Cód. SSPA: IBiS-B-01
In recent years, we have experienced an exponential increase in studies devoted to characterizing the pleiotropic functions of microglia, which were considered for many years, the macrophages of the brain. Microglia originate from erythromyeloid precursors derived from the yolk sac, colonizing the brain during the embryonic stage and showing great heterogeneity in well-defined conditions/stages: central nervous system development and in conditions of brain pathology associated with neurodegeneration and brain cancer. As an illustrative example, the increasing identification of risk genes of microglial origin associated with the main neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, etc) make these cells main actors in driving the molecular pathology associated with neurodegeneration.
With this background, the scientific interests of our group focus on investigating the pleiotropic functions of microglia during development, neurodegeneration, and glioblastoma/brain metastasis.
Main lines of research
- Role of galectin-3 in the regulation of cerebral immune response under brain disease conditions: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, frontotemporal dementia, etc;
- Role of galectin-3 in microglial polarization associated with glioblastoma/brain metastasis: development of a new cancer immunotherapy;
- Non-apoptotic functions of killing caspases (caspases 3, 7 and 8) in the regulation of microglial activation and their potential involvement in neurodegenerative diseases,
- Identification of microglial subpopulations potentially relevant in neurodegenerative diseases and neurodevelopmental disorders
