👩🏻‍⚕️ Expanding my knowledge on macrophage biology and Neuroinflammatory processes in health and neurodegenerative disorders, such as ALS. 🔬Spatial and single-cell transcriptomics, transgenic mouse models and human tissue analysis, imaging, iPSCs cell culture, Crispr genome editing and bioinformatic analysis.🔍 Co-led a study investigating the role of the integrin alpha-5 in ALS disease, that is now being developed as a monoclonal antibody treatment for ALS (in collaboration with Stanford University, the Mayo Clinic, and Pasithea Therapeutics).Our findings showed alpha5 intern as a driver of inflammation and revealed its expression by peripheral nerve macrophages and spinal cord microglial cells in ALS mice and post-mortem tissue from ALS patients.📖 https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2306731120📣 https://alsnewstoday.com/news/als-therapy-target-integrin-that-spurs-immune-cells-to-eat-neurons/🔍 I am currently co-leading a study focusing on enhancing our comprehension of macrophage biology in the inner ear. (Collaboration USA-Germany). This project aims to establish a robust foundation for future investigations into the involvement of macrophages in various health conditions, such as noise-induced hearing loss. This study is currently under review.🔍 Additionally, I am leading a project aimed at gaining deeper insights into immune cells in ALS disease. In ALS pathophysiology, inflammation driven by microglia and macrophages plays a pivotal role. Recognizing their plasticity, the project aims to modulate these adaptive cells. Through a comparative analysis of microglial cell profiles in the degenerating spinal cord and the preserved oculomotor neuron nucleus, the goal is to pinpoint distinct transcriptomic and proteomic profiles linked to either neurodegeneration or the protection of motor neurons.

🔍My main goal was to investigate the role of macrophages within the peripheral nervous system, particularly the sciatic nerve, in comparison to microglial cells in ALS disease, as they are easier to access for future therapies.Our comprehensive study showed that:- Macrophages exhibit a strong responses to the disease.- Monocyte-derived macrophages are crucial for the reactivity and activation of the sciatic nerve macrophages, but their contribution is minor in the spinal cord microglial cell population.- Macrophages in the nerve respond earlier to the disease than microglial cells, and display distinct transcriptomics changes. - Replacing macrophages the periphery with more trophic macrophages in an ALS mouse model led to a delayed symptomatic stage and increased survival. This effect was attributed not only to promoting protection in the peripheral nervous system but generating a neurotrophic response in the central nervous system, mediated by microglial cells.📖 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-020-00718-z📣 https://www.alzforum.org/news/research-news/can-muscle-macrophages-coax-spinal-cord-microglia-protect-neurons