The Argentinian scientist Valeria Judkowski, from the Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, San Diego, California is currently visiting the IBioBA for a period of three months in the framework of the César Milstein Grant of the Raíces Program.
During her stay, she will carry out a collaborative project related to the identification of new molecules capable to interfere with the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) receptor. Given that the regulation of this pathway contributes to the development of neurological pathologies, as anxiety and depression, there is a constant need to identify new synthetic ligands capable of blocking this receptor and thus, with potential therapeutic effects.
Dr. Susana Silberstein laboratory at the IBioBA has developed and made available for this collaboration, a unique assay that allows the evaluation and identification of new molecules capable of blocking the CRH axis. Dr. Judkowski will not only contribute with her experience in the field of drug discovery but also her laboratory will provide a large collection of small molecule libraries specifically for this work.
This is a unique opportunity for the field in Argentina since there is an urgent need to identify new effective drugs to treat stress-related mood disorders that are getting more and more frequent nowadays.