LABORATORY OF NEUROBIOLOGY AND NEUROVIROLOGY

Research line

Nuclear receptors: Implications in chronic inflammatory diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases, in which neuronal death is accompanied by inflammation, currently lack effective treatments. Among nuclear receptors, retinoid X receptors (RXRs) may represent a novel therapeutic target, as they can not only directly promote cell survival but may also exert a specific inhibitory effect on the inflammatory response.

In this line of research, we investigate the ability of RXRs to modulate cellular signaling pathways involved in survival, inflammation, regeneration, and innate immune responses, with a particular focus on antiviral responses. We investigate whether RXR activation is essential for maintaining the physiological neuro-glial and neuro-epithelial crosstalk required for retinal neuron survival. To this end, we combine different models of retinal neurodegeneration, including an animal model of retinitis pigmentosa, the rd1 mouse, as well as in vitro models of neuronal, glial, and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell degeneration. In light of recent evidence suggesting viral infection as a potential risk factor for some of these diseases, we also study how these compounds affect the antiviral response of infected cells.

In addition, we evaluate the biological activity of novel synthetic compounds that may act as RXR agonists, regulating neuronal and RPE cell survival while potentially reducing unwanted effects and/or improving their therapeutic potential for administration to patients.