J. Arturo Garcia-Horsman

Our current research interest is in in vivo imaging. Our goal is on the development new tracers for inflammation, particularly for neuroinflammation, in order to develop tools for its early detection. Also, work is conducted to characterise models of neurodegenerative disease in rodents aimed to serve as a tool for the validation of new therapeutic approach against these diseases. We also have been working on the implication of neuropeptide metabolising enzymes on the molecular mechanisms of neuroinflammation, their roles on neurodegeneration and in clinical cases of multiple sclerosis and hepatic encephalopathy. This research focuses on prolyl specific peptidases as drug targets, studying their biochemistry, molecular biology and cell biology, their physiological relevance and the role on pathological processes from neurodegeneration to psychiatric disorders. This also involves the characterization of specific inhibitors. We also offer neuroimaging service for the research community, from tracer development to SPECT/CT imaging. We are part of Helsinki Institute of Life Science, and Biocenter Finland.