Research

Skåne University Hospital holds a prominent position in medical research by both national and international standards. There exists a longstanding tradition and extensive experience of collaboration between the healthcare system at Skåne University Hospital and various research partners. This applies to research conducted in collaboration with fundamental research, healthcare research, and interdisciplinary projects involving other subject areas.

Investments in clinical research

Skåne University Hospital is currently engaged in numerous ongoing initiatives in clinical research. Below, you will find information about a selection of these projects.

ATMP Centre and research projects on stem cells

Region Skåne has established an Advanced Therapeutic Medical Products (ATMP) Centre at Skåne University Hospital, dedicated to advanced drug therapies. ATMP encompasses cell and gene products with potential applications against various chronic diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, heart failure, muscular dystrophies, and cancer. 

Supporting business and academia

The ATMP Centre's primary focus lies in aiding businesses and academia engaged in research and product development of ATMPs. It particularly emphasises assistance for businesses requiring support with clinical studies in this field, as well as facilitating the orderly introduction of market-approved ATMPs.

The ATMP Centre is actively involved in the research project named IndiCell: Individualised pluripotent stem cell-based treatment. This initiative receives funding from the innovation agency Vinnova and is under the leadership of Lund University. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) hold extensive therapeutic potential due to their capacity to differentiate into all human cell types. 

Consequently, these stem cells are well-suited for the realm of autologous (self-originating) precision medicine and ATMP treatments. The project aims to develop generic processes for reprogramming iPSCs into various cell types.

Studies on ATMP

Lund University boasts a lengthy and fruitful history of research in the field of ATMP. In the autumn of 2022, research groups embarked on clinical studies at Skåne University Hospital. One such study entails the examination of a cell therapy for Parkinson's disease, alongside a gene therapy targeting a unique manifestation of the ailment responsible for anaemia: Diamond Blackfan anaemia.

Precision Medicine Centre

Lund University and Region Skåne have agreed to establish the Precision Medicine Centre South (PMCS). When the technology to sequence the entire genome (whole genome sequencing) became available at a reasonable cost, it opened the vision of tailoring healthcare to the individual – so-called genomic medicine. Precision Medicine Centre South aims to deliver individualised therapy through a much broader model. To provide state-of-the-art precision medicine in a rapidly evolving field, a development structure is required to ensure access to the very latest expertise across a range of specialist platforms.

Expertise is organised into nodes:

  • Genomic medicine (as mentioned above)
  • ATMP (Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products – the new therapies involving cell, gene, and tissue treatments)
  • Individualised health advice
  • Big data and AI
  • New indications for already approved medicines
  • Ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI)

Health economics (new models of health economic evaluation and innovative pricing strategies to support the introduction of new therapies)

These different areas of expertise are applied across therapeutic groups – such as cancer and rare diseases – which act as forums for defining challenges and developing solutions for the treatment of current patients.

National strategic areas

In 2009, the Swedish Government decided to prioritise seven strategic areas for research. This decision represented a key step towards creating global cutting-edge research and was taken at the behest of the Swedish Research Council, FAS, Formas, Vinnova and the Swedish Energy Agency.

Four of these areas are being co-ordinated by researchers at the Faculty of Medicine at Lund University.

Large-population studies

Sweden is a superb country for conducting large-population studies, thanks to our system of personal registration numbers in combination with the many registers we have here (birth register, patient register, community health centres, cause of death register, dental register, prescription register, cancer register and medical quality register, among others).

These factors make it easier to follow up on those who participate in these studies.

Skåne University Hospital participate in several large-population studies:

  • BIG3 (Website in Swedish) is a research project in Skåne named for three of the most common illnesses: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer.
  • GÅS (Website in Swedish)is an acronym for the Swedish for Good Aging in Skåne, which is a study meant to increase the knowledge and understanding of what factors affect the health of the elderly. The percentage of the population comprised of elderly people in on the rise, and this creates a greater need for medical and social care. This, in turn, requires greater knowledge of the factors that affect the health of seniors.
  • SCAPIS – The Swedish Cardio Pulmonary Bio Image Study – is a research project aimed at identifying early indicators of heart, vascular, and lung diseases. The objective is to foresee individuals at risk of conditions like stroke and heart attacks, enabling proactive treatment before illness manifests. This study encompasses a total of 30,000 participants from Sweden. Six universities and university hospitals jointly spearhead and administer SCAPIS in close partnership with the Heart-Lung Foundation, the primary sponsor of this investigation.
  • The TEDDY Study (Website in English) - The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young - is an international research endeavour delving into the causes of type 1 diabetes in children. Conducted in Sweden, Finland, the USA, and Germany, the study has recruited a cumulative total of 8,667 children, with 30 percent hailing from the Skåne region in Sweden. Commencing in 2004, the Teddy study is scheduled to continue until 2025. The National Institutes of Health, USA (NIH), serves as the principal funding source.

Research environments

In co-operation with Lund University and Malmö University, Skåne University Hospital provides the best conditions to promote research and education. These include our state-of-the-art educational facilities, libraries, research laboratories and patient clinics, as well as lots of space, and cafés and restaurants both in Malmö and Lund:

Here researchers, students, and medical personnel work side by side. The issues confronted and the experiences of contact with the patients are carried into the laboratory. The results of the research are then brought back to our patients in the form of new diagnostic and treatment methods, new drugs, and innovative technology.

EU projects

Skåne University Hospital and Region Skåne are actively engaged in a multitude of international research projects, a natural and integral aspect of clinical medical research. The European Union stands as one of the prominent funders in Europe. Skåne University Hospital participates in approximately thirty EU projects.

Here are a few ongoing EU projects in which we are currently involved:

Last updated: 2025-04-10

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