PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS:

• Domingo Afonso Oramas, PhD (Contracted Lecturer Doctor, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, ULL)
• Pedro Barroso Chinea, PhD (Assistant Lecturer, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, ULL)
• Ignacio de La Cruz Muros, PhD (Assistant Lecturer, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, ULL)
• Diego Luis-Ravelo Salazar, PhD (Postdoctoral researcher, Agustín de Betancourt programme, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, ULL)

PHD STUDENTS AND TRAINEES:

• Felipe Fumagallo Reading (Doctorate Program in Health Sciences. MINECO, BES2014-067781)
• Alejandro Febles Casquero (Doctorate Program in Health Sciences. MINECO, BES-2017-079923)
• Virginia Mesa Infante (Doctorate Program in Health Sciences. The Canary Islands Government, TESIS2018010044)

TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF:

• Josmar Salas Hernández (Laboratory technician FP2 contract, ULL)
• Julia Rodríguez Núñez (Laboratory technician FP2 contract, ULL)

RESEARCH LINES:

We study the biological mechanisms of neurodegeneration, and the molecular and cellular basis of neuronal vulnerability. Using animal and cellular models we investigate the role of membrane and intracellular proteins in the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly in Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease. In the intermediate and long term, our objective is to find new therapeutic targets for the treatment of these diseases, and to search for new molecules that can block or reduce early neuronal changes in order to prevent or delay neurodegeneration.

FUNDED PROJECTS:

• Autophagy, dopaminergic receptors and neuroprotection (ProID2017010091 – “Autofagia, receptores dopaminérgicos y neuroprotección”). PI: Tomás González. The Canary Islands Agency of Research, Innovation and Information Sciences (2018-2020, 69,834 €).
• The regulation of autophagy by dopaminergic agonists D2R/D3R: induction and inhibition, D2R or D3R selectivity and neuroprotection (BFU2016-77363-R – “Regulación de autofagia a través de agonistas dopaminérgicos D2R/D3R: Inducción o inhibición. Selectividad por D2R o D3R y neuroprotección”). PI: Tomás González. MINECO (2017-2019, 200,000 €).
• Autophagy induction through D2R/D3R receptors in Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease. Agustín de Betancourt Programme (“Inducción de autofagia a través de receptores D2R/D3R en la enfermedad de Parkinson y la de Huntington”). PI: Diego Luis Ravelo; Supervisor: Tomás González. Regional Government of Tenerife (2017-2021, 160,000 €).
• Collaboration agreement between the The Canary Islands Foundation for Advances in Biomedicine and Biotechnology and the Orfan Biotech SL company to generate an in vitro model of Huntington’s disease and validation analysis of the proposed approach («Convenio de colaboración entre la Fundación Canaria para el Avance de la Biomedicina y de la Biotecnología y la empresa Orfan Biotech SL para la realización de un modelo in vitro de la enfermedad de Huntington y ensayos de validación del abordaje propuesto»). PI: Tomás González (2019, 15,000 €).

PUBLICATIONS 2019:

• Lahoz F, Acebes A, González-Hernández T, de Armas-Rillo S, Soler-Carracedo K, Cuesto G, Mesa-Infante V. Random lasing in brain tissues. Organic Electronics. 2019 Dec; 75, Article number 105389. doi: 1016/j.orgel.2019.105389
• Barroso-Chinea P, Luis-Ravelo D, Fumagallo-Reading F, Castro-Hernandez J, Salas-Hernandez J, Rodriguez-Nuñez J, Febles-Casquero A, Cruz-Muros I, Afonso-Oramas D, Abreu-Gonzalez P, Moratalla R, Millan M, Gonzalez-Hernandez T. DRD3 (dopamine receptor D3) but not DRD2 activates autophagy through MTORC1 inhibition preserving protein synthesis. 2019 Oct 2:1-17. doi: 10.1080/15548627.2019.1668606 [Epub ahead of print]

OTHER SELECTED PUBLICATIONS FROM THE LAST 10 YEARS:

• Barroso-Chinea P,Cruz-Muros I,Afonso-Oramas D,Castro-Hernández J,Salas-Hernández J,Chtarto A,Luis-Ravelo D,Humbert-Claude M,Tenenbaum L, González-Hernández T.Long-term controlled GDNF over-expression reduces dopamine transporter activity without affecting tyrosine hydroxylase expression in the rat mesostriatal system. Neurobiol Dis. 2016 Apr;88:44-54. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2016.01.002
• Castro-Hernandez J, Afonso-Oramas D, Cruz-Muros I, Salas-Hernandez J, Barroso-Chinea P, Moratalla R, Millan MJ, Gonzalez-Hernandez T. Prolonged treatment with pramipexole promotes physical interaction of striatal dopamine D3 Authoreceptor with dopamine transporters to reduce dopamine uptake. Neurobiol Dis. 2015 Feb;74:325-35. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2014.12.007
• Afonso-Oramas D, Cruz-Muros I, Castro-Hernandez J, Salas-Hernandez J, Barroso-Chinea P, Garcia-Hernandez S, Lanciego JL, Gonzalez-Hernandez T. Striatal vessels receive phosphorylated tyrosine hydroxylase-rich innervation from midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Front Neuroanat. 2014 Aug 26;8:84. doi: 10.3389/fnana.2014.00084. eCollection 2014
• Gonzalez-Hernandez T, Cruz-Muros I, Afonso-Oramas D, Salas-Hernandez J, Castro-Hernandez J. Vulnerability of mesostriatal dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s disease. Front euroanat. 2010 Oct 20;4:140. doi: 10.3389/fnana.2010.00140
• Afonso-Oramas D, Cruz-Muros I, Barroso-Chinea P, Alvarez de la Rosa D, Castro-Hernandez J, Salas-Hernandez J, Giraldez T, Gonzalez-Hernandez T. The dopamine transporter is differentially regulated after dopaminergic lesion. Neurobiol Dis. 2010 Dec;40(3):518-30. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2010.07.012