The incidence of diabetes around the world has not stopped growing in recent decades. Therefore, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Diabetes Federation (FID) promoted the establishment of World Diabetes Day, to increase public awareness of this health problem. In the SEF there are several researchers who work on the better understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease and on the search for new treatments that allow to reduce the deleterious effects of this pathology on the body. Today we present the group of Dr. Manuel Vázquez Career at the University of Barcelona.
- Who we are?
Our research group “Pharmacological targets in inflammation and metabolic diseases” belongs to the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Chemistry at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences of the University of Barcelona (UB). In addition, we also belong to the Institute of Biomedicine of the UB, to the CIBER of diabetes and associated metabolic Diseases and to the Research Institute Sant Joan de Deu. Currently, the group is composed by a professor (Manuel Vázquez Carrera), an associate professor (Xavier Palomer), a Serra Hunter tenure-eligible lecturer (Emma Barroso), a postdoctoral Researcher (Marta Montori) and four predoctoral Researchers (Javier Jurado, Adel Rostani, Mona Peyman and Meijian Zhang).
Línea/s líneas de investigación del grupo
Our main research topic is the study of the molecular mechanisms involved in the link between inflammation and insulin resistance. Specifically, we are interested in:
1. Evaluating the molecular mechanisms by which PPAR agonists prevent inflammation and insulin resistance.
2. Studying the molecular mechanisms responsible for metabolic alterations in diabetic cardiomyopathy.
3. Studying how oleic acid prevents saturated fatty acid-induced insulin resistance.
- Proyectos relevantes
. Study of the antidiabetic actions of the stress cytokine GDF15. .
. Searching for new prodiabetic effects of the saturated fatty acid palmitate. .
. Exploring new mechanisms involved in diabetic cardiomiopathy and its potential inhibition by PPARbeta/delta agonists.
- Contributions of the group to the field of Researc
. The stress-cytokine GDF15 mediates the antidiabetic effects of PPARbeta/delta agonists through a receptor different to GFRAL.
. GDF15 activates AMPK independently of GFRAL.
. HRI activators are a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus by increasing FGF21 levels.
. SIRT3-mediated inhibition of FOS through histone H3 deacetylation prevents cardiac fibrosis and inflammation.
- Latest published Works
. Aguilar-Recarte D, Barroso E, Palomer X, Wahli W, Vázquez-Carrera M. Knocking on GDF15’s door for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2022 Sep 20:S1043-2760(22)00163-1.
. Espinosa-Jiménez T, Busquets O, Cano A, Sánchez-López E, Verdaguer E, Parcerisas A, Olloquequi J, Auladell C, Folch J, Wahli W, Vázquez-Carrera M, Camins A, Ettcheto M. Peroxisomal Proliferator-Activated Receptor β/δ Deficiency Induces Cognitive Alterations. Front Pharmacol. 2022 Jul 11;13:902047.
. Vázquez-Carrera M, Wahli W. PPARs as Key Mediators in the Regulation of Metabolism and Inflammation. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Apr 30;23(9):5025.
. Montori-Grau M, Aguilar-Recarte D, Zarei M, Pizarro-Delgado J, Palomer X, Vázquez-Carrera M. Endoplasmic reticulum stress downregulates PGC-1α in skeletal muscle through ATF4 and an mTOR-mediated reduction of CRTC2. Cell Commun Signal. 2022 Apr 15;20(1):53.
. Aguilar-Recarte D, Palomer X, Wahli W, Vázquez-Carrera M. The PPARβ/δ-AMPK Connection in the Treatment of Insulin Resistance. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Aug 9;22(16):8555.
. Aguilar-Recarte D, Barroso E, Gumà A, Pizarro-Delgado J, Peña L, Ruart M, Palomer X, Wahli W, Vázquez-Carrera M. GDF15 mediates the metabolic effects of PPARβ/δ by activating AMPK. Cell Rep. 2021 Aug 10;36(6):109501.
. Codony S, Calvó-Tusell C, Valverde E, Osuna S, Morisseau C, Loza MI, Brea J, Pérez C, Rodríguez-Franco MI, Pizarro-Delgado J, Corpas R, Griñán-Ferré C, Pallàs M, Sanfeliu C, Vázquez-Carrera M, Hammock BD, Feixas F, Vázquez S. From the Design to the In Vivo Evaluation of Benzohomoadamantane-Derived Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Inhibitors for the Treatment of Acute Pancreatitis. J Med Chem. 2021 May 13;64(9):5429-5446.
. Palomer X, Aguilar-Recarte D, García R, Nistal JF, Vázquez-Carrera M. Sirtuins: To Be or Not To Be in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy. Trends Mol Med. 2021 Jun;27(6):554-571.
