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Karolinska Institutet, StockholmKarolinska Institutet is the coordinator of the project and has major experience from coordinating large networks and consortia in biomedicine. The input from the president, Professor Harriet Wallberg-Henriksson, in the development of a management structure for the consortium as well as part of the dissemination structure for commercialisation will be invaluable. The partner contributes with several research groups active in different parts of the project.
Prof Lars Klareskog has a background in basic immunology, and was responsible for the original description of MHC class II dependent T cell activation as a pathogenetic principle in RA, and was also active in the development of the collagen arthritis and simple adjuvant arthritis rodent disease models, and was chair of clinical immunology (Uppsala University, Sweden) before being appointed professor and chairman of Rheumatology at Karolinska (1993). After that the rheumatology unit at Karolinska has contributed to all most major clinical trials of currently used biologics. The unit has also established a unit for translational research in rheumatology, currently involving about 40 persons (senior scientists, postdocs, clinicians/scientists, PhD students, research nurses and technicians). Among other commitments, he is member of the Nobel Assembly since 1995 and has also been member of the Nobel Committee and served as the president of the European Rheumatology Congress in 2002.
The group of Professor Rikard Holmdahls at the Department for Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, will contribute with animal models for rheumatoid arthritis. These will be used for identifying genes associated with arthritis. In addition the genetically defined models will be used to analyse the specific disease pathways, based on the genetic findings, and also providing these models for validating new targets and developing new therapeutic agents for RA. The Holmdahl group has been created with the goal to be world-leading in the field of complex genetics using animal models. Our main emphasis is on inflammatory diseases, using models for arthritis as a prototype disease. Identified genes are investigated through their molecular pathogenic pathway and therapy is developed with the aim to transfer the knowledge into clinical use. The laboratory and the connected animalhouse are organized for performing the outlined work. In this environment more than 40 PhD students have completed their thesis and they are now in career positions in academia or pharma industry. In addition, postdocs have been educated, who now have positions in companies and academia. Our research unit moved to Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm during 2008 to form a mouse genetic center for studies of inflammatory diseases, with higher levels of resources and well connected to the clinical departments in the institute.
Prof Ingrid Lundberg is clinician/scientist, and has create a research group devoted to translational science in myositis, and has led European study groups in myositis, and is currently chairperson of a EULAR/ACR group committed to the creation of new international classification criteria for myositis. Prof Ulf Andersson is chairman of pediatric rheumatology at Karolinska Institutet/Karolinska University Hospital, and has created a research unit focusing on both translational research in pediatric rheumatology and on molecular and clinical studies on the key proinflammatory molecule HMGB1. Prof. Mats G Hansson will contribute international expertise within the field of bioethics and legal issues. He is presently conducting a large international programme within the field of ethics related to bio banks as well as clinical trials and related issues. Research is being carried out in close collaboration with stakeholders such as patient organisations and political representatives.
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