About
Professor Niclas Karlsson’s research is focusing on the role of glycosylation in human health. Glycans are omnipresent in biological interfaces, including the glycocalyx on cell membranes, on mucosal surfaces that protects gastrointestinal, pulmonary and reproductive tracts and the joints in the muscoskeletal system. The group is applying state-of-the-art mass spectrometric and HPLC based glycomics and glycoproteomics of both N-linked and O-linked glycoproteins to identify pathological alteration of the glycosylation.
Databases:
UniCarb-DB (https://unicarb-db.expasy.org)
UniCarb-DR (https://unicarb-dr.glycosmos.org).
Publications:
Pubmed (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1-Wzd4_y7_JkD/bibliography/public/)
Twitter: UniCarb-DB@NG_Karlsson
Research groups
Research projects
Ongoing research projects
-
Glyco-pathology in dry eye disease
The PhD project investigates how ocular mucin-proteins, and their glycosylation maintain a healthy tear film, while exploring their contribution to the development and progression of dry eye disease.
-
Inhibitor-Mediated Programming of Glycoforms (IMProGlyco)
We will develop methods for altering the naturally occurring carbohydrate surface (so-called glycocalyx) found on all the cell's surfaces in humans.
Completed research projects
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Integrated Glycomics for Cancer Precision Medicine (GlycoMap)
This project will investigate organoids and new glycomics methods for cancer precision medicine.
-
Lacritin-incorporated nanoparticles as new and improved treatment of dry eye disease
We are developing the protein lacritin, which is found in tears, to become a medicine for dry eye disease.
Publications and research
Scientific publications
Lisacek, Frederique; Hackett, William E.; Thaysen-Andersen, Morten;
Karlsson, Niclas
; Klein, Joshua; Kolarich, Daniel;
Maciej-Hulme, Marissa
; Okuda, Shujiro; Packer, Nicolle H.; Struwe, Weston B.; Takahashi, Yushi; Tiemeyer, Michael; Zaia, Joseph; Aoki-Kinoshita, Kiyoko F.; Kettner, Carsten
(2025).
Update and New Implementation of the MIRAGE Reporting Guidelines for Mass Spectrometry Experiments in Glycoscience.
Molecular & Cellular Proteomics.
Vol. 25.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mcpro.2025.101473
Råberg, Loise; Jia, Fan; Mentzer, Ula von; Venkatakrishnan, Vignesh;
Karlsson, Niclas
; Stubelius, Alexandra
(2025).
Sialoglycans modulate Siglec-5-TLR4 interactions in osteoarthritis.
iScience.
Vol. 28.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2025.113979
Pattappa, Girish;
Karlsson, Niclas
; Steinecker-Frohnwieser, Bibiane; Mobasheri, Ali; Bernotiene, Eiva; Zaucke, Frank; Roesch, Gundula; Uzieliene, Ilona; Meulenbelt, Ingrid; Rios, Jaqueline Lourdes; Kazakova, Maria; Boutet, Marie Astrid; Dvir-Ginzberg, Mona; Groma, Valerija; Jenei-Lanzl, Zsuzsa; Henrotin, Yves; Li, Zhen; Nürnberger, Sylvia; Aulin, Cecilia; (NetwOArk), On behalf of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action CA21110 - Building an open European Network on OsteoArthritis research
(2025).
Towards stratification in osteoarthritis: a review of the scientific terminology used in published basic research.
BMC Rheumatology.
Vol. 9.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s41927-025-00557-0
Chang, Vincent; Mahoney, Keira E.; Lian, Isaac; Chen, Ryan; Chung, Nara;
Utheim, Tor Paaske
;
Karlsson, Niclas
; Malaker, Stacy A.
(2025).
In-depth analysis of the tear fluid glycoproteome reveals diverse lacritin glycosylation and spliceoforms.
Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Vol. 301.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2025.110580
Patel, Piyush; Jin, Chunsheng; Nookaew, Intawat; Robeson, Michael; Malipatlolla, Dilip K.; Devarakonda, Sravani; Rascón, Ana; Nyman, Margareta;
Karlsson, Niclas
; Wold, Agnes E.; Sjöberg, Fei; Bull, Cecilia
(2025).
Oat bran fiber protects against radiation-induced disruption of gut barrier dynamics and mucosal damage.
npj Biofilms and Microbiomes.
Vol. 11.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-025-00759-x
Chang, Vincent; Lian, Isaac; Mahoney, Keira E.; Romano, Jeff; Afshari, Ali Reza; Chen, Ryan J.; Chen, Xiangjun; Fineide, Fredrik; Khan, Ayyad Ahmad Zartasht;
Utheim, Tor Paaske
;
Karlsson, Niclas G.
; Laurie, Gordon W.; Malaker, Stacy A.
(2025).
Mapping galectin-3 ligands in tear fluid establishes spliceoform-dependent lacritin binding.
BioRxiv.
https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.11.24.690288
Afshari, Ali Reza
; Chang, Vincent; Thomsson, Kristina A.; Höglund, Jennifer; Browne, Elizabeth N.; Karadzhov, George; Mahoney, Keira E.; Lucas, Taryn M.; Rangel-Angarita, Valentina; Ryberg, Henrik; Gidwani, Kamlesh; Pettersson, Kim; Rolfson, Ola; Björkman, Lena I.; Eisler, Thomas; Schmidt, Tannin A.; Jay, Gregory D.; Malaker, Stacy A.;
Karlsson, Niclas
(2025).
Glycoproteoforms of Osteoarthritis-associated Lubricin in Plasma and Synovial Fluid.
Molecular & Cellular Proteomics.
Vol. 24.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mcpro.2025.100923
Rustad, Cecilie F.; Backe, Paul Hoff; Jin, Chunsheng; Merckoll, Else; Tveten, Kristian;
Maciej-Hulme, Marissa Lucy
;
Karlsson, Niclas
; Prescott, Trine; Sandås, Elise Mørk; Woldseth, Berit; Elgstøen, Katja B. Prestø; Holla, Øystein Lunde
(2024).
A monoallelic UXS1 variant associated with short-limbed short stature.
Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine.
Vol. 12.
https://doi.org/10.1002/mgg3.2472
Acharya, Binayak;
Tofthagen, Marthe
;
Maciej-Hulme, Marissa Lucy
; Suissa, Michal Rachel;
Karlsson, Niclas
(2024).
Limited support for a direct connection between prebiotics and intestinal permeability – a systematic review.
Glycoconjugate Journal.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10719-024-10165-8
Bechtella, Leïla; Chunsheng, Jin; Fentker, Kerstin; Ertürk, Güney R.; Safferthal, Marc; Polewski, Łukasz; Götze, Michael; Graeber, Simon Y.; Vos, Gaël M.; Struwe, Weston B.; Mall, Marcus A.; Mertins, Philipp;
Karlsson, Niclas
; Pagel, Kevin
(2024).
Ion mobility-tandem mass spectrometry of mucin-type O-glycans.
Nature Communications.
Vol. 15.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46825-4
