The Enamorado Lab at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Our Mission
Our laboratory focused on understanding the neuroimmune regulation of tissue injury and repair. Major areas of research include:
- Peripheral Neuroimmune Regulation of Injury and Repair at Barrier Tissues: Our lab delves into the dynamic interplay between immune cells and sensory neurons at barrier sites such as the skin, gut, nasal cavity