Strategic Objective
The group studies the physiological and pathological aspects of the glycine transporters (GlyTs) in the central nervous system as emerging drug targets in transmission mediated glycine dysfunctions as hyperekplexia or pain.
A) Identification, analysis and classification of mutations in the gene of GlyT2 (SLC6A5) in human patients with hyperekplexia.
B) Effects of mutations of hyperekplexia on the molecular structure, biogenesis and intracellular trafficking of GlyT2. Study of the interaction of inhibitors with GlyT2 (dockings on 3D models) for selecting regions that facilitate folding or activity of hyperekplexia mutants.
C) Study of the interactome of GlyT2 with proteins already known or new mutants of human hyperekplexia.
D) Development of alternative cellular models for the study of hyperekplexia mutants such as infection of primary neurons with lentiviral particles or the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from patient samples.
• Regulation of GlyTs by receptors involved in pain signal processing in nociceptive pathways of the spinal cord.
Research Lines
The group studies the physiological and pathological aspects of glutamate fuxes in brain as potential targets to prevent excitotoxicity, associated with brain disfunctions like ischemia, o traumatic brain injury:
A) Identification of novel regulatory mechanisms by characterization of the glutamate transporter interactome.
B) Identification of novel regulatory mechanisms by microRNAs and othe non-coding RNAs.
The group studies the physiological and pathological aspects Neuronal reparation by adult neurogenesis:
A) Identification of novel regulatory mechanisms of adult neurogenesis by kinases.
B) Identification of novel regulatory mechanisms of adult neurogenesis by microRNAs and other non-coding RNAs.
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