. Sala E, Vived C, Luna J, Saavedra-Ávila NA, Sengupta U, Castaño AR, Villar-Pazos S, Haba L, Verdaguer J, Ropero AB, Stratmann T, Pizarro J, Vázquez-Carrera M, Nadal A, Lahti JM, Mora C. CDK11 Promotes Cytokine-Induced Apoptosis in Pancreatic Beta Cells Independently of Glucose Concentration and Is Regulated by Inflammation in the NOD Mouse Model. Front Immunol. 2021 Feb 10;12:634797.
. Barroso E, Rodríguez-Rodríguez R, Zarei M, Pizarro-Degado J, Planavila A, Palomer X, Villarroya F, Vázquez-Carrera M. SIRT3 deficiency exacerbates fatty liver by attenuating the HIF1α-LIPIN 1 pathway and increasing CD36 through Nrf2. Cell Commun Signal. 2020 Sep 10;18(1):147.
. Zarei M, Aguilar-Recarte D, Palomer X, Vázquez-Carrera M. Revealing the role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor β/δ in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Metabolism. 2021 Jan;114:154342.
. Codony S, Pujol E, Pizarro J, Feixas F, Valverde E, Loza MI, Brea JM, Saez E, Oyarzabal J, Pineda-Lucena A, Pérez B, Pérez C, Rodríguez-Franco MI, Leiva R, Osuna S, Morisseau C, Hammock BD, Vázquez-Carrera M, Vázquez S. 2-Oxaadamant-1-yl Ureas as Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Inhibitors: In Vivo Evaluation in a Murine Model of Acute Pancreatitis. J Med Chem. 2020 Sep 10;63(17):9237-9257.
. Palomer X, Román-Azcona MS, Pizarro-Delgado J, Planavila A, Villarroya F, Valenzuela-Alcaraz B, Crispi F, Sepúlveda-Martínez Á, Miguel-Escalada I, Ferrer J, Nistal JF, García R, Davidson MM, Barroso E, Vázquez-Carrera M. SIRT3-mediated inhibition of FOS through histone H3 deacetylation prevents cardiac fibrosis and inflammation. Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2020 Feb 28;5(1):14.
. Zarei M, Pizarro-Delgado J, Barroso E, Palomer X, Vázquez-Carrera M. Targeting FGF21 for the Treatment of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis. Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2020 Mar;41(3):199-208.
. Márquez A, Aymerich J, Dei M, Rodríguez-Rodríguez R, Vázquez-Carrera M, Pizarro-Delgado J, Giménez-Gómez P, Merlos Á, Terés L, Serra-Graells F, Jiménez-Jorquera C, Domínguez C, Muñoz-Berbel X. Reconfigurable multiplexed point of Care System for monitoring type 1 diabetes patients. Biosens Bioelectron. 2019 Jul 1;136:38-46.
. Zarei M, Pujol E, Quesada-López T, Villarroya F, Barroso E, Vázquez S, Pizarro-Delgado J, Palomer X, Vázquez-Carrera M. Oral administration of a new HRI activator as a new strategy to improve high-fat-diet-induced glucose intolerance, hepatic steatosis, and hypertriglyceridaemia through FGF21. Br J Pharmacol. 2019 Jul;176(13):2292-2305.
. Palomer X, Pizarro-Delgado J, Vázquez-Carrera M. Emerging Actors in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy: Heartbreaker Biomarkers or Therapeutic Targets? Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2018 May;39(5):452-467.
. Botteri G, Salvadó L, Gumà A, Lee Hamilton D, Meakin PJ, Montagut G, Ashford MLJ, Ceperuelo-Mallafré V, Fernández-Veledo S, Vendrell J, Calderón-Dominguez M, Serra D, Herrero L, Pizarro J, Barroso E, Palomer X, Vázquez-Carrera M. The BACE1 product sAPPβ induces ER stress and inflammation and impairs insulin signaling. Metabolism. 2018 Aug;85:59-75.
. Palomer X, Pizarro-Delgado J, Barroso E, Vázquez-Carrera M. Palmitic and Oleic Acid: The Yin and Yang of Fatty Acids in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2018 Mar;29(3):178-190.
. Zarei M, Barroso E, Palomer X, Dai J, Rada P, Quesada-López T, Escolà-Gil JC, Cedó L, Zali MR, Molaei M, Dabiri R, Vázquez S, Pujol E, Valverde ÁM, Villarroya F, Liu Y, Wahli W, Vázquez-Carrera M. Hepatic regulation of VLDL receptor by PPARβ/δ and FGF21 modulates non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Mol Metab. 2018 Feb;8:117-131.
