Although some rare variants can significantly increase the risk of disease for a few individuals, the majority of the genetic contribution to common diseases is due to a combination of many common genetic variants with small effects. This is shown by researchers at IGP and other departments at Uppsala University in a new comprehensive study published in the journal Nature Communications.

Researchers at IGP have detected different subgroups of the brain tumour form glioblastoma, where the cancer cells’ properties depend on which cell type they originate from. The used analysis method could also separate glioblastoma patients with significant differences in survival. The findings open up for identifying specific therapeutic targets for the new subgroups of glioblastoma.

Immunotherapy is increasingly becoming a successful way to treat cancer. Researchers at IGP have now developed armed CAR-T cells that reinforce the immune defence against cancer and that could increase the possibilities to successfully treat solid tumours. The study has been published in the journal Nature BioMedical Engineering.

In the condition known as cavernoma, lesions arise in a cluster of blood vessels in the brain, spinal cord or retina. Researchers at IGP now show in a new study that white blood cells and protein structures associated with the immune response infiltrate the vessel lesions. The findings support that inflammation has a role in the development of cavernoma and indicate a potential biomarker for the disease.  

In recent years, great advances have been made in the development of new, successful immunotherapies to treat cancer. Two types of targeted immunotherapies that have revolutionised areas of cancer care are CAR T-cell therapy and antibody treatments. However, there are still significant challenges in the identification of cancer cell surface proteins that function as targets for immunotherapies. Mattias Belting, professor at Lund University and senior consultant at Skåne University Hospital, and guest professor at IGP, is well on the way and his group’s findings are now published in the journal PNAS.

CRISPR-Cas9, the “genetic scissors”, creates new potential for curing diseases; but treatments must be reliable. In a new study, researchers have discovered that the method can give rise to unforeseen changes in DNA that can be inherited by the next generation. These scientists therefore urge caution and meticulous validation before using CRISPR-Cas9 for medical purposes.

Researchers at IGP have developed a technology that allows studies of DNA profiles in archived tissue samples. The technology permits investigators to better understand regulation of gene activity in cancer and precision medicine.

In the blood cancer type acute myeloid leukemia, it is common that patients relapse some time after treatment. Researchers from IGP have in a new study identified genes that seem to be associated with the risk of relapse. The findings may form the basis for new treatment strategies and contribute to better survival for patients with acute myeloid leukemia.