PARTNER 1

Dr. Fernando Rodriguez de Fonseca MD PhD 

IMABIS Foundation.Avenida Carlos Haya 82. 7ª planta. 29010 Málaga, SPAIN

See Group Presentation

ROLE AND CONTRIBUTION

Dr. Rodriguez de Fonseca will be the Co-ordinator of the Consortium, and will lead both, the Executive Project Steering Committee and the Workpackages related to co-ordination of the RTD activities (WP9), integration of knowledge obtained in Workblocks 1 (Reprofiling) and WB2 (Biomakers) (Workpackage 7), as well as of dissemination activities (WP 8). His research group has a long expertise on in vivo and in vitro pharmacology, so they will assist to the development of WP1 and WP4 by providing patient samples from the Carlos Haya Hospital, as well as to WP2 and WP6 through its research unit on animals models of obesity.

SCIENTIFIC PROFILE

The research group of Dr. Rodriguez de Fonseca has 15 years of independent research on pharmacology, with special focus on the neuropharmacology of motivated behaviors and the pharmacology of obesity and related disorders. The group has published over 80 research articles, including the most reputated scientific journals, and has been involved in the generation of 4 industrial patents, all o them currently under exploitation by independent companies. With regard to obesity, he has been involved in the discovery of the central and peripheral role of GLP1 as a feeding regulator, he characterized for the first time the peripheral actions of endocannbinoids on appetite, he discovered the satiating lipid oleoylethanolamide, the first endogenous PPAR alpha agonists, and modelled synthetic analogs capable of reducing feeding and hyperlypidemia. The research group is located at the Carlos Haya Hospital, and collaborates with Dr. Federico Soriguer, Chief of the Endocrinology Department, one of the most repuatated spanish research groups in obesity.

CAPACITY TO PROVIDE CONTRIBUTION

The research group is currently developing 4 national projects on obesity and associated disorders. At the laboratory, the group is developing the following techniques: cell cultures and flow cytometry, second mesenger signalling, quantitative RT-PCR analysis, Western Blotting, sequencing, in situ hybridization hystochemistry, immunocytochemistry, ELISA, RIA, lipid biochemistry, receptor analysis, enzymatic activities, behavioral analysis, including in vivo pharmacology, microdialysis, surgical procedures. The group currently has established models of diet-induced obesity, and currently uses leptin signalling defficient Zucker rats and knock out animals for IL6, CB1, PPAR alpha receptors as models of metabolic disorders. In collaboration with the Institute of Quimica Medica, CSIC, Madrid, the group has characterized three new classes of antiobesity drugs, including a peripheral cannabinoid receptor antagonist, two of them patented

TEAM MEMBERS

Fernando Rodriguez de Fonseca, MD PhD, Male

Federico Soriguer Escofet, MD PhD Male

Gemma Rojo, PhD, Female

Francisco J. Bermudez Silva PhD, Male

Antonia Serrano PhD, Female

Juan Suarez Perez, PhD, Male  

Ana Palomino, MSc, Female

Mayi Vida, MSc, Female

RECENT RELEVANT PAPERS

1: Ferrer B, Bermudez-Silva FJ, Bilbao A, Alvarez-Jaimes L, Sanchez-Vera I,Giuffrida A, Serrano A, Baixeras E, Khaturia S, Navarro M, Parsons LH, Piomelli D, Rodriguez de Fonseca F. Regulation of brain anandamide by acute administration of ethanol. Biochem J. 2007 May 15;404(1):97-104.

2: Rodriguez de Fonseca F, Pavon-Moron FJ, Macias-Gonzalez M, Goya P, Cano C, Paez JA. Acyclic Sulfamide derivatives useful for the treatment of obesity and feeding disorders. PATENT WO 2007/085469 A1. PCT publication date 2 August 2007

3: Pavon FJ, Bilbao A, Hernandez-Folgado L, Cippitelli A, Jagerovic N, Abellan G, Rodriguez-Franco MA, Serrano A, Macias M, Gomez R, Navarro M, Goya P, Rodriguez de Fonseca F. Antiobesity effects of the novel in vivo neutral cannabinoid receptor antagonist 5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-hexyl-1H-1,2,4-triazole--LH 21. Neuropharmacology. 2006 Aug;51(2):358-66. Epub 2006 Jun 5.

4: Juan-Pico P, Fuentes E, Bermudez-Silva FJ, Javier Diaz-Molina F, Ripoll C, Rodriguez de Fonseca F, Nadal A. Cannabinoid receptors regulate Ca(2+) signals and insulin secretion in pancreatic beta-cell. Cell Calcium. 2006 Feb;39(2):155-62.

5: Fu J, Gaetani S, Oveisi F, Lo Verme J, Serrano A, Rodriguez De Fonseca F, Rosengarth A, Luecke H, Di Giacomo B, Tarzia G, Piomelli D. Oleylethanolamide regulates feeding and body weight through activation of the nuclear receptor PPAR-alpha. Nature. 2003 Sep 4;425(6953):90-3.