeted using existing drugs. In preclinical laboratory experiments with melanoma cell cultures, researchers successfully eliminated cancer cells by using antibiotics and inhibitors of mitochondrial energy production, highlighting a potential therapeutic breakthrough./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/lund-university-launches-largest-ever-global-recruitment-drive-researchersWed, 11 Jun 2025 11:55:05 +0000/article/lund-university-launches-largest-ever-global-recruitment-drive-researchersThe search is on for 25 researchers from around the world in Lund University’s largest ever international recruitment drive. /article/new-gene-variants-significantly-increase-risk-blood-clotsThu, 05 Jun 2025 12:16:34 +0000/article/new-gene-variants-significantly-increase-risk-blood-clotsBlood clots can form in both arteries and veins. However, the reasons behind them differ, as do the consequences and the chances of preventing blood clots. In Sweden, almost half of all cases of venous thrombosis have a genetic explanation. A team of researchers from Lund University in Sweden has now discovered three gene variants that increase the risk of blood clots in the leg by up to 180 percent. /article/new-reliable-blood-marker-reveals-extent-alzheimers-pathology-brainMon, 31 Mar 2025 11:45:33 +0000/article/new-reliable-blood-marker-reveals-extent-alzheimers-pathology-brainResearchers at Lund University and Washington University have identified a blood marker that reflects the amount of Alzheimer’s pathology in the brain. This discovery may play a key role in determining who is most likely to benefit from the new Alzheimer’s drugs./article/lakes-worldwide-are-changing-colour-possibly-due-human-impactFri, 14 Mar 2025 15:16:18 +0000/article/lakes-worldwide-are-changing-colour-possibly-due-human-impactOver the last 40 years, the majority of the world’s lakes have changed colour, according to a new study. The research team analysed 32 million satellite observations from over 67,000 lakes. Major changes in the lake ecosystems are thought to be the cause./article/climate-change-plans-include-unrealistic-land-demands-area-larger-usWed, 11 Dec 2024 15:26:44 +0000/article/climate-change-plans-include-unrealistic-land-demands-area-larger-usFor the first time, an international team of scientists have calculated the total land area that the countries of the world have included in their individual plans for climate action, known as nationally determined contributions. The results show a big divide between the countries' expected land use and the actual potential of land to mitigate climate change./article/erc-synergy-grant-awarded-development-custom-made-stem-cell-therapiesTue, 05 Nov 2024 11:20:26 +0000/article/erc-synergy-grant-awarded-development-custom-made-stem-cell-therapiesMalin Parmar, professor of cellular neuroscience, along with researchers in Italy and Denmark, has been awarded the prestigious ERC Synergy Grant./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/organic-farms-had-doubled-plant-diversity-only-over-timeMon, 02 Sep 2024 14:08:17 +0000/article/organic-farms-had-doubled-plant-diversity-only-over-timeIt takes a long time, up to several decades, before the benefits of organic farming take full effect on land that was previously cultivated conventionally, a new study from Lund University suggests. After thirty years, the plant species richness around the cultivated crop had doubled on organic farms compared to conventional farms. /article/update-stem-pd-clinical-trial-stem-cell-based-transplant-parkinsons-diseaseMon, 06 May 2024 05:54:29 +0000/article/update-stem-pd-clinical-trial-stem-cell-based-transplant-parkinsons-diseaseHigher dose cohort initiated after positive early safety evaluation in Parkinson's therapy./article/three-lund-researchers-receive-erc-consolidator-grants-0Fri, 24 Nov 2023 10:28:18 +0000/article/three-lund-researchers-receive-erc-consolidator-grants-0Daniel Bexell, Joan Yuan and Andreas Nilsson have each been awarded the prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant. They will spend five years conducting research on childhood cancer neuroblastoma, the crucial role of B cells in our immune system and the Earth’s magnetic field./article/increase-forest-fires-may-damage-crucial-ozone-layerMon, 09 Oct 2023 13:43:43 +0000/article/increase-forest-fires-may-damage-crucial-ozone-layerAll particles that reach the atmosphere cause different chemical reactions. Particles come partly from natural sources such as volcanic eruptions and forest fires, and partly from pollution and emissions. Aerosol researcher Johan Friberg studies particles at high altitudes. He fears that the global increase in forest fires could have a significant impact on the ozone layer./article/making-invisible-visible-magic-microscopic-imagesWed, 04 Oct 2023 14:16:05 +0000/article/making-invisible-visible-magic-microscopic-imagesIn today's scientific