Biomedical Cytology Laboratory

Dr. Gonzalez's laboratory has contributed to the knowledge of the movement of proteins between the surface and certain internal compartments of the cell. Due to their varied implications for cell shape and their interactions with the environment and other cells, the following topics are being studied: (i) cellular plasticity and intracellular trafficking of therapeutically useful receptors in cancer; (ii) the pathogenic mechanisms of autoantibodies that can enter the brain and alter neuronal functions associated with memory and behavior, causing cognitive dysfunction and even psychosis. The NSPA (neuronal surface P antigen) protein, discovered in Dr. González's laboratory, and the galectin-8 protein, a partial interpreter of the glycan code in the body, are being studied as antigenic targets.