News at IFV
Most of our news are in swedish.
Groundbreaking research on Alzheimer’s disease
2022-10-19
This autumn saw one of the biggest breakthroughs of all time in Alzheimer’s research. At this year’s Olof Rudbeck Day on 21 October, Olof Rudbeck Award winner Lars Lannfelt, Senior Consultant and Professor Emeritus of Geriatrics at Uppsala University, will lecture on the research into the new drug candidate.

Early in his career, Lars Lannfelt started researching diseases with heredity and mechanisms of disease development. He obtained his PhD in 1990 on the disease Acute Intermittent Porphyria, which gave him a good foundation in genetics and biochemistry. Soon after, Lars found a genetic change in a large family with Alzheimer’s disease in central Sweden. It was a major scientific breakthrough that became known as the Swedish mutation.
“In a single family, we were able to get a snapshot of how the disease could develop,” says Lars. “The hereditary changes are extremely rare but have great value in explaining the disease in general.”
A few years later, a general practitioner in Umeå contacted Lars about a family in the northernmost part of Sweden with many cases of dementia. Lars and his research team found a mutation with specific characteristics that was the cause of the disease in the family. The variation was named the Arctic mutation and would become the basis for the future new medicine.
“I was very interested when we found a special form of the harmful substance amyloid beta in the plaques of this family. The special form was a soluble precursor to the insoluble, long threads, the fibrils, found in plaques. It was then, in 1999, that I had the idea of attacking the precursor to the fibrils with antibodies.”
A gratifying announcement
Twenty years later, the last clinical trial was completed showing that the antibody lecanemab slows clinical deterioration in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The drug could be the first to target the cause of the disease – not the symptoms. The study was conducted by the pharmaceutical company Eisai in collaboration with BioArctic, which Lars founded.
“The results are clear with strong statistical significance, and all primary and secondary endpoints were met,” Lars clarifies. “This is gratifying and incredibly important for Alzheimer’s research.
“The next step is to apply to the US, Japanese and European drug agencies. An approved drug is probably ready by 2024 and slightly earlier in the US. For patients, we now have a chance to slow down the progression. To what extent remains to be seen, but we are very optimistic,” says Lars.
From mutation to possible treatment for Alzheimer’s disease
Lars’ curiosity and desire to understand the molecular mechanisms behind neurodegenerative diseases have been his driving force over the years. He will talk about this at this year’s Olof Rudbeck Day, as the recipient of the 2021 Olof Rudbeck Prize, during his lecture "From mutation to possible treatment of Alzheimer’s disease".
“I have been enormously stubborn and convinced that we have been on the right track,” says Lars. “But to get good results, it’s important to surround yourself with talented collaborators, which I’ve had over the years. My wish is that we will eventually be able to completely stop the disease process in Alzheimer’s disease – especially when we get in really early in the treatment process.
“Olof Rudbeck Day is a whole day focused on the brain and dementia, and I hope that this day will give hope to those affected and their families,” concludes Lars Lannfelt.
Text: Cecilia Yates
Find out more
Lars Lannfelt’s research group
BioArctic
Rudbeck Day 2022: When the brain no longer complies – is it dementia?
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Europeans want transparency and oversight to share their digital health data
Digital health data has become an asset for research, with actors in both the public and private sector competing for health-related data from the European public. A preference study covering residents in 12 European countries, just published in Journal of Medical Internet Research, points to the need prioritise transparency and oversight to be prioritised for public acceptance for using data in different contexts.
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A case against compulsory care for borderline personality disorder
Borderline personality disorder is characterised by difficulties regulating and containing negative emotions and is associated with dysfunctional coping-mechanisms like self-harm and suicidality. Patients with this disorder are over-represented in compulsory care. But compulsory care sometimes increases suicide risk in patients. A paper recently published in Clinical Ethics explores whether compulsory care is ethically justified for these patients and finds that in most cases – it isn’t.
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Regulating the use of restraints in healthcare: recommendations issued
Restraining patients is common practice in healthcare, not only in psychiatric care but also in somatic care settings. The practice is regulated in different ways in different countries, but with one major challenge everywhere: ensuring patients with reduced decision-making capacity get the care they need while simultaneously making sure patients with sufficient decision-making capacity are not forced to receive care they don’t want. A recent publication issues recommendations for how to regulate the use of restraints, whether physical or chemical, in somatic healthcare.
