New thesis shows that lipid handling in tissue is altered in type 2 diabetes
Pär Björklund from the Cardio Metabolic Unit (CMU), Center for Reproduction, Metabolism and Molecular medicine (CeRM) at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH), defends his thesis titled "Atherosclerosis and peripheral neuropathy in type 2 diabetes: interstitial lipoprotein distribution and sphingolipid metabolism", on 11 June 2026. Main supervisor is Sara Straniero.
What is the main focus of your thesis?
"Blood lipids play a central role in the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, yet we still know relatively little about how they are transported, distributed, and accumulated in tissues outside the bloodstream."
"My thesis focuses on how blood lipids are handled in peripheral tissues in type 2 diabetes, a disease that substantially increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Together with researchers in Finland, my research group has studied interstitial fluid – the fluid surrounding the body’s cells – to investigate how lipoprotein particles are handled in an environment relevant to the development of atherosclerosis."
"In collaboration with researchers in Switzerland, I have also studied neurotoxic 1-deoxysphingolipids in skin tissue and their association with diabetic neuropathy."
Which are the most important results?
"Our results show that the handling of blood lipids at the tissue level differs in type 2 diabetes. We observed a selective reduction of atherogenic lipoprotein particles in interstitial fluid, which was associated with increased binding of these particles to tissue proteoglycans, an important early step in the development of atherosclerosis."
"We also found increased accumulation of neurotoxic 1-deoxysphingolipids in skin tissue, associated with altered amino acid metabolism and clinical signs of peripheral neuropathy. These findings contribute to increased understanding of how biological processes in tissues may be involved in the development of diabetes-related complications, in ways that are not fully reflected by conventional blood tests."
"Our findings also point towards potential new treatment strategies targeting neurotoxic lipids in diabetic neuropathy."
How can this new knowledge contribute to the improvement of people’s health?
"I hope that increased understanding of how lipids are handled outside the bloodstream may eventually contribute to improved risk assessment and enable earlier prevention or treatment of atherosclerosis and neuropathy in type 2 diabetes."
What are your future ambitions?
"My ambition is to continue studying peripheral blood lipids in humans, research that may eventually contribute to improved diagnostics and earlier treatment. At the same time, I want to help ensure that existing knowledge about risk factors and disease progression in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease reaches patients more effectively in clinical practice. I aim to help reduce the gap between scientific advances and tangible patient benefit."
Dissertation
Thursday 11 June, at 09:30, C1:87, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge / Online