Research Interest

This programme is interested in understanding the processes of development, neuronal plasticity and neurodegeneration of the central nervous system. The main objective is to determine the biochemical function of genes overexpressed during development and neurodegeneration and their particular roles in the central nervous system. Thus, current experiments focus on: the role of angiogenic mechanical factors during cortical development, developing new approaches to enhance axon regeneration after injury, characterisation new biomarkers and detection methods for Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases and characterisation of the role of the PrPc in neurodegeneration.

Technologies & Methods

• Cell culture methods
• Organotypic slices
• Optogenetics and chemogenetics methods in vitro and in vivo
• Calcium imaging and neural network analysis
• Lab-on-chip- technology
• Microfluidics blood-brain barrier models
• Estereotaxic and surgical methods
• Behavioural analysis of mice models of neurodegeneration

Active Projects

Modulation of Tau seeding and pathology in tauopathies by BBB-nanocarriers, epitope selective vaccination and ectoPrP Tau receptor bodies (STOPTauPATHOL). Fundació Caixa de Pensions ‘La Caixa’. HR18-00452. Jose Antonio del Rio

Deciphering the roles of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) and GPR133 in neural development and neurodegeneration (tauopathies) (PRPCDEVTAU). Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN). PID2021-123714OB-I00. Jose Antonio del Rio

Molecular and cellular neurotechnology. Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo . CB06/05/1115. Jose Antonio del Rio

Gamma-péptidos basados en cis-4-amino L-prolina como terapia farmacológica en la enfermedad de Alzheimer (ALZHEPEP). Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. PDC2022-133268-I00. Jose Antonio del Rio

Métodos in vitro alternativos humanos para el estudio de enfermedades neurodegenerativas (AlterNED). Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. PLEC2022-009401. Jose Antonio del Rio

1 confidential agreement

Selected Publications

• • Andrés-Benito, P., Carmona, M., Jordán, M., Fernández-Irigoyen, J., Santamaría, E., del Rio, J. A., & Ferrer, I. (2022). Host Tau
    Genotype Specifically Designs and Regulates Tau Seeding and Spreading and Host Tau Transformation Following Intrahippocampal Injection of Identical Tau AD Inoculum. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(2), 718. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23020718

• • Ferrer, I., Andrés-Benito, P., Ausín, K., Cartas-Cejudo, P., Lachén-Montes, M., del Rio, J. A., Fernández-Irigoyen, J., & Santamaría, E. (2022a). Dysregulated Brain Protein Phosphorylation Linked to Increased Human Tau Expression in the hTau Transgenic Mouse Model. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(12), 6427. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23126427

• • Ferrer, I., Andrés-Benito, P., Ausín, K., Cartas-Cejudo, P., Lachén-Montes, M., del Rio, J. A., Fernández-Irigoyen, J., & Santamaría, E. (2022b). Dysregulated Protein Phosphorylation in a Mouse Model of FTLD-Tau. Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology, 81(9), 696–706. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnen/nlac062

• • Ferrer, I., Andrés-Benito, P., Carmona, M., & del Rio, J. A. (2022). Common and Specific Marks of Different Tau Strains Following Intra-Hippocampal Injection of AD, PiD, and GGT Inoculum in hTau Transgenic Mice. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(24), 15940. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232415940

• • Ferrer, I., Andrés-Benito, P., Garcia-Esparcia, P., López-Gonzalez, I., Valiente, D., Jordán-Pirla, M., Carmona, M., Sala-Jarque, J., Gil, V., & del Rio, J. A. (2022). Differences in Tau Seeding in Newborn and Adult Wild-Type Mice. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(9), 4789. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23094789

• • Hutson, T. H., & Hervera, A. (2022). Editorial: Biochemical and genetic tools to investigate the underlying mechanisms and treatment of sensorimotor pathologies. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2022.1041458https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129235

• • López-Mengual, A., Segura-Feliu, M., Sunyer, R., Sanz-Fraile, H., Otero, J., Mesquida-Veny, F., Gil, V., Hervera, A., Ferrer, I., Soriano, J., Trepat, X., Farré, R., Navajas, D., & del Río, J. A. (2022). Involvement of Mechanical Cues in the Migration of Cajal-Retzius Cells in the Marginal Zone During Neocortical Development. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2022.886110

• • Matamoros-Angles, A., Hervera, A., Soriano, J., Martí, E., Carulla, P., Llorens, F., Nuvolone, M., Aguzzi, A., Ferrer, I., Gruart, A., Delgado-García, J. M., & Del Río, J. A. (2022). Analysis of coisogenic prion protein deficient mice reveals behavioral deficits, learning impairment, and enhanced hippocampal excitability. BMC Biology, 20(1), 17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-021-01203-0

• • Mesquida-Veny, F., Martínez-Torres, S., Del Río, J. A., & Hervera, A. (2022). Genetic control of neuronal activity enhances axonal growth only on permissive substrates. Molecular Medicine, 28(1), 97. https://doi.org/10.1186/s10020-022-00524-2

• • Mesquida-Veny, F., Martínez-Torres, S., Del Rio, J. A., & Hervera, A. (2022). Nociception-Dependent CCL21 Induces Dorsal Root Ganglia Axonal Growth via CCR7-ERK Activation. Frontiers in Immunology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.880647

• • Pellegrini, P., Hervera, A., Varea, O., Brewer, M. K., López-Soldado, I., Guitart, A., Aguilera, M., Prats, N., del Río, J. A., Guinovart, J. J., & Duran, J. (2022). Lack of p62 Impairs Glycogen Aggregation and Exacerbates Pathology in a Mouse Model of Myoclonic Epilepsy of Lafora. Molecular Neurobiology, 59(2), 1214–1229. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-021-02682-6

• • Sala-Jarque, J., García-Lara, E., Carreras-Domínguez, P., Zhou, C., Rabaneda-Lombarte, N., Solà, C., M Vidal-Taboada, J., Feiler, A., Abrahamsson, N., N Kozlova, E., & Saura, J. (2022). Mesoporous silica particles are phagocytosed by microglia and induce a mild inflammatory response in vitro. Nanomedicine, 17(15), 1077–1094. https://doi.org/10.2217/nnm-2022-0026

• • Wells-Cembrano, K., Sala-Jarque, J., & del Rio, J. A. (2022). Development of a simple and versatile in vitro method for production, stimulation, and analysis of bioengineered muscle. PLOS ONE, 17(8), e0272610. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0272610