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Sylvette Ayala-Peña

TitlePhD
Faculty RankAssociate Professor
InstitutionUniversity of Puerto Rico
DepartmentSchool of Medicine
AddressUPR Medical Sciences Campus, School of Medicine
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
San Juan PR 936
Phone7877582525
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    Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder for which no treatment has been identified to prevent, limit, or cure symptoms of involuntary choreiform movements, behavioral abnormalities, dementia, and motor dysfunction as a result of neuronal loss in the striatum and cerebral cortex. Although it is known that HD is caused by mutations in the huntingtin gene, the causality of this mutation in the mechanism of neuronal loss remains unknown. Compelling evidence suggests that increased oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction contribute to the pathophysiology of HD, thus, a better understanding of why mitochondrial dysfunction may arise during HD neurodegeneration could provide the basis for the development of new pharmacological interventions to delay disease onset and progression. We apply cellular, biochemical and molecular approaches using both in vitro and in vivo experimental models of HD. We also test small molecules with antioxidant activity as interventions to prevent onset and/or progression of the disease. Because aging is the main risk factor for chronic diseases and is associated with increased DNA damage and decreased DNA repair capacity, we are also studying the role of mitochondria in diabetes, an age-associated disorder, and testing pharmacological interventions that may protect mtDNA integrity and mitochondrial function.

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    Collapse selected publications
    Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.
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    PMC Citations indicate the number of times the publication was cited by articles in PubMed Central, and the Altmetric score represents citations in news articles and social media. (Note that publications are often cited in additional ways that are not shown here.) Fields are based on how the National Library of Medicine (NLM) classifies the publication's journal and might not represent the specific topic of the publication. Translation tags are based on the publication type and the MeSH terms NLM assigns to the publication. Some publications (especially newer ones and publications not in PubMed) might not yet be assigned Field or Translation tags.) Click a Field or Translation tag to filter the publications.
    1. Nadalutti CA, Ayala-Pe?a S, Santos JH. Mitochondrial DNA damage as driver of cellular outcomes. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2022 02 01; 322(2):C136-C150. PMID: 34936503.
      Citations: 21     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    2. M Parodi-Rull?n R, Chapa-Dubocq X, Guzm?n-Hern?ndez R, Jang S, A Torres-Ramos C, Ayala-Pe?a S, Javadov S. The Role of Adenine Nucleotide Translocase in the Assembly of Respiratory Supercomplexes in Cardiac Cells. Cells. 2019 10 13; 8(10). PMID: 31614941.
      Citations: 7     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    3. Preston AM, Rodr?guez-Orengo J, Gonz?lez-Sep?lveda L, Ayala-Pe?a S, Maldonado-Maldonado E. Effect of Housing Type on 25 OH Vitamin D in Serum of Rhesus Monkeys. P R Health Sci J. 2018 06; 37(2):124-127. PMID: 29905924.
      Citations:    Fields:    Translation:Animals
    4. De Mello WC, Gerena Y, Ayala-Pe?a S. Angiotensins and Huntington's Disease: A Study on Immortalized Progenitor Striatal Cell Lines. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2017; 8:108. PMID: 28596754.
      Citations: 3     Fields:    
    5. Ballista-Hern?ndez J, Mart?nez-Ferrer M, V?lez R, Climent C, S?nchez-V?zquez MM, Torres C, Rodr?guez-Mu?oz A, Ayala-Pe?a S, Torres-Ramos CA. Mitochondrial DNA Integrity Is Maintained by APE1 in Carcinogen-Induced Colorectal Cancer. Mol Cancer Res. 2017 07; 15(7):831-841. PMID: 28360037.
      Citations: 9     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    6. Pad?n-Irizarry V, Col?n-Lorenzo EE, Vega-Rodr?guez J, Castro Mdel R, Gonz?lez-M?ndez R, Ayala-Pe?a S, Serrano AE. Glutathione-deficient Plasmodium berghei parasites exhibit growth delay and nuclear DNA damage. Free Radic Biol Med. 2016 06; 95:43-54. PMID: 26952808.
      Citations: 4     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    7. Polyzos A, Holt A, Brown C, Cosme C, Wipf P, Gomez-Marin A, Castro MR, Ayala-Pe?a S, McMurray CT. Mitochondrial targeting of XJB-5-131 attenuates or improves pathophysiology in HdhQ150 animals with well-developed disease phenotypes. Hum Mol Genet. 2016 05 01; 25(9):1792-802. PMID: 26908614.
      Citations: 33     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    8. Budworth H, Harris FR, Williams P, Lee DY, Holt A, Pahnke J, Szczesny B, Acevedo-Torres K, Ayala-Pe?a S, McMurray CT. Suppression of Somatic Expansion Delays the Onset of Pathophysiology in a Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. PLoS Genet. 2015 Aug; 11(8):e1005267. PMID: 26247199.
