Our research is focused on addressing three key aspects of neurodegeneration:
1) Proteinopathy: the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles of TAU protein, involved in neurodegeneration processes, appear in AD. In the case of PD, the alpha-synuclein protein plays a key role in the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons, forming part of the Lewy bodies. And in ALS there is alteration of RNA metabolism and homeostasis. Recent work that connects TDP-43 and FUS to stress granules has suggested how this cellular pathway, which involves the aggregation of proteins as part of their normal function, is altered in ALS. We are interested in determining the role of these proteins in the neurodegeration process.
2) Inflammation: it is a process that appears in the first stages of the disease and aggravates neurodegeneration. Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases are characterized by what is called chronic low-grade inflammation, so we want to determine what causes this inflammation and how it can be prevented or stopped.
3) Oxidative stress: it is imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species and the ability of a biological system to quickly decode the intermediate reagents or repair the resulting damage. It has been observed that this imbalance is present in these neurodegenerative diseases, so we want to study what it is that causes it and how to reverse it.