The molecular parasitology and Immunology Lab’s mission is to develop novel anti-inflammatory drugs against sepsis and auto-immune diseases and empower education in parasite immunology sciences, by studying the immunomodulatory capacities of the parasitic helminths and using these properties in beneficies of human health. Knowing that our immune system co-evolved and shaped our immune system for millions of year along parasitic helminths and that these organisms are ‘master modulatory’ we aim at identifying and characterizing defined parasitic molecules with anti-inflammatory properties, understand the mechanisms underlying such immunomodulatory properties and develop anti-inflammatory drugs that can ameliorate the pathology and severity of autoimmune diseases.

Our Laboratory has been pioneer in demonstrating that molecules belonging to the fatty acid binding protein from the parasitic helminth Fasciola hepatica termed Fh12/Fh15, exhibit powerful inflammatory properties and that have been effective suppressing the cytokine storm and many inflammatory markers and increasing the survival rate in mouse and non-human primate sepsis models, respectively. Our lab. has been privileged with two USA patents associated to the use of Fh12/Fh15 as anti-inflammatory drugs (USA 15/156,284 and USA  16/280,999).

Current areas of Research Include (We are actively recruiting graduate students):

1. Determining optimal doses of Fh15 that maximize the therapeutic effect of this molecule in mouse and non-human primate sepsis models. Understanding the mechanims underlying these therapeutic effects.
2. To assess the efectiveness of Fh15 as biotherapeutic in a mouse model of ulcerous colitis. Characterizing the effect of the Fh15 treatment on the gut microbiome and understanding the mechanisms that make possible the therapeutic effect of Fh15 in this disease.
3. Determining if Fh15 can improve chemotherapy on experimental colitis-induced colorectal cancer.
4. Understanding the immune mechanism underlying the interaction between Fh15 and innate immune cells such as macrophages, dendritic cells and neutrophils.