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Christian Cea Del Río
Principal Investigator
Associate Professor, School of Medicine
PhD in Neuroscience, University of Valparaíso
Biochemist, Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso
Lines of Research:
Our laboratory studies inhibitory neural networks in different brain areas (somatosensory cortex, hippocampus and amygdala) to identify abnormal processes in neuronal communication, synaptic plasticity processes and biophysical, molecular and cellular properties that may be present in neurodevelopmental diseases. Specifically, we study a model of Fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited form of autism spectrum and intellectual deficit disorders. Utilising a multidisciplinary experimental approach, including mainly electrophysiological, optogenetic, pharmacological and molecular studies, we aim to answer questions related to the synaptic development of this type of disease, how abnormalities present in different brain areas are related to behaviours and phenotypes observed in the disease, and whether a pharmacological therapeutic intervention would allow the correction of some of these phenotypes.
Research Projects:
2020-2022 DICYT Regular 022001CDR, “Abnormal progression of mGluR-mediated neuromodulatory responses in FXS neurodevelopment”.
2016-2018 FONDECYT Iniciación 11150816, “Abnormal developmental progression of inhibitory neurotransmission in the somatosensory cortex of FXS”.
2013-2015 FRAXA Postdoctoral Fellowship, FRAXA Research Foundation for Fragile X Syndrome, “Cellular-specific therapeutic targeting of inhibitory circuits in FXS”.
Publications:
Milla Luis A., Corral Lucia, Rivera Jhanpool, Zuñiga Nolberto, Pino Gabriela, Nunez-Parra, Alexia, Cea-Del Rio Christian A. “Neurodevelopment and early pharmacological interventions in Fragile X Syndrome”. Frontiers in Neuroscience . Volume 17. 2023.
Matthew N. Svalin, Christian Cea-Del Rio, Abigail Levy, Serapio M. Baca, E. Mae, Guthman, Maya Opendak, Regina Sullivan, Diego Restrepo and Molly M. Huntsman. "Basolateral amygdala hyperexcitability is associated with precocious developmental emergence of fear-learning in Fragile X Syndrome". Journal of Neuroscience. Volume 42(38) 7294-7308. Sept 21, 2022.
Matthew Svalina, Eartha Guthman, Christian Cea Del-Rio, John Kushner, Serapio Baca, Diego Restrepo, and Molly Huntsman. "Hyperexcitability and loss of feedforward inhibition contribute to aberrant plasticity in the Fmr1KO amygdala”.
C.A. Cea-Del Rio, A. Nunez-Parra, S.M. Freedman, J.K. Kushner, A.L. Alexander, D. Restrepo, M.M. Huntsman. “Disrupted inhibitory plasticity and homeostasis in Fragile X syndrome”. Neurobiology of Disease, Volume 142. 2020.
Nunez-Parra Alexia, Cea-Del Rio Christian A., Huntsman Molly M., Restrepo Diego. “The Basal Forebrain Modulates Neuronal Response in an Active Olfactory Discrimination Task”. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. Volume 14. 2020
Bodaleo F, Tapia-Monsalves C, Cea-Del Rio C, Gonzalez-Billault C, Nunez-Parra A. “Structural and Functional Abnormalities in the Olfactory System of Fragile X Syndrome Models”. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience. May 28;12:135. 2019.
Peijun Li, Xiaoqin Fu, Nathan A. Smith, Julian Curiel, Milagros J. Tenga, Brandon Martin, Samuel Freedman, Christian Cea-Del Rio, Livio Oboti, Tammy N. Tsuchida, Chima Oluigbo, Amanda Yaun, Suresh N. Magge, Brent O’Neill, Amy Kao, Tesfaye G. Zelleke, Dewi T, Depositario-Cabacar, Svetlana Ghimbovich, Susan Knoblach, Chen-Ying Ho, Joshua Corbin, Howard P. Goodkin, Stefano Vicini, Molly M. Huntsman, William D. Gaillard, Gregorio Valdez, and Judy S. Liu. “Loss of Clock results in dysfunction of brain circuits underlying focal epilepsy”. Neuron. Oct 11;96(2):387-401.e6. 2017.
Gonzalez MI, Grabenstatter HL, Cea-Del Rio CA, Cruz del Angel Y, Carlsen J, Laoprasert R; White AM; Huntsman MM, Brooks-Kayal A. “Seizure-Related Regulation of GABAA Receptors in Spontaneously Epileptic Rats”. Neurobiology of Disease. Mar 11;77:246-256. 2015.
Cea-del Rio CA, Huntsman MM (2014)."The contribution of inhibitory interneurons to circuit dysfunction in Fragile X Syndrome". Front. Cell Neurosci. Aug 25; 8:245.2014.
Cea-del Rio CA, McBain CJ and Pelkey KA.“An update on cholinergic regulation of cholecystokinin-expressing basket cells”. Journal of Phisiology. Feb 21;590(Pt 4):695-702. 2012
Cea-Del Rio CA, Lawrence JJ, Erdelyi F, Szabo G, McBain CJ. “Cholinergic modulation amplifies the intrinsic oscillatory properties of CA1 hippocampal cholecystokinin positive interneurons”. Journal of Phisiology. Feb 1;589(Pt 3):609-27. 2011
Cea-del Rio CA, Lawrence JJ, Tricoire L, Erdelyi F, Szabo G, McBain CJ. “M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor expression confers differential cholinergic modulation to neurochemically distinct hippocampal basket cell subtypes”. Journal of Neuroscience. Apr 28;30(17):6011-24. 2010
Cea-Del Rio CA and Tricoire L. “Illuminating cholinergic microcircuits in the neocortex”. Journal of Neuroscience. 27(45):12119-20. 2007
Cea C, Brauchi S, Bacigalupo J and Reyes J. “Apoptosis induced by prolonged exposure to odorants in cultured cells from rat olfactory epithelium”. Brain Research, 1103(1): 114-22. 2006
Brauchi S, Alfaro I, Brito M, Cea C, Rauch MC, Concha I, Benos DJ and Reyes JG. (2005). “Kinetics, molecular basis and differentiation of L(+)-Lactate transport in spermatogenic cells”. American Journal Physiology. 288(3):C523-534. 2005
Other Publications:
Christian Cea Del Río, Juan Pablo Ciudad Pérez, Gilberto Godoy Méndez, Lorna Luco Canales, Wilheim Navarro Navarro, María Angélica Sotomayor Saavedra, Lorena Sulz Echeverría, Jairo Vanegas López, Nicolás Vega Fuentes y Claudia Villalobos Morales. Capitulo “Guía para estudiantes y académicos” in the book “Ética y seguridad en la investigación. Aprendizaje y desafíos”. Ediciones UC, December 2022.