It is believed that memories are stored by modifications in synaptic connections between neurons. Two types of activity-dependent synaptic modifications are long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD), which have received considerable support to be considered as cellular memory mechanisms. I’m interested in understand the basic mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity, and how these are affected in different conditions such as aging or synaptopathy. Synaptopathies are a group of pathologies implying disruptions in synaptic structure and function, a common feature observed in different illness affecting central nervous system, such as neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders and as well as neurodegenerative diseases. Currently I’m interested in study how glutamatergic receptors and Pannexin 1 channels are implicated in synaptopathies, specially in Alzheimer disease.

1. Pablo Muñoz, Álvaro O. Ardiles, Boris Pérez, Cristián Nuñez, Andrea Paula-Lima, Christian González-Billault, Yolanda Espinosa-Parrilla. (2020). Redox modifications in synaptic components as biomarkers of cognitive status, in brain aging and disease. Accepted in Mechanisms of ageing and development.
2. Carolina Flores-Muñoz, Bárbara Gómez, Elena Mery, Ivana Gajardo, Paula Mujica, Claudio Córdova, Daniela López-Espíndola, Claudia Durán-Aniotz, Claudio Hetz, Pablo Muñoz Arlek González-Jamett, and Álvaro O. Ardiles. (2020). Acute Pannexin 1 blockade mitigates early synaptic plasticity deficits in Alzheimer’s disease model. Front. Cell. Neurosci. 14:46. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00046
3. Lily Yu-Li Chang, Alvaro O. Ardiles, Cheril Tapia-Rojas, Joaquín Araya, Nibaldo C. Inestrosa, Adrian G Palacios and Monica Liliana Acosta. (2020). Evidence of synaptic and neurochemical remodeling in the retina of ageing degus. Front. Neurosci. 14:161. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00161
4. Pablo Muñoz, Carolina Estay, Paula Díaz, Claudio Elgueta, Álvaro O. Ardiles, and Pablo A. Lizana. (2016). Inhibition of DNA Methylation Impairs Synaptic Plasticity during an Early Time Window in Rats. Neural Plasticity, 2016:4783836.
5. Salazar C, Valdivia G, Ardiles ÁO, Ewer J, Palacios AG. (2016). Genetic variants associated with neurodegenerative Alzheimer disease in natural models. Biol Res. 49:14
6. Gabriela Martínez, René L. Vidal, Pablo Mardones, Felipe G. Serrano, Alvaro O. Ardiles, Craig Wirth, Claudia Molina, Pamela Valdés, Peter Thielen, Cecilia Hidalgo, Bernard L. Schneider, Bredford Kerr, Jose Luis Valdés, Adrian G. Palacios, Nibaldo C. Inestrosa, Laurie H. Glimcher and Claudio Hetz. (2016). Regulation of memory formation by the transcription factor XBP1. Cell reports 14:1-13.
7. Hui Huang, Alvaro O. Ardiles, Sunggu Wang, Gonzalo Valdivia, Min Baek, Adrian Palacios, Michela Gallagher and Alfredo Kirkwood. (2016).  Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors Induce a Form of LTP Controlled by Translation and Arc Signaling in the hippocampus. J. Neurosci. 36:1723 –1729.
8. Lucia Y. Du, Lily Y-L. Chang, Alvaro O. Ardiles, Cheril Tapia-Rojas, Joaquin Araya, Nibaldo C. Inestrosa, Adrian G. Palacios, Monica L. Acosta. (2015). Alzheimer’s disease-related protein expression in the retina of aged Octodon degus. Plos One 10(8):e0135499.