Infection and Inflammation

Individualised diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis

Our general aim is to individualise and thereby optimize management of clinical TB by new methods and strategies. The research group consists of specialists in tuberculosis from different professions.

Vascular Immunology Group

We want to understand why the immune system isn’t balanced in many with coronary heart disease to be able to tailor the treatment of the cause of the disease, rather than the symptoms.

Nucleic Acids Technologies Lab

The Nucleic Acids Technologies Lab explores the use of nucleic acids as biorecognition molecules to develop highly specific and sensitive systems, with various detection modalities.

Strategies to combat the allergy epidemic: Can we predict and prevent childhood allergies?

Childhood immune maturation and allergy development: Epigenetic regulation by maternal immunity and microbial exposure during pregnancy.

Tick-borne infections

Medical Inflammation and Infection Center (MIIC)

Medical Inflammation and Infection Center (MIIC) research focus is on infections and inflammatory conditions, which are major concerns for human health.

Forum Scientium Graduate School

Graduate school Forum Scientium, a bridge between medicine, natural sciences and engineering, stimulates creativity and a common use of ideas, knowledge, and equipment.

Microbial pathogenisity in tuberculosis

Our research focuses on the beneficial role of innate immune cells and their cooperation for the control of Mtb during simultaneous co-infection.

C-reactive protein reduces immune response in inflammatory disease

The biological function of the C-reactive protein, CRP, has long been unknown. Researchers now show that this protein has a beneficial function in SLE, an inflammatory disease. But this is true only for one of CRP’s two forms, according to the study.

Post-COVID syndrome visible in DNA

A reprogramming of which genes are active, and which are not, is visible in post-COVID sufferers. In a study on a small group of individuals, genes associated with taste and smell, as well as cell metabolism, were affected.

Long-term effects on the immune system following COVID-19

The more severe the COVID-19 infection, the slower the recovery of immune cells which are necessary for the activation of the immune system. Six months after severe COVID-19, a negative impact on several types of immune cells can still be seen.

COVID-19 reactivates several latent viruses – particularly in ME patients

COVID-19 reactivated viruses that had become latent in cells following previous infections, particularly in people with chronic fatigue syndrome. The results adds to our knowledge of the causes of the disease and prospects of reaching a diagnosis.

Severe COVID-19 impairs the immune system for longer than 6 months

The immune cells of patients who received hospital care for COVID-19 early in the pandemic were still affected six months later, shows a study conducted by researchers at Linköping University.

Antibiotic resistance still low but growing

The problems of antibiotic resistance and blood poisoning are both growing globally. But what’s the situation like in Sweden? In his dissertation, Martin Holmbom has investigated the extent of these problems using data from the Östergötland region.

Lower antibiotic resistance in bacteria with forgotten antibiotic

A forgotten antibiotic led to lower selection of resistant bacteria than the standard treatment for febrile urinary tract infection. Thus, temocillin may be a useful alternative, and contribute to a reduced spread of resistant bacteria in hospitals.

Covid-19: alpha variant associated with more severe disease

A Swedish study has shown that the alpha variant of SARS-CoV-2 is associated with more severe Covid-19 disease, and leads to more hospital admissions than previous variants.

SEK 15 million for research into Covid-19 vaccination

A research project coordinated by LiU has been awarded more than SEK 15 million by the Swedish Research Council to evaluate vaccination against Covid-19.

Coronavirus spurred research across disciplines

As the corona pandemic swept across the world, virologists and protein chemists rapidly joined forces and started to collaborate. Together they were able to develop ways to test the immune response after infection, and help the healthcare system.

Full range of vaccine methods against coronavirus

Less than a year after the new coronavirus had been discovered, the first vaccines were ready for use, developed in record time. How do the corona vaccines differ from vaccines against influenza? And what happens when the virus mutates?

In the thick of things – coronavirus research

The current pandemic has brought virus research into the spotlight. Many clinically relevant questions need to be answered. Virologist Lennart Svensson is sure of one thing: this is not the last time we will see a coronavirus outbreak.

Are security stores the answer to antibiotics shortages?

Set up national storage facilities for antibiotics, to solve problems with shortages of these vital drugs in hospitals, an expert group proposes. Professor Håkan Hanberger has long been active in the issue of antibiotic management.

Multiresistant bacteria spread widely in Vietnamese hospitals

Around half of patients admitted to hospital in Vietnam are carriers of multiresistant intestinal bacteria. The longer the patients are in hospital, the greater is the risk that they have been infected by these bacteria.

New ways to stop tuberculosis

Maria Lerm, newly installed professor at Linköping University, wants to find out whether it is possible to strengthen the body’s own protection against tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is the deadliest bacterial disease in the world.

New warning system discovered in the immune defence

Researchers at LiU have discovered a previously unknown warning system that contributes to the body’s immune system. Mitochondria in the white blood cells secrete a web of DNA fibres that raises the alarm.

Vegetable colouring agent may suppress inflammation

Several highly coloured vegetables and fruits contain lutein. A study by researchers at LiU suggests that lutein has anti-inflammatory effects in patients with coronary artery disease.

Antibiotic resistance – a growing global threat

Bacteria strains that develop resistance to several of our most common antibiotics has become a serious problem. Swedish and Chinese researchers are now working together to investigate resistance against the last remaining treatment alternative.

Tuberculosis and HIV co-infection

The HIV virus increases the potency of the tuberculosis bacterium (Mtb) by affecting a central function of the immune system. This is the conclusion of a study carried out by researchers at LiU.

Fastingar vadrar varmluft

Unique multi-resistant bacterium difficult to eradicate

A previously unknown multi-resistant bacterium has been sticking around at a Swedish University Hospital for ten years. The reason for this is deficient hygiene routines among the staff, a doctoral thesis at Linköping University shows.