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Funds awarded from Cancer Foundation
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The Swedish Research Council finances project on heart failure
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The Swedish Research Council is funding a new research project on the effects of a healthy Nordic diet on atherosclerosis and gut microbiota in patients with cardiovascular disease.
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FORTE finances research project about inclusion and sustainability in working life for young adults with ADHD
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Call for papers: Uppsala University Medical Ethics Conference - UMEC
We open a Call for Papers to the Uppsala University Medical Ethics Conference (UMEC) 2024. addressing the issues mentioned across the different tracks presented below, and going beyond. Please submit your abstract of maximum 250 words no later than March 31th, 2024.
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Funds awarded from the Breast Cancer Association
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Making medicines safer for pregnant and breastfeeding women: ConcePTION in Uppsala Reports
“Pregnancy and breastfeeding can be a chaotic period, exacerbated by lack of safety information for drugs taken during this time. The IMI ConcePTION project aims to change that.” So reads the first paragraph of the Uppsala Monitoring Centre’s feature about ConcePTION. Published today, this article describes the ins and outs of the ConcePTION project, and how they are all connected.
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Doctors’ perspectives on the ethics of general practice
There is a gap between bioethical theories and everyday moral decision making in general practice. A recent paper in BMC Medical Ethics makes sense of how GPs frame problematic situations in moral terms, exploring common denominators behind every day moral decision-making. The paper is using grounded theory to develop a new theoretical approach to general practice ethics.
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'Healthier Wealthier Families' (HWF) in Sweden
"With a little detour via Australia, Healthier Wealthier Families makes its way to Sweden" - says the Glasgow Centre for Population Health (GCPH) on their blog when writing about the implementation of the 'Healthier Wealthier Families' model in Sweden in which our research team is involved.
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Inconsistencies in the treatment of disorders of consciousness: 200+ professionals surveyed
Research on patients who have impaired consciousness, especially those who acquired severe brain injury or who have suffered from prolonged disorders of consciousness, has exploded in the last decade, not least within the Human Brain Project. With two international guidelines (one from Europe and one from the United States) available to facilitate care for these patients, a recent survey of 216 professionals from 40 countries finds there is still no consistency of care procedures for patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness across countries and clinical settings.
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Research Ethics Committees ethical perspectives on medical research involving children
Research ethics committees (RECs) play a crucial role in protecting children’s rights in research. But there is a lack of comprehensive research on how members of research ethics committees perceive and evaluate research involving children with serious physical illnesses, such as cancer. A recent paper published in Research Ethics reporting on research ethics committee members perspectives on pediatric research highlights the importance of recognizing both children’s rights to participation and protection. It also suggests that committee members predominantly focus on formal requirements and legal compliance in ethical review.
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Doktorandprojekt i Mälardalsområdets Forskarskola i Vårdvetenskap till IFV!
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Stina Syvänen tilldelas Fernströms pris till yngre forskare
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Relational effects should not be considered in health care priority setting
Whether a treatment can benefit a patient is often considered in criteria for health care priority setting. But we rarely consider indirect effects for the patients, or the patient’s children, friends, or partner. A recent paper published in Bioethics asks whether such relational effects could be relevant for priority setting, for example when patients suffer from dementia, where novel treatments for Alzheimer's disease could have real benefits for family and friends.
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Promoting responsibility by involving children in ethical discussion on vaccination
There are good reasons to expect individuals to take responsibility, for example by getting vaccinated. When it comes to vaccinating children, the benefit-risk ratio is different for COVID-19 then for example, because children are not as severely affected. In a recent publication in Public Health Ethics, Jessica Nihlén Fahlquist suggests that children should be encouraged to take responsibility for vaccination, both for themselves, for others, and for the benefit of public health.
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Lena Wettergren is awarded Region Uppsala’s research prize 2022
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Ethical considerations in whole genome sequencing
The Swedish Medical Society’s delegation of ethics recently released a statement on the ethical problems associated with Whole Genome Sequencing. The technique has been crucial in identifying the cause of numerous diseases that were previously unknown, and for diagnosis of rare diseases. Whole Genome Sequencing is increasingly used as a diagnostic tool in healthcare to improve diagnosis and treatment. However, the statement draws attention to three ethical problems associated with the use of this technique, namely how to handle secondary findings, unclear findings and informed consent.
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Innovation inom den gotländska hälso- och sjukvården - Innovationssystem Gotland
De senaste åren har det arbetats systematiskt med innovation inom den gotländska hälso- och sjukvården genom projektet Innovationssystem Gotland. Anna Sarkadi, Professor vid Institutionen för folkhälso- och vårdvetenskap, har varit senior rådgivare till projektet.
