The complex intercommunication among cell types in their specific tissue environment or via organ crosstalk is essential for homeostasis, while alterations in such interplays lead to pathological situations. The aim of our group is to better understand the role of key signaling nodes in the maladaptive rewiring of cellular communication pathways in disease, with emphasis on G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) hub. GRK2 levels are altered in humans in prevalent cardiovascular and metabolic pathologies and in certain tumors. Therefore, understanding the molecular basis of such changes in GRK2 expression and its functional impact on cellular processes is critical to assess the feasibility of GRK2 as a useful diagnostic biomarker and/or of new therapeutic strategies based on the modulation of the activity, levels or specific interactions of this protein. In addition to its canonical role as GPCR regulator, GRK2 can directly interact with and/or phosphorylate non-GPCR components of transduction cascades. Our laboratory has pioneered the research on the characterization of different GRK2 interactomes, unveiled new mechanisms of regulation of GRK2 activity, expression and protein stability, uncovered new GRK2 substrates and interacting proteins, and first reported the participation of GRK2 in several relevant cellular processes and patho-physiological situations (angiogenesis, breast cancer, hypertension, cell cycle, cell migration, cardiac and whole-body insulin resistance). By using cellular and mouse models with altered GRK2 dosage (including tamoxifen-induced, tissue-specific deficient and/or mutant knock-in mice), we aim to gain insight on the stimuli and mechanisms triggering changes in GRK2 expression/functionality, on the impact of altering GRK2 in disease initiation and/or progression, and on the phenotypic integration of canonical and non-canonical GRK2 functions, both cell type- and tissue microenvironment-specific, in pathological conditions.

The main lines of research of our group are the following:

1. Study the role of GRK2 in the integration of tumor microenvironment (TME) cues in breast cancer. We investigate connections among tumor microenvironment stresses (such as hypoxia or stiffness), chemokine and growth factor-receptors and GRK2 interactors in the rewiring of breast cancer cells leading to metastatic features (in collaboration with P. Penela CBM lab)

2. Evaluate the impact of altering GRK2 functionality in epidermal homeostasis and keratinocyte-immune cells crosstalk. We are exploring how GRK2 deletion in keratinocytes affects the skin immune cell landscape, barrier function, skin-microbiome interaction and hair follicle homeostasis, leading to enhanced susceptibility to inflammatory diseases and squamous cell carcinomas (in collaboration with C. Ribas CBM lab).

3. Investigate the role of GRK2 in inflammation caused by Western Diets, high in saturated fats and free sugars, and its pathophysiological consequences. Specifically, we study the influence of GRK2 in myeloid cells on macrophage polarization processes and the molecular mechanisms involved, as well as the dynamics of early neutrophil infiltration in adipose tissue and the different infiltrating phenotypic subpopulations and tissular damage that can be found after diet. These research objectives involve active collaborations with other PIs of our CBMSO Unit, as well as our participation in international and national networks (European ITN, CIBER Cardiovascular (CIBER-CV, ISCIII), the INTEGRAMUNE Madrid Biomedicine network), and our affiliation to the Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Princesa.