Noxious parasite forms hybrids and deceives the immune system

The small parasite Trypanosoma cruzi has a nasty ability to cause serious illness. Researchers at the Karolinska Institutet have now mapped its ability to deceive the immune system by forming new variants that are mixtures of different strains.

New rules for diagnostic products, but who will certify them? “An extreme shortage area”

In less than two weeks, new and stricter EU rules will enter into force for thousands of products used in important diagnoses of, among other things, cancer and Covid-19. However, not one single institute in the entire Nordic region is able to certify the diagnostics companies’ products according to the new regulations. “In the end, it risks affecting patients,” says Anna Lefèvre Skjöldebrand, CEO of Swedish Medtech.

When carelessness, forgetfulness and coincidence become the researcher’s best friend

Forgetfulness, coincidence and a stroke of luck hardly make up a fruitful method of serious research. Or do they? Actually, a number of important medical advances have come about thanks to completely random incidents and the open-mindedness of scientists who were ready to think outside the box.

Lucy Robertshaw: Are we in the perfect storm?

“Is there a perfect storm on the horizon again as elective surgeries were cancelled due to patients being admitted with Covid-19? We now have a long backlog of people who are presenting with chronic diseases that need to access healthcare again”, writes Lucy Robertshaw in a column.

This is how Anette Steenberg will put Medicon Valley on the world map

Anette Steenberg has been CEO of the Swedish-Danish life science cluster Medicon Valley Alliance since 1 November last year. Life Science Sweden called her to ask about her visions and the challenges of merging the worlds of Swedish and Danish life science.

Björn Ursing: Physicians new role in AI driven healthcare

”AI could be the key we need for tomorrow’s healthcare, but it is not a stand-alone tool”, writes Björn Ursing in a column about how the role for physicians changes in the era of AI.

LabDays tillbaka i Stockholm igen i april

50-tal utställare på fackmässan som är tillbaka med full kraft efter pandemin.

Elicera develops CAR-T against solid tumours – may become the first in the world

Today, there are five EU-approved CAR-T therapies, all focused on different types of blood cancer, but no one has yet succeeded in making the method work against solid tumours. At Gothenburg-based Elicera, they are working relentlessly to succeed in that field as well. “It is the largest field, and the potential is enormous,” says the company’s CEO Jamal El-Mosleh.

Björn Arvidsson: ”We need to change perspective”

If you say “life science” to a person on the street and ask them to explain what it is, you will probably get no good answer. The same question to your network will generate as many versions as the people you ask. Most likely, we will miss many opportunities with our lack of communication, writes Björn Arvidsson in a column.

Study: An objective diagnosis of constant tinnitus may be possible

A new method that measures brain activity during sound stimulation can make it possible to objectively diagnose and identify people who suffer from constant tinnitus, which was demonstrated in a study made by researchers at the Karolinska Institute.

“Together Stockholm-Uppsala and Medicon Valley can make Scandinavia a leading life science region”

“Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland all have national life science strategies, but the Swedish strategy is the only one explicitly emphasizing the Nordic dimension. But what if the leading life science nations, Denmark and Sweden, joined forces, took the lead and pioneered Nordic life science collaboration? Wouldn´t we then be able to "bake a bigger cake?", writes Anette Steenberg and Ulf G. Andersson in a debate article.

The route to vaccines for everyone: “We did not just sit around and wait”

The pandemic was in full swing, and no one knew when or even if a vaccine would come. At that point, the Swedish Minister of Social Affairs called with a proposal, and Richard Bergström did not hesitate. “I already had a notion that this would work,” he says in an interview with Life Science Sweden.

Anna Törner: Success requires bold decisions!

“Doing things right is fine, but doing the right things as soon as possible is even better”, writes Anna Törner in a column.

”Bedragarna som brann för sina medicinföretag”

Life Science Swedens chefredaktör Samuel Lagercrantz kommenterar det nu aktuella Theranos-fallet och drar paralleller till en annan medicinskandal – som briserade i Sverige för mer än 35 år sedan.

Marie Curie – forskaren som besegrade en tidsanda

Om herrarna i den franska vetenskapsakademien fått sin vilja fram hade hon varken fått erkännande eller berömmelse: ”Herregud, ett fruntimmer kan ju inte forska!” Men ingen inskränkthet i världen kunde hindra Marie Skłodowska Curie att göra sina banbrytande upptäckter om radioaktivitet.

The Oresund region aims at becoming Europe’s microbiome Mecca

The Medicon Valley Alliance’s ambition: Skåne and the Copenhagen region will become world leaders in microbiome research.

Sweden and Denmark – this is how they choose their strategies

Scandinavia’s two major powers in pharmaceutical research have developed strategies for growth in life science, and both countries aim to become world leaders.

MVA:s CEO: “Our investments should improve people´s everyday lives”

Involuntary infertility and diabetes are two of the areas on the agenda of the Medicon Valley Alliance.

Umeåforskaren Julia tog fram testmetod – och fick ett hektiskt år

När Sverige stängde ner gjorde Umeåforskaren Julia Wigren Byström tvärtom – hon satte full fart. Mitt under brinnande pandemi utvecklade hon och en kollega en testmetod för antikroppar, startade företag och fick stora uppdrag både för den kliniska vården och för Folkhälsomyndigheten.

Column: Why there cannot be a complete cure for cancer – but there is certainly another way!

"Is there a new way we need to be thinking about how to prevent cancer?" Lucy Robertshaw reflects upon which is the smartest way to beat cancer.

Samuel Lagercrantz: Collaboration and joint efforts are the key to success

Although many questions about Covid-19 remain unanswered, the development of drugs and vaccines has been incredibly rapid, writes Samuel Lagercrantz, Life Science Sweden´s Editor-in-Chief, in an editorial.

New diagnostic test soon ready for the market

Combining two drug delivery strategies to improve bioavailability

Danish researchers hope to increase the bioavailability of low solubility drugs.

Delivering drugs with small devices

There are many challenges to overcome when delivering a drug orally. Getting the drug to survive the low pH of the ventricle and being released at the correct site in the gastrontestinal tract are two of them.