Mitochondrial Cholesterol, Hepatocarcinogenesis and Neurodegeneration

The group has a long trajectory in oxidative stress and lipid signaling in cell death. In particular, we have described the key role of mitochondrial GSH (GSHm) in mitochondrial function and susceptibility to apoptosis / necrosis. The dynamic properties of the membrane by the cholesterol / phospholipid ratio regulates the GSHm and its depletion sensitizes both hepatocytes and neurons to TNF / Fas, hypoxia and β-amyloid peptide, contributing to steatohepatitis and Niemann Pick and Alzheimer's diseases. The group is part of CIBEREHD (Program 3) and is made up of a Research Professor, Full Scientist, Postdoctoral Researchers, Predoctoral Fellows and a laboratory technician, and has as main objective to provide genetic / molecular evidence on mitochondrial cholesterol as a target Therapeutic use in liver cancer and neurodegenerative diseases and provide pharmacological tools to restore their homeostasis.