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Navigating the challenges of recruiting children with cancer for research
Each year, more than 40 000 children worldwide are diagnosed with cancer and research is vital to improve treatment, survival and quality of life for these children. But, recruitment of children for research comes with ethical challenges. A recent paper in BMC Medical Ethics points to the need for balancing ethics and empathy, and the roles of children and parents in shared decision-making.
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New compilation of knowledge published about the work environment for healthcare personnel during the corona pandemic
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Dagens Medicin Debatt: ”Barnhälsovården kan stå modell för kunskapsstyrningen”
Anna Sarkadi medverkadi i Dagens Medicin debatt.
Debattens ämne: "Med en lång tradition av arbete med kunskapsstöd, dataanalys och verksamhetsutveckling är barnhälsovården värd att ta efter, skriver tre debattörer." (Källa: DM) -
Successful collaboration in Gotland’s healthcare sector
In recent years, systematic innovation work has been conducted in Gotland’s healthcare sector through the Innovation System Gotland project. The project is part of the University’s strategic partnership with the Gotland Region. Innovationssystem Gotland (Innovation System Gotland) is an exciting example of how successful collaboration can be achieved, in this case between academia, the healthcare sector and Science Park Gotland.
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Looking for lecturer: Ethics of care
The Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences is looking for a lecturer in caring science with a focus on the ethics of care. Caring sciences is at the core of Uppsala University's nursing programme, with a focus on evidence based care, applied in a professional, ethical and reflective way. In this role, you are also expected to have a close collaboration with the Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics (CRB). Want to join our teaching team? Apply by 13 April 2023!
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Små barns tankar om pandemin
Forskare från Uppsala universitet har studerat teckningar med coronamotiv målade av barn mellan fyra till sex år. Resultatet visar att även yngre barn påverkades påtagligt av pandemin. Se artiklarna om forskningen och videon med barnens berätterlse och teckningar.
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Early actions can prevent gang shootings
Research shows that only a small proportion of parents take advantage of the effective parenting support programmes that exist for children with disruptive behavioural problems. Read Anna Sarkadis view of society today and the current shootings that have increased during the 2020s in Sweden.
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Broadening the debate on neurorights
Awareness of the need for neurotechnology governance has led to calls for a new set of ‘neurorights.’ The neurorights proposal, however, has sparked a lively debate. In a new book several experts reflect on the challenges and promises of neurotechnologies and on existing and proposed regulatory frameworks. One suggestion is that the neurorights proposal would benefit from further reflection on the framing of problems and solutions and more active public engagement.
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”Anpassa digitala medier efter barn, inte tvärtom”
"Varför ska barn och unga anpassa sig till den digitala världen, hur beroendeframkallande, laglös och skruvad den än är? Skärp i stället reglerna för digitala plattformar, skriver flera debattörer." SvD
Anna Sarkadi, vår gruppledare bidrog i denna debattartikel. -
Open call to discuss the learning outcomes for medical ethics in the new Swedish medicine programme
The new 6-year education for medical doctors in Sweden is placing demands on Universities. At this very moment, efforts are being put into reformulating teaching and learning outcomes. One of those processes involves the learning outcomes for medical ethics. The authors are now inviting a discussion on the proposal with an opinion published today in Läkartidningen.
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PHD Course March 2023, Migration and Health
Conducting research with migrant populations, 4.5 hp.
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Medel från Vetenskapsrådet beviljat för att etablera en ny forskarskola: ”Mälardalsområdets forskarskola i vårdvetenskap”.
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Differences in health literacy and digital health information‑seeking behaviour among Swedes
Swedes with limited health literacy did not access their online health check results to the same extent as people with sufficient health literacy. That is the result of a recently published study in BMC Public Health by Erica Sundell and Åsa Grauman from Centre for Research Ethics and Bioethics together with Josefin Wångdahl from Karolinska Institutet. Differences in health literacy might also lead to unequal access to trustworthy and quality-assured health information.
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Portrait of Professor Ulrika Winblad in journal about elderly care
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New model to help families with children with everyday finances - Härnösand Municipality
"Healthier Wealthier Families" has been started in Härnösand municipality.
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Åsa Grauman receives Fellowship to study how people view risk for cancer
Åsa Grauman has been awarded 3,648,000 SEK from the Swedish Cancer Foundation for a research Fellowship to study how the public perceives their cancer risk, risk communication and how they make their trade-offs between changes in lifestyle and reduced risk for cancer. The grant is a three-year Fellowship.
