Pharmacological targets in inflammation and metabolic diseases

Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Medicinal Chemistry

Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, UB

Manuel Vázquez Carrera
ORCID ID: 0000-0001-7138-8207
Tel +34 934024531
https://www.ub.edu/portal/web/dp-farmacologia/dianes-farmacologiques-en-inflamacio-i-malalaties-metaboliques

Principal investigator: • Manuel Vázquez Carrera
Researcher: • Francisco Javier Palomer Tarrida
Investigator Post-Doc: • Marta Montori Grau   PhD students FPI: •Claudia Escalona Zuber • Jue-Rui Wang • Siyuan Wu

Manuel-Vázquez-Carrera

Current
Research

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. To evaluate the molecular mechanisms by which PPARbeta/delta agonists prevent inflammation and insulin resistance.
  2. To study the molecular mechanisms responsible for metabolic alterations in diabetic cardiomyopathy.
  3. To study how oleic acid prevents saturated fatty acid-induced insulin resistance.
  4. To develop a new ora drug for the treatment of insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease through the increase of hepatic FGF21.

Selected
Publications

Increased hepatic gluconeogenesis and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Barroso E, Jurado-Aguilar J, Wahli W, Palomer X, Vázquez-Carrera M.
Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2024 Dec;35(12):1062-1077. doi: 10.1016/j.tem.2024.05.006. Epub 2024 May 29.

PPARβ/δ prevents inflammation and fibrosis during diabetic cardiomyopathy.
Rostami A, Palomer X, Pizarro-Delgado J, Barroso E, Valenzuela-Alcaraz B, Crispi F, Nistal JF, Hurlé MA, García R, Wahli W, Vázquez-Carrera M.
Pharmacol Res. 2024 Dec;210:107515.

GDF15 activates AMPK and inhibits gluconeogenesis and fibrosis in the liver by attenuating the TGF-β1/SMAD3 pathway.
Jurado-Aguilar J, Barroso E, Bernard M, Zhang M, Peyman M, Rada P, Valverde ÁM, Wahli W, Palomer X, Vázquez-Carrera M.
Metabolism. 2024 Mar;152:155772. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2023.155772.

A positive feedback loop between AMPK and GDF15 promotes metformin antidiabetic effects.
Aguilar-Recarte D, Barroso E, Zhang M, Rada P, Pizarro-Delgado J, Peña L, Palomer X, Valverde ÁM, Wahli W, Vázquez-Carrera M.
Pharmacol Res. 2023 Jan;187:106578. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106578.

GDF15 mediates the metabolic effects of PPARβ/δ by activating AMPK.
Aguilar-Recarte D, Barroso E, Gumà A, Pizarro-Delgado J, Peña L, Ruart M, Palomer X, Wahli W, Vázquez-Carrera M.
Cell Rep. 2021 Aug 10;36(6):109501. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109501.

Selected
Publications

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Author

Identification

Zarei, M.; Barroso, E.; Leiva, R.; Barniol-Xicota, M.; Pujol, E.; Escolano, C.; Vázquez, S.; Palomer, X.; Pardo, V.; González-Rodríguez, Á.; Valverde, Á.M.; Quesada-López, T.; Villarroya, F.; Wahli, W.; Vázquez-Carrera, M. Heme-Regulated eIF2α Kinase Modulates Hepatic FGF21 and Is Activated by PPARβ/δ Deficiency. Diabetes 65:3185-99, 2016. doi: 10.2337/db16-0155.

 

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Author

Identification

Zarei, M.; Barroso, E.; Palomer, X.; Dai, J.; Rada, P.; Quesada-López, T.; Escolà-Gil, J.C.; Cedó, L.; Zali, M.R.; Molaei, M.; Dabiri, R.; Vázquez, S.; Pujol, E.; Valverde, Á.M.; 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. 8:117-131, 2018. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2017.12.008.

 

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Author

Identification

Botteri, G.; Montori, M.; Gumà, A.; Pizarro, J.; Cedó, L.; Escolà-Gil, J.C.; Li, D.; Barroso, E.; Palomer, X.; Kohan, A.B.; Vázquez-Carrera, M. VLDL and apolipoprotein CIII induce ER stress and inflammation and attenuate insulin signalling via Toll-like receptor 2 in mouse skeletal muscle cells. Diabetologia 60:2262-2273, 2017. doi: 10.1007/s00125-017-4401-5.

 

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Author

Identification

Vázquez-Carrera, M. Unraveling the Effects of PPARβ/δ on Insulin Resistance and Cardiovascular Disease. Trends Endocrinol. Metab. 27:319-334, 2016. doi: 10.1016/j.tem.2016.02.008

 

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Author

Identification

Palomer, X.; Capdevila-Busquets, E.; Botteri, G.; Davidson, M.M.; Rodríguez, C.; Martínez-González, J.; Vidal, F.; Barroso, E.; Chan, T.O.; Feldman, A.M.; Vázquez-Carrera, M. miR-146a targets Fos expression in human cardiac cells. Dis. Model Mech. 8:1081-91, 2015. doi: 10.1242/dmm.020768.

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