Susanne Axelsson

About Susanne Axelsson

Susanne Axelsson is a PhD student within the medical sciences. Her clinical role as a biomedical scientist within the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the Clinic for Pathology and Genetics at Örebro University Hospital involves working as a process manager within the field of flow cytometry analysis.

Susanne performs research about CD8+ T cells and their role in acute and chronic inflammation. These cells, also known as cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), appear to play a significant role in the severity of Covid-19, the disease caused by the Corona virus SARS-CoV-2 (SARS Corona virus-2). In patients, a negative correlation has been demonstrated between degree of disease and number of activated CD8+ T cells.

In patients suffering from the chronic intestinal disease microscopic colitis (MC), the number of CD8+ T cells is increased. This cannot be demonstrated in several other diseases with chronic inflammation, in which increased numbers of CD4+ T helper cells are found instead. Chronic inflammation is associated with an increased risk of tumor development but, compared to patients with IBD as well as healthy individuals, patients with MC have a decreased tumor development risk.

Whereas CD4+ T helper cells are documented in detail, corresponding knowledge about CD8+ T cells in acute and chronic inflammation is still missing.

Therefore, improved knowledge about the activation of CD8+ T cells is of great interest.

Susanne participates in teaching at the medical program at Örebro University as a problem-based learning tutor and conducts seminars on hematological diseases. Additionally, she is involved in clinical supervision of students of biomedical sciences at the Laboratory Medicine Clinic.