Neuroinflamación asociada a la enfermedad de Parkinson; Análisis de la respuesta de linfocitos T asociada a enfermedades inflamatorias intestinales.

Si bien no he figurado como tutora o co-tutora oficial, he contribuido a la formación de varios profesionales que han pasado por el Laboratorio de Neuroinmunología para realizar sus tesis bajo la tutela del Dr. Rodrigo Pacheco. Los estudiantes a los que he ayudado a formar son los siguientes:

DOCTORADO:

Javier Campos: PhD student from the program of Doctorate of Biotechnology of Universidad Andrés Bello. Thesis entitled "Analysing the involvement of CD4+ T-cells in the gut-brain axis communication associated to Parkinson's disease". Started at March 2017 and currently ongoing. Expected to be finished at September 2021.

Zulmary Manjarres: PhD student from the program of Doctorate of Biological Science, mention in Fisiological Science of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. “Deciphering the role of the adaptive immunity in the microbiota-brain axis associated to Parkinson’s disease". Started at May 2020 and currently ongoing. Expected to be finished at March 2023.

MAGISTER:

Francisco Osorio: MSc student of Universidad de Chile. Thesis entitled "Determination of the role of dopamine receptor D5 in the inflammatory function of CD4+ T-cells". Started at March 2014 and currently ongoing. Finished at October 2016.

Nicole Rivera: MSc student performing thesis to obtain the title of Master on Biochemist (M.Sc.) by the Universidad Andrés Bello. Title of thesis: "Analysing the interphase of heteromers formed by chemokine receptors and dopamine receptors". Finished at October 2018.

Ornella Chovar: MSc student performing thesis to obtain the title of Master on Science (M.Sc.) by the Universidad de Chile. Title of thesis: "Role of dopamine receptor D3 in the cytotoxic response mediated by CD8+ T-cells". Finished at March 2019.

Paola Tiozzo: MSc student performing thesis to obtain the title of Master on Biochemist (M.Sc.) by the Universidad Andrés Bello. Title of thesis: "Role of dopamine receptor D2 signalling in T-cells in the development of inflammatory colitis ". Started at March 2018 and expected to be finished at March 2019.

UNIDADES DE INVESTIGACIÓN:

Nicole Rivera: Student of Bachelor in Biochemistry of Universidad Andrés Bello. Research Unit entitled "Analysing the cross-antagonism of dopamine receptors expressed in dendritic cells". Started at September 2015 and expected to be finished at December 2015.

Michelle Salazar: Engineer in Biotechnology, Universidad de Chile. Research Unit entitled "Evaluation of role of gut-microbiota in the protective effect of lack of dopamine receptor D3 in inflammatory colitis induced by dextran sodium sulfate". March 2017 - April 2017.

Paola Tiozzo: Student of Bachelor in Biochemistry of Universidad Andrés Bello. Research Unit entitled "Evaluating the role of dopamine receptor D2 signalling in T-cells in the development of inflammatory colitis". Started at September 2017 - February 2018.

Jacob Mora: Student of the PhD program in Immunology and Microbiology from Universidad San Sebastián. Research Unit entitled "Analysing dopaminergic receptors involved in T-cell mediated inflammation in the gut". Started at August 2021 and finished at December 2021.

I. Además de las publicaciones de artículos científicos, soy parte de los inventores en dos solicitudes de patente y una patente concedida:

Pacheco, R; González, H; Elgueta, D; Contreras, F; Ugalde, V (2017). “Attenuation of neurodegeneration associated to Parkinson’s disease by inhibition of dopamine receptor D3 on CD4+ T cells”. Granted Patent N°: 57424.

Pacheco, R; Ugalde, V; Contreras, F. ”Inflammatory Bowel Disease Therapy by inhibition of dopamine receptor”. Patent application to the with the USPTO as a receiving office. Application number: 62877720. Application date: 23 July 2020.

Pacheco R, Elgueta D, Chovar O, Ugalde V, López E, Becker MI, Lladser A, Quezada S. Regulatory T-cells expressing a chimeric antigen receptor specific to nitrated alpha-synuclein inhibit neurodegeneration in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease. Provisional patent application number US 63/110,819. Application date November 6th, 2020.

II. En los últimos 5 años he participado en los siguientes proyectos de Investigación:

2018. Michael J. Fox Foundation 10332.1 - Evaluating the therapeutic potential of the systemic antagonism of dopamine receptor D3 in the development of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in mice overexpressing alpha-synuclein (Research Assistant). Overall goal: to confirm the dopamine receptor D3 expressed in alpha-synuclein-specific T-cells as a therapeutic target for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

2018-2019. Michael J. Fox Foundation 15076 - Target Advancement program. Generation of regulatory CD4+ T cells with chimeric-antigen-receptors specific to nitrated-alpha-synuclein as a therapy to Parkinson’s disease (Research Assistant). Overall goal: to generate an antigen-specific suppressive immunotherapy for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and to test it in an animal model.

2019-2021. FONDECYT 1170093. Role of heteromers formed by chemokine receptors and dopamine receptors in the gut-homing of CD4+ T-cells in inflammatory bowel diseases (Research Assistant). Overall goal: to determine the in vivo relevance of a new kind of receptors found in inflammatory T-cells as key homing-receptors involved in the physiopathology of inflammatory bowel diseases.

2021-2025. FONDECYT 1210013. Deciphering the role of the heteromeric complex formed by dopamine receptors D2 and D3 in the control of regulatory T cell function in the gut mucosa (Research Assistant). Overall goal: To determine the relevance of the heteromer formed by dopamine receptors DRD2 and DRD3 in the control of homeostasis and oral tolerance in the gut mucosa in mouse models of inflammatory colitis.

III. Participación en Congresos:

Valentina Ugalde, Francisco Contreras, Alexandra Espinoza and Rodrigo Pacheco. Dopamine receptor D3 signalling reduces suppressive activity and limits migration of regulatory T cells into the gut mucosa. XXXIII annual meeting of the Chilean Society of Cell Biology. November 25-29th, 2019. Puerto Varas, Chile.

Rodrigo Pacheco, Francisco Contreras, and Valentina Ugalde. 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylethylamine mediated signalling limits regulatory T cells suppressive activity and their migration toward gut mucosa. 17th International congress of Immunology. October 19-23, 2019, Beijing, China.

Rodrigo Pacheco, Francisco Contreras, Hugo González, Daniela Elgueta, Carolina Prado, Valentina Ugalde. Dopamine-driven inflammation in the gut and the brain. Simposium "Neuro-Immune Response". XXIV meeting of the Latin American Association of Microbiology. November 13th, 2018, Santiago, Chile.

Rodrigo Pacheco, Francisco Contreras, Hugo González, Daniela Elgueta, Valentina Ugalde. Dopamine-driven inflammation in the gut and the brain. Simposium "Neuroimmune interactions in the gut-brain axis". XXXIX annual meeting of the Chilean Society of Pharmacology. November 22-25th, 2017. Puerto Varas, Chile.

Rodrigo Moraga-Amaro, Hugo González, Juan Donoso-Ramos, Valentina Ugalde, Patricio Rojas, Rodrigo Pacheco, Jimmy Stehberg. Dopamine Receptor type 5 knockout mice (D5RKO) show memory impairments but normal affective behavior. XXIX annual meeting of the Chilean Society for Cell Biology. October 25th-29th, 2015. Puerto Varas, Chile.