world, microscopic images have become a powerful resource for research. With access to advanced microscopes, researchers can now create unique images of structures and objects. Beautiful and captivating images that can also convey complex context to a wider audience./article/understanding-behaviour-light-and-matter-key-future-technologiesTue, 03 Oct 2023 13:07:51 +0000/article/understanding-behaviour-light-and-matter-key-future-technologiesIf we can understand how and why light and matter behave as they do, we are one step closer to solving some of the most fundamental problems in physics. Finding the answers to these questions drives Ville Maisi, Associate Professor of Solid States Physics at NanoLund./article/new-bioinfomatics-pipeline-solves-50-year-old-blood-group-puzzleFri, 29 Sep 2023 10:52:28 +0000/article/new-bioinfomatics-pipeline-solves-50-year-old-blood-group-puzzleCurrently, a lot is known about which genes are responsible for our individual blood groups, however not much is understood about how and why the levels of the blood group molecules differ between one person to another. This can be important for blood transfusion safety. Now a research group at Lund University in Sweden has developed a toolbox that finds the answer – and in doing so, has solved a 50-year-old mystery. /article/new-method-offers-hope-fewer-fracturesWed, 13 Sep 2023 14:23:22 +0000/article/new-method-offers-hope-fewer-fracturesThousands of people could be spared from a hip fracture each year if a new method to identify the risk of osteoporotic fractures were to be introduced in healthcare. This is the view of the researchers at Lund University in Sweden who are behind a new 3D-simulation method. The results were recently published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research./article/industrial-doctoral-students-valuable-industryWed, 06 Sep 2023 13:43:44 +0000/article/industrial-doctoral-students-valuable-industryIncreasingly, industry is looking to recruit staff with doctoral degrees for research and development positions. This may involve hiring people with technical expertise in a specialist area and who also hold sufficient qualifications to independently run projects according to the company’s requirements./article/eu-funding-killer-cells-fight-cancerThu, 24 Aug 2023 11:13:14 +0000/article/eu-funding-killer-cells-fight-cancerAs certain tumor cells are able to conceal themselves in the body, it often means that patients with aggressive cancers experience a recurrence of the cancer after treatment. By programming genetically modified killer immune cells to seek and destroy the hiding tumor cells and tumor stem cells, it is hoped that we can develop more effective treatment options. An international research project, with key technologies developed by Lund University in Sweden will be used to advance immunotherapies for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), glioblastoma, and pancreatic cancer. This consortium has been granted approximately 40 million SEK by EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation, Horizon Europe./article/children-and-biologists-research-biodiversity-togetherWed, 23 Aug 2023 08:31:41 +0000/article/children-and-biologists-research-biodiversity-togetherChildren in preschool and primary school will now be able to learn more about insects, birds, flowers and plants, how valuable they are and how we humans can protect nature. The collaborative project ‘Natural Nations’ is introducing biodiversity in the curriculum./article/causes-osteoarthritis-mapped-new-biobankTue, 25 Jul 2023 07:59:00 +0000/article/causes-osteoarthritis-mapped-new-biobankThrough molecular studies of knee tissue and advanced synchrotron radiation imaging techniques, researchers hope to gain new insights into the early development of osteoarthritis. The hope is to pave the way for new treatments./article/ai-improving-understanding-migratory-birds-internal-clock-map-and-compassThu, 29 Jun 2023 14:48:26 +0000/article/ai-improving-understanding-migratory-birds-internal-clock-map-and-compassDifferent species of migrating bird have different genetically programmed procedures that signal when it is time to head off and when it is time to return. It may have to do with factors such as daylight, temperature, weather and the Earth’s magnetic field. These migration programmes have been studied before, but new technology and computational capacity make it possible to process large amounts of data and even simulate various factors so that researchers are able to study how their routines are disrupted by changes to the climate and by us. /article/we-are-getting-older-and-heavier-osteoarthritis-increasingThu, 15 Jun 2023 10:58:02 +0000/article/we-are-getting-older-and-heavier-osteoarthritis-increasingThe number of patients with osteoarthritis has increased dramatically since the 1950s. Along with diabetes, the illness is now one of the