The general interest of our laboratory is twofold: on the one hand, to understand the inner workings of proteins (one of the great unresolved subjects of biology) and on the other, to explore biomedical and biotechnological applications to the knowledge acquired in the course of our research work.
Specifically, we are studying the molecular bases of memory and neurodegeneration. To that end we have focused on the amyloids, both pathological (particularly neurotoxic proteins, involved in neurodegenerative diseases) and functional (neuronal CPEB, a prionoid involved in the consolidation of memory through the marking of active synapses).
Research areas
Carrión-LAB
Memory consolidation and Neurodegeneration
Biomedical and Biotechnological applications
1. Memory consolidation and Neurodegeneration
➤ CPEB3 and CPEB2: structure/function relationships.
➤CPEB3/CPEB2-myelination relationships.
➤ CPEB2 prionoid as likely epigenetic mediator of pro-cognitive inheritance.
➤Interactions and hybrid pathological/functional amyloids: hijacking functional amyloids (CPEB family) by neurotoxic proteins (polyQs, Aβ, TDP-43).
2. Biomedical and Biotechnological applications
➤ Anti-amyloidogenic QBP1 peptide as a leading drug for prevention/treatment (non-regulatory preclinical studies) of:
➜ Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
➜ Type-2 diabetes and associated Alzheimer Disease (AD).
➜ Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
➤Biotechnological developments:
➜ Protein nanotrap for pathogens based on CPEB phase separation.
➜ Enhancer of enzymatic activity: Q/N/W linker of a xylanase from Ruminococus flavefaciens (XYNA linker).