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Internationella trycksårsdagen - Reportage med Lisa Hultin
Tidningen Vårdfokus har skrivit ett reportage med Lisa Hultin, Specialistsjuksköterska och Universitetsadjunkt i forskargruppen Vårdvetenskap.
"I dag är det internationella trycksårsdagen, en dag då vårdens professioner uppmuntras att ha extra fokus på arbetet med att förebygga, upptäcka och behandla de skador som uppstår när huden utsätts för tryck eller förskjutning, så kallad skjuv.Det är en viktig dag tycker specialistsjuksköterskan Lisa Hultin. För trots att kunskapen om varför trycksår uppstår och hur de kan förebyggas utvecklar var sjunde inneliggande patient trycksår på svenska sjukhus."
Text: Sanna Björkman -
Vår utvärdering i Skäggetorp i nyheterna
Vår utvärdering i Skäggetorp var i nyheterna i Lokala Nyheter Öst.
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Research environmental support to study the new welfare market in Sweden
Professor Ulrika Winblad at the Department of Public Health and Care Sciences has recently been granted almost SEK 17.5 million in environmental support from the Swedish Research Council for the application The new welfare markets in Sweden - how is social equality affected? The research will last for six years and is a collaboration between researchers at the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Social Sciences at Uppsala University, more specifically the Department of Public Health and Care Sciences, the Department of Political Science and the Department of Business Economics. The collaboration also includes researchers from the University of Bergen in Norway and the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. Co-applicant researchers are Associate Professor Paula Blomqvist, Associate Professor Mio Fredriksson, Professor Josef Pallas, PhD Linda Moberg, Professor Karsten Vrangbæk, and Professor Oddvar Kaarboe.
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Anslag från VR till medarbetare på institutionen!
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Malin Lohela Karlsson receives funds to evaluate methods for improved work environment and patient safety
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Groundbreaking research on Alzheimer’s disease
This autumn saw one of the biggest breakthroughs of all time in Alzheimer’s research. At this year’s Olof Rudbeck Day on 21 October, Olof Rudbeck Award winner Lars Lannfelt, Senior Consultant and Professor Emeritus of Geriatrics at Uppsala University, will lecture on the research into the new drug candidate.
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The public’s perspective on cardiovascular risk information
CRB researcher Åsa Grauman was awarded the Swedish Society for Risk Sciences' award to promising junior researchers 2022 for her doctoral thesis about the publics’ perspective on cardiovascular risk information. She gave an appreciated presentation of her work at the annual meeting of the Swedish Society for Risk Sciences, which is now available on YouTube.
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Pulverdiet och nya kostvanor kan få typ 2-diabetes att vända
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We’re looking for a PhD student in bioethics for a project on dietary advice and nutrition!
Uppsala University’s Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics is looking for a doctoral student in bioethics, focusing on nutrition and dietary advice. The position is within Uppsala University’s graduate programme in medical humanities. Application deadline 7 October! Swedish required.
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María Pagnon de la Vega is awarded the Hwasser prize for best PhD thesis 2021/2022.
María Pagnon de la Vega receives the prize for her thesis, Characterization of the novel “Uppsala mutation” causing a familial form of early onset Alzheimer’s disease, in which she describes how a newly discovered mutation causes early onset familial Alzheimer’s disease. The prize ceremony takes place at the annual meeting of Upsala Läkareförening on September 20.
The Hwasser prize was founded by Upsala Läkareförening to honour the memory of Israel Hwasser, one of Uppsala’s most famous medical scientists. The Hwasser prize foundation is based on a donation to Uppsala University in 1861 by the king Karl XV “to honour Professor Israel Hwasser’s excellent qualities as teacher and scientist”.
This year’s prize sum is 30 000 SEK.
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Theme issue in memory of Björn Smedby
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The Swedish Social Insurance Agency founds research project about inclusion and sustainability in working life for young adults with OCD
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New list of 50 questionable bioethics journals
Predatory journals are a problem in all academic fields. For several years now, the CRB Ethics Blog has published a list of where not to publish in bioethics. And now, the 2022 list is available! The list includes 50 journals which are potentially predatory or whose quality of publications would deem them unacceptable to publish in. The article also includes resources listing high quality bioethics journals, as well as links to guidelines on ways to identify that a journal might be predatory or questionable.