Project at a glance

My group has two main research interests.

1. Clinical research on rheumatoid arthritis

2. Basic research on the biology of cytokines of the interleukin-1 family

The clinical research is focused on questions related to genetic and environmental factors influencing the outcome of rheumatoid arthritis, the response to therapies, and factors influencing the occurrence of cardiovascular events in this patient population. For these studies, we have access to a large national cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (approximately 6,000 patients) that includes different clinical measures of disease activity and severity, as well as radiographic measures of joint damage. In addition, we are establishing a biobank coupled to the clinical registry, which includes the collection of genomic DNA and serum.

My laboratory is interested in the regulation of expression and biological function of cytokines of the IL-1 family, in particular in the context of experimental models of inflammatory diseases. We have generated and are using different genetically modified mouse lines. We have a broad experience in models of arthritis and skin inflammation.