Astrid Cardona, Ph.D.
Associate Professor UTSA/Biology
Dr. Astrid Cardona’s research is focused on investigations of the immune-pathology associated with chronic inflammatory diseases that affect the central nervous system, including multiple sclerosis and diabetes.
Dr. Cardona is particularly interested in determining the contribution of fractalkine signaling on myeloid cells during neuroinflammation. Although fractalkine and its receptor CX3CR1, are mainly expressed in the CNS by neurons and microglia respectively, they also have a distinctive peripheral pattern of expression. Fractalkine is found at in endothelial and epithelial cells and circulating monocytes, dendritic cells and NK cells express CX3CR1.
Some of the questions we are addressing include: Does CX3CR1 play a role in the trafficking of microglial precursors? Does CX3CR1-deficiency on microglia or peripheral cells enhance neuronal/axonal pathology? How does CX3CR1-deficiency alter CNS immune responses? We intend to clarify the role of fractalkine/CX3CR1 in the brain, research that is instrumental for potential development of therapeutic agents.
