Our work combines cellular and molecular approaches, animal physiology, pharmacological studies and includes translational research aimed to identify and validate biomarkers of MR activation in various diseases and novel therapeutic use of MR antagonists.
The current project is focused on comorbidities as consequences or origin of metabolic diseases, considering mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism (MRA) as a potential therapeutic strategy in this context. We propose that the activation of the MR is a common underlying mechanism and a therapeutic target in several comorbidities and diseases (cardiovascular, renal, metabolic, eye and skin diseases). We identified the Neutrophil Gelatinase associated Lipocalin as a downstream target of the MR that is mandatory in the deleterious effects of MR activation. Moreover several partnerships have been established with major pharmaceutical companies in order to characterize novel non-steroidal MRAs and their benefits in various comorbidities.