Research on mitochondria and ER in skin biology and disease

Jakob Wikström

Principal researcher

About me

My clinical specialty is dermato-venereology and my scientific focus is on the cell biology of common and rare skin diseases. 

Research description

Mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum in wound healing and rare skin conditions

Chronic leg ulcers cause great suffering in the elderly and consume 2 % of the health budget; yet the wound healing process is incompletely understood and today´s treatments are often inadequate. Mitochondria produce 90 % of the cell’s ATP, which is essential for most biological reactions including those involved in wound healing. To achieve this, mitochondria consume 90 % of the body´s oxygen. As wound healing has high energy requirements and the hypoxic nature of most wounds we are currently studying the role of mitochondria in the healing of chronic leg ulcers.

We also study rare genetic conditions Darier´s disease and Hailey-Hailey´s disease, which are caused by disrupted calcium homeostasis in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus, respectively. Our aim is to gain better understanding of these diseases and to conduct a bedside-to-bench study in which we aim to develop improved therapies. Please contact Dr Jakob Wikström if you are a patient or healthy volunteer and would like to take part in this cutting edge research.

We are always looking for highly motivated scientists interested in joining our growing team.

Academic honours, awards and prizes

2016 - G.B. Morgagni Young investigator Award in Diabetes research (University of Padua, Italy)