Neuroimmunovascular biology research – Harald Lund's research group

To understand how vascular, immune and neuronal cells interact to maintain homeostasis in the somatosensory nervous system.

Part of the:
Harald Lunds team

News from the research group

Harald Lund awarded the Bjarne Ahlström Memorial Fund Prize 2025
Photo: Johannes Frandsén,Johannes Frandsen

Harald Lund awarded the Bjarne Ahlström Memorial Fund Prize 2025

Harald Lund has been awarded the Bjarne Ahlström Memorial Fund Prize for research in clinical neurology, with a particular focus on inflammatory mechanisms that affect the function of the central or peripheral nervous system.

FyFa researchers benefit from record-breaking grant from the Swedish Brain Foundation
Four researchers in a photo collage. Photo: N/A

FyFa researchers benefit from record-breaking grant from the Swedish Brain Foundation

Four researchers from FyFa, Sophie Erhardt, Harald Lund, Cristiana Cruceanu and Carl Sellgren Majkowitz, receive funding from the Swedish Brain Foundation. This year, the Swedish Brain Foundation is making its largest grant to date, totalling SEK 152.8 million.

Specialized immune cells compensate for a leaky blood nerve-barrier
Describe Photo: Harald Lund

Specialized immune cells compensate for a leaky blood nerve-barrier

Harald Lund, Matthew Hunt, Zerina Kurtović & Camilla Svensson have published an article in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. They have discovered a unique structure in the blood-nerve barrier in a region of the peripheral nervous system called the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). The study has implications for understanding how diseases target the nervous system and how they can be treated.

Six projects receive StratNeuro Start-up Grants
Photo: Pixabay

Six projects receive StratNeuro Start-up Grants

The StratNeuro Start-up Grant is intended to support outstanding Neuroscience researchers at the beginning of their careers. StratNeuro will allocate in total SEK 6,000,000 to fund this initiative, each project receiving SEK 500,000/year for a period of two years.

Our research

The major goal of the lab is to understand how vascular, immune and neuronal cells interact to maintain homeostasis in the somatosensory nervous system. 

Currently there are several projects ongoing: 

  1. Blood-nerve barrier macrophage heterogeneity 
    We have recently identified new subsets of macrophages residing at the blood-nerve barrier (Lund et al, J. Exp. Med. 2024) with unexplored physiological functions. We are investigating the molecular and functional heterogeneity of these macrophages and developing new tools to target them.
  2. Blood-to-neuron signaling in the peripheral nervous system 
    The blood vessels supplying the peripheral nervous system form a selective barrier to protect nervous tissue from pathogens and neurotoxic molecules in the circulation. The blood-nerve barrier acts as a boundary between peripheral nerve axons and the bloodstream, preventing the transfer of potentially toxic molecules into the nervous system. However, some areas of the peripheral nervous system, such as the dorsal root ganglia (DRG), display vascular hyperpermeability  (Lund et al J. Exp. Med. 2024) where blood proteins readily enter the nervous system in large quantities even during healthy conditions. We are exploring the physiological consequences of such blood-to-nervous tissue signaling.
  3. Targeting the blood-nerve barrier to prevent sensory neuron disease
    Damage to or destruction of the cell body of sensory neurons, residing in dorsal root ganglia (DRG), can occur in a range of conditions leading to symptoms such as numbness, tingling, altered coordination and pain. We are exploring whether targeting cells at the blood-nerve barrier can be a strategy to treat such disorders. 
  4. Spatiotemporal diversity of microglia
    Microglia in the central nervous system depend on microenvironmental cues, such as the cytokine TGF-beta, to maintain tissue homeostasis and prevent the development of neuroinflammatory or neurodegenerative disease (Lund et al 2018, Nat Immunol). We are exploring how such cues impact microglia function and how they are regulated across time (age) and space (brain region) (Zhu et al 2023, Biorxiv).

Publications

Selected publications

All publications from group members

Funding

  • Karolinska Institutet Faculty Funded Assistant Professorship

  • Swedish Research Council Starting Grant

  • Swedish Brain Foundation

  • StratNeuro Starting Grant

  • Jeanssons stiftelser

Staff and contact

Group leader

All members of the group

Visiting address

Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, Solna, 171 64, Sverige

Keywords:
Blood-Nerve Barrier Immunology in the Medical Area Macrophages Microglia Neurosciences
Content reviewer:
Harald Lund
29-04-2026