From Lab to Patient: The Mission of Karolinska ATMP Centre
Knut Steffensen leads a bold effort to move cell and gene therapies from research benches to patient care. The ATMP Centre at Karolinska Institutet aims to shorten the distance between discovery, manufacturing, and clinical application, turning a once sci fi dream into everyday medicine. The centre acts as a central hub where scientists, clinicians, and industry can collaborate within a single ecosystem that houses research, production, and treatment under one roof.
Steffensen describes the centre as a virtual hub designed to counteract silos in the development chain and to identify bottlenecks before they derail promising therapies. He stresses that translating research into clinical trials is a complex, resource-intensive process requiring meticulous planning and cross functional cooperation. His job is to open doors, build robust structures, and establish processes that speed up decision making without compromising safety or quality.
Two Core Roles: Removing Silos and Streamlining Pathways
The ATMP Centre focuses on two main objectives. First, it acts as a cross disciplinary bridge, ensuring that researchers, clinicians, and regulators speak a common language and align on goals. Second, it identifies chokepoints in the chain from discovery to trial readiness, so teams can address them early. By functioning as a central coordinating node, the centre aims to reduce unnecessary handoffs and duplications that can slow progress and inflate costs.
Paramount to this mission is preparation for clinical trials. Planning, governance, and infrastructure must be aligned long before patient recruitment begins. Steffensen emphasizes that the centre’s strength lies in building durable structures and processes that support multiple projects simultaneously, lowering the incremental burden as more therapies advance toward trials.
Building Bridges Across the Ecosystem
Karolinska ATMP Centre aspires to become a key touchpoint for the pharmaceutical industry, enabling collaboration and co financing of ambitious projects. It also serves as a practical resource for researchers applying for funding, offering pre structured paths to attract external investment while maintaining academic independence and integrity. The centre leverages Karolinska’s existing capabilities, including the Vecura manufacturing unit that produces medicines for advanced therapies, to shorten timelines and demonstrate real world feasibility to potential partners.
Steffensen’s experience spans both academia and industry, a rare blend that he believes is essential for success. He notes that universities tend to push individual projects, while industry excels at teamwork and rapid resolution of business critical questions. By marrying these approaches, the centre hopes to accelerate the journey from laboratory discovery to patient benefit.
Funding, Capacity, and the Path Forward
A major challenge remains financing. Both manufacturing for ATMPs and the clinical trials themselves require substantial investment. The centre’s strategy includes seeking strategic collaborations with industry and public funders, while developing internal structures that researchers can use when applying for grants. By creating repeatable templates for development and early engagement with partners, Karolinska ATMP Centre aims to lower cost barriers and broaden opportunities for translational research.
Future Outlook: A Five‑Year Horizon
Looking ahead, Steffensen envisions several Karolinska Institute projects moving into clinical trials within five years. He believes that even if a small percentage of current research progresses, the impact on patients with difficult diseases could be substantial. The potential is described as almost limitless when therapies advance safely through well managed translational pipelines.
Maintaining Europe’s Leadership in ATMP
Today, Karolinska ATMP Centre is among Europe’s leading hubs for cell and gene therapy research. Yet Steffensen cautions against complacency. The world is watching, and continued investment and strategic collaboration are essential to sustain leadership, expand patient access, and push ambitious therapies through the development pipeline efficiently. The centre’s long term goal is to become a primary interface between academia, care providers, policy makers, and the biopharma industry, turning ideas into approved, accessible treatments for patients.