fastest-growing endemic diseases in the world. Andrea Dell’Isola, an associate professor at the Department of Clinical Sciences at Lund University in Sweden, investigating the connection between osteoarthritis and metabolic diseases in a new research project./article/clay-ancient-material-great-futureTue, 30 May 2023 12:02:31 +0000/article/clay-ancient-material-great-futureClay is a material that has been used since ancient times for protecting, building and carrying things. If we learn more about how to change various properties of clays, such as through the addition of certain molecules or salts, we can use them for new and sustainable products in the fields of medicine, architecture and building materials./article/sand-and-dust-storm-research-find-answers-ai-and-ancient-knowledgeFri, 05 May 2023 12:39:15 +0000/article/sand-and-dust-storm-research-find-answers-ai-and-ancient-knowledgeThe Middle East and North African region lose about $ 13 billion a year because of increasing sand and dust storms. By combining learnings from artificial intelligence and 3000-year-old sustainable methods, researchers might be on the way to finding out how to mitigate the damages./article/new-study-questions-efficacy-many-osteoarthritis-treatmentsWed, 26 Apr 2023 10:04:42 +0000/article/new-study-questions-efficacy-many-osteoarthritis-treatmentsRecruiting osteoarthritis patients with a lot of pain to clinical studies, may give incorrect results if the researcher does account for the natural variation in pain that occurs. A research group from Lund University in Sweden is now drawing attention to the traps in clinical studies on osteoarthritis./article/sweden-must-stand-turkey-conflict-over-valuesMon, 06 Mar 2023 09:03:36 +0000/article/sweden-must-stand-turkey-conflict-over-valuesDoes negotiating Sweden's NATO membership mean that the government is prepared to tinker with basic human rights and values? According to two political scientists, there is a risk of this happening./article/first-patient-receives-milestone-stem-cell-based-transplant-parkinsons-diseaseTue, 28 Feb 2023 08:02:36 +0000/article/first-patient-receives-milestone-stem-cell-based-transplant-parkinsons-diseaseOn 13th of February, a transplant of stem cell-derived nerve cells was administered to a person with Parkinson’s at Skåne University Hospital, Sweden. The product has been developed by Lund University and it is now being tested in patients for the first time. The transplantation product is generated from embryonic stem cells and functions to replace the dopamine nerve cells which are lost in the parkinsonian brain. This patient was the first of eight with Parkinson’s disease who will receive the transplant./article/new-insights-foetal-development-may-protect-against-leukaemiaTue, 21 Feb 2023 12:14:34 +0000/article/new-insights-foetal-development-may-protect-against-leukaemiaDuring the foetal stage, a number of so-called cell programs run that are vital to the development of the foetus. In a study published in Cell Reports, researchers from Lund University demonstrate that one of these foetal programs appears to protect against acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). /article/complications-pregnancy-linked-increased-risk-heart-diseaseWed, 08 Feb 2023 10:58:28 +0000/article/complications-pregnancy-linked-increased-risk-heart-diseaseCertain complications during pregnancy bring an increased risk of heart disease later on. However, there is still much to learn about how arteriosclerosis develops between pregnancy and heart disease later in life. A large new study led by researchers from Lund University in Sweden shows that narrowing and calcification of the blood vessels of the heart are more common in women previously affected by pregnancy complications./article/young-scientists-eager-influence-policy-makers-biodiversityWed, 08 Feb 2023 08:41:09 +0000/article/young-scientists-eager-influence-policy-makers-biodiversityWe need to prioritise nature even if there are other conflicting interests – biodiversity is essential to all of us on the planet and ultimately to our health and wellbeing. The statement comes from Maria Blasi Romero, researcher in Biodiversity and Conservation at Lund University. “I went to COP15 to learn about the processes and how to share my research with those who can make use of the results and have an impact”. /article/metabolic-health-plays-role-obesity-related-cancersTue, 07 Feb 2023 10:51:12 +0000/article/metabolic-health-plays-role-obesity-related-cancersFor up to 40 years, nearly 800,000 people from Sweden, Norway and Austria have been tracked based on how their BMI and metabolic health – that is, their blood pressure, blood glucose levels and blood fats - affect the risk of suffering from obesity-related cancers. The study shows that those who are metabolically unhealthy are at a higher risk of certain forms of cancer, regardless of their body weight.