      Citations: 51     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    9. Escobales N, Nu?ez RE, Jang S, Parodi-Rullan R, Ayala-Pe?a S, Sacher JR, Skoda EM, Wipf P, Frontera W, Javadov S. Mitochondria-targeted ROS scavenger improves post-ischemic recovery of cardiac function and attenuates mitochondrial abnormalities in aged rats. J Mol Cell Cardiol. 2014 Dec; 77:136-46. PMID: 25451170.
      Citations: 50     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    10. Jansen RJ, Fonseca-Williams S, Bamlet WR, Ayala-Pe?a S, Oberg AL, Petersen GM, Torres-Ramos CA. Detection of DNA damage in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from pancreatic cancer patients. Mol Carcinog. 2015 Oct; 54(10):1220-6. PMID: 25111947.
      Citations: 4     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    11. L?pez-L?pez L, Nieves-Plaza M, Castro Mdel R, Font YM, Torres-Ramos CA, Vil? LM, Ayala-Pe?a S. Mitochondrial DNA damage is associated with damage accrual and disease duration in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Lupus. 2014 Oct; 23(11):1133-41. PMID: 24899636.
      Citations: 18     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    12. Ayala-Pe?a S. Role of oxidative DNA damage in mitochondrial dysfunction and Huntington's disease pathogenesis. Free Radic Biol Med. 2013 Sep; 62:102-110. PMID: 23602907.
      Citations: 59     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    13. Xun Z, Rivera-S?nchez S, Ayala-Pe?a S, Lim J, Budworth H, Skoda EM, Robbins PD, Niedernhofer LJ, Wipf P, McMurray CT. Targeting of XJB-5-131 to mitochondria suppresses oxidative DNA damage and motor decline in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. Cell Rep. 2012 Nov 29; 2(5):1137-42. PMID: 23122961.
      Citations: 76     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    14. Siddiqui A, Rivera-S?nchez S, Castro Mdel R, Acevedo-Torres K, Rane A, Torres-Ramos CA, Nicholls DG, Andersen JK, Ayala-Torres S. Mitochondrial DNA damage is associated with reduced mitochondrial bioenergetics in Huntington's disease. Free Radic Biol Med. 2012 Oct 01; 53(7):1478-88. PMID: 22709585.
      Citations: 71     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    15. Castro Mdel R, Suarez E, Kraiselburd E, Isidro A, Paz J, Ferder L, Ayala-Torres S. Aging increases mitochondrial DNA damage and oxidative stress in liver of rhesus monkeys. Exp Gerontol. 2012 Jan; 47(1):29-37. PMID: 22027539.
      Citations: 33     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    16. Ayala-Torres S, Chen Y, Svoboda T, Rosenblatt J, Van Houten B. Analysis of gene-specific DNA damage and repair using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Methods. 2000 Oct; 22(2):135-47. PMID: 11020328.
      Citations: 113     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    17. Johnson BH, Russell MJ, Krylov AS, Medh RD, Ayala-Torres S, Regner JL, Thompson EB. Structure-apoptotic potency evaluations of novel sterols using human leukemic cells. Lipids. 2000 Mar; 35(3):305-15. PMID: 10783008.
      Citations:    Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    18. Thompson EB, Medh RD, Zhou F, Ayala-Torres S, Ansari N, Zhang W, Johnson BH. Glucocorticoids, oxysterols, and cAMP with glucocorticoids each cause apoptosis of CEM cells and suppress c-myc. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 1999 Apr-Jun; 69(1-6):453-61. PMID: 10419025.
      Citations: 7     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    19. Ayala-Torres S, Zhou F, Thompson EB. Apoptosis induced by oxysterol in CEM cells is associated with negative regulation of c-myc. Exp Cell Res. 1999 Jan 10; 246(1):193-202. PMID: 9882528.
      Citations: 7     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    20. Thompson EB, Ayala-Torres S. Oxysterols and apoptosis: evidence for gene regulation outside the cholesterol pathway. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol. 1999; 34(1):25-32. PMID: 10090469.
      Citations: 3     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    21. Hodgson AV, Ayala-Torres S, Thompson EB, Liehr JG. Estrogen-induced microsatellite DNA alterations are associated with Syrian hamster kidney tumorigenesis. Carcinogenesis. 1998 Dec; 19(12):2169-72. PMID: 9886574.
      Citations: 4     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    22. Ayala-Torres S, Moller PC, Johnson BH, Thompson EB. Characteristics of 25-hydroxycholesterol-induced apoptosis in the human leukemic cell line CEM. Exp Cell Res. 1997 Aug 25; 235(1):35-47. PMID: 9281350.
      Citations: 13     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    23. Johnson BH, Ayala-Torres S, Chan LN, El-Naghy M, Thompson EB. Glucocorticoid/oxysterol-induced DNA lysis in human leukemic cells. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 1997 Apr; 61(1-2):35-45. PMID: 9328208.
      Citations: 5     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    24. Ayala-Torres S, Johnson BH, Thompson EB. Oxysterol sensitive and resistant lymphoid cells: correlation with regulation of cellular nucleic acid binding protein mRNA. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 1994 Mar; 48(4):307-15. PMID: 8142309.
      Citations: 1     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
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