About me

0000-0002-2005-9793

Research Interest

My research lines focus on the study of the endocannabinoid system during myelin damage and repair. A main objective of my research activity is to evaluate the involvement of cannabinoid CB1 receptor populations located in glial cells - oligodendrocytes, astrocytes and microglia - in the cellular processes that govern white matter damage/repair and determine their usefulness as possible therapeutic targets in multiple sclerosis.

Experimental Approaches

• In vivo models of de- and remyelination (EAE, cuprizone administration)
• In vitro models (primary cultures of oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, microglia)
• Imaging (calcium imaging in cultured cells, confocal microscopy-based imaging)
• Biochemistry (quantitative PCR, RNA-seq, western blot)
• Electrophysiology in brain slices (extracellular field recording, patch-clamp in visualized cells)

Research Support

• Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) - Therapeutic relevance of astroglial CB1 receptors in multiple sclerosis (2019-2021)
• Basque Government - Basic and applied research projects (PIBA) - Endocannabinoid modulation of astroglial and microglial dysfunction in multiple sclerosis (2019-2021)

Collaborators

• Giovanni Marsicano - Genetic tools for the study of astrocytic and mitochondria CB1 receptors
• Javier Palazuelos - Biology of oligodendrocytic CB₁ receptors
• Beat Lutz - Transgenic mouse models for the study of CB1 receptors in oligodendrocyte precursors
• Benjamin F. Cravatt - Pharmacological and genetic tools for ABHD6 blockade
• Andrés Ozaita - Neurobiology of CB₁ receptors in developmental disorders