Home
Photo of Karin Öllinger

Karin Öllinger

Professor

The lysosome as a therapeutic target? The aim of our research is to map and understand the function of lysosomes in order to treat and cure diseases where the function of lysosome is affected, e.g. cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

The Role of the Lysosome

Lysosomes are central hub of many cellular processes such as degradation, nutrient sensing, cell death, antigen presentation and repair of ruptured plasma membrane.

The function of the lysosome is altered during several diseases including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. This makes lysosomes attractive targets for treatment strategies and the design of novel therapeutic compounds.

News

Vesa Loitto, director of the Microscopy Unit.

Looking into living cells

A microscope with super-resolution allows researchers to follow life’s processes in living cells, down to the level of individual molecules.

Publications

Selected publications

Ida Eriksson, Sangeeta Nath, Per Bornefall, Ana Maria Villamil Giraldo, Karin Öllinger (2017)
Impact of high cholesterol in a Parkinsons disease model: Prevention of lysosomal leakage versus stimulation of alpha-synuclein aggregation

European Journal of Cell Biology , Vol.96 , s.99-109

Continue to DOI

Kyriakos Orfanidis, Petra Wäster, Katarzyna Lundmark, Inger Rosdahl, Karin Öllinger (2017)
Evaluation of tubulin β-3 as a novel senescence-associated gene in melanocytic malignant transformation.

Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research , Vol.30 , s.243-254

Continue to DOI

Petra Wäster, Ida Eriksson, Linda Vainikka, Inger Rosdahl, Karin Öllinger (2016)
Extracellular vesicles are transferred from melanocytes to keratinocytes after UVA irradiation

Scientific Reports , Vol.6

Continue to DOI

Latest publications in DiVA

2026

Cecilia Bivik Eding, Karin Öllinger (2026) Editorial Expression of Concern: JNK mediates UVB-induced apoptosis upstream lysosomal membrane permeabilization and Bcl-2 family proteins Apoptosis (London), Vol. 31, Article 188 (Article in journal) https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10495-026-02396-x

Research

Scientists handle liquid nitrogen.

Revealing the secrets of the lysosome

The aim of our research is to elucidate how lysosomal functions are regulated in normal cells and how they are affected in different pathological conditions.

Organisation

The Division of Cell and Neurobiology (CNB)

The Division of Cell and Neurobiology is a dynamic and innovative environment where we conduct research and teaching on both the structure and function of various cells as well as the nervous system and sensory organs.

Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (BKV)

What characterizes the Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (BKV) is the wide breadth of research and education. BKV is one of the largest departments at LiU with affiliation mainly to the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.