Research lines

• Sphingolipid and mitochondrial oxidative-stress regulation of cell death

  The sphingolipid rehostat greases the machinery of cell death unleashing the molecular players involved in the execution of cell death in its diverse settings, including apoptosis, necrosis, necroapoptosis.

• Mechanisms responsible for cholesterol transport to the mitochondria and role in NASH, hepatocellular carcinoma and Alzheimer’s disease

  As cholesterol is a major determinant of the structural properties of membrane bilayers, we aimed to understand the mechanisms underlying the intracellular trafficking of cholesterol in mitochondria, and its impact in liver diseases and neurodegeneration by generating novel genètic models of cell-specific StARD1 deletion.

• Translational research in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH): development of NASH in a humanized mouse model to identify potential targets in human NASH

  As the biology of mice and humans differ, we have developed and established a model of mice with humanized liver, which may increase the translational significance of experimental research.

• Contribution of sphingolipids and cholesterol in acute liver failure

  Disect the role of the mutual regulation between sphingolipids and cholesterol in lysosomes and mitochondrial turnover in the regulation of drug induced liver injury.

• Mitochondrial cholesterol and glycosphingolipids in liver fibrosis. Reciprocal regulation between HIF1a and StARD1 in steatohepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma

  We aimed to study the impact of mitochondrial cholesterol and glycosphingolipids in the stabilization/activation of HIF1a and its impact  in the progressión of both alcoholic and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and its progression to hepatocellular carcinoma.

• ER stress-mitochondrial cholesterol axis in obesity-associated insulin resistance and comorbidities

  Our purpose is to understand the impact of mitochondrial cholesterol in adipose tissue and muscle and their interplay in insulin resistance and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

• Lysosomal proteases role during tissue remodeling and regeneration in liver and kidney injury

  This research line focuses on identifying new therapeutic targets for liver and kidney disease treatment by studying the cellular and molecular pathways involved in disease progression, with an emphasis on protease biology.