Dr. Jonas Klingström

Biography

Jonas Klingström is a professor at Linköping University whose research focuses on understanding the mechanisms by which zoonotic viruses cause diseases in humans. His specific studies are centered on hantaviruses and coronaviruses and how they modulate inflammatory responses through cell-cell signaling. Klingström aims to contribute to the development of specific treatments for patients impacted by these viruses. Zoonotic viruses, which are transmitted from animals to humans, form the core of his research. Hantaviruses, in particular, are transmitted to humans through rodent excreta and can cause severe conditions such as hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). HFRS is characterized by acute flu-like symptoms, including fever, headache, and stomachache, while HPS has a high case-fatality rate of 40% and primarily affects the lungs. The mechanisms by which hantaviruses cause disease remain largely unknown, and currently, there is no FDA or EMA-approved vaccine or treatment for hantavirus infection. Klingström uses blood samples from patients and in vitro infection models to uncover key mechanisms of inflammation induced by hantaviruses and their consequences in humans, mapping out the human immune response in relation to disease severity and fatality.

Research Interests