The identification of mechanisms and therapeutic targets for the design and assessment of new treatments to help restore cognitive and motor function.

We perform basic and translational research into cognitive and motor alterations in patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE), hyperammonemia, and exposure to food and environmental contaminants.

Our results indicate that the processes leading to cognitive and motor impairment in MHE involve both hyperammonemia and inflammation, which induce neuroinflammation that leads to the alteration of GABAergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission and cGMP, which in turn, causes cognitive and motor impairment.

Our research focuses on identifying the mechanisms by which:

  • Hyperammonemia and peripheral inflammation induce neuroinflammation.
  • Neuroinflammation impairs neurotransmission and cognitive and motor function.
  • Neuroinflammation, intra- and extra-cellular cGMP, and GABAergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission modulate each other as well as cognitive and motor function.

Unveiling these mechanisms (some of which are shared with other pathologies) will allow us to identify new disease targets and to assess novel therapeutic treatments that could help restore cognitive and motor function in patients with MHE.

Presentation

Get to know us better

Research Staff

The people who make it all possible

Vicente Felipo Orts
vfelipo@cipf.es

Marta Llansola Gil
mllansola@cipf.es

Maria Mar Martínez García
mmartinezg@cipf.es

Gergana Mincheva Ganeva
givaylova@cipf.es

María ángeles Pedrosa Sánchez
mapedrosa@cipf.es

Paula Izquierdo Altarejos
pizquierdo@cipf.es

Iván Atienza Pérez
iatienza@cipf.es

Andrea Palomares Rodríguez
apalomares@cipf.es

Lola Giner Pérez
lginer@cipf.es

Daniela A. Batallas Ureña
dbatallas@cipf.es

Publications

Our scientific contributions

Peripheral inflammation induces neuroinflammation that alters neurotransmission and cognitive and motor function in hepatic encephalopathy: Underlying mechanisms and therapeutic implications
Cabrera-Pastor A, Llansola M, Montoliu C, Malaguarnera M, Balzano T, Taoro-Gonzalez L, García-García R, Mangas-Losada A, Izquierdo-Altarejos P, Arenas YM, Leone P and Felipo V
Acta Physiologica, 2019 Jun,  DOI:  10.1111/apha.13270,  Vol. 226,  pag. 

Increasing extracellular cGMP in cerebellum in vivo reduces neuroinflammation, GABAergic tone and motor in-coordination in hyperammonemic rats
A. CABRERA-PASTOR, T. BALZANO, V. HERNANDEZ-RABAZA, M. MALAGUARNERA, M. LLANSOLA and V. FELIPO
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY, 2018 Mar,  DOI:  10.1016/j.bbi.2017.12.013,  Vol. 69,  pag. 386-398

Hepatic encephalopathy: effects of liver failure on brain function
V. FELIPO
NATURE REVIEWS NEUROSCIENCE, 2013 Dec,  DOI:  10.1038/nrn3587,  Vol. 14,  pag. 851-858

Hyperammonemia Induces Neuroinflammation That Contributes to Cognitive Impairment in Rats With Hepatic Encephalopathy
R. RODRIGO, O. CAULI, U. GOMEZ-PINEDO, A. AGUSTI, V. HERNANDEZ-RABAZA, J. GARCIA-VERDUGO and V. FELIPO
GASTROENTEROLOGY, 2010 Aug,  DOI:  10.1053/j.gastro.2010.03.040,  Vol. 139,  pag. 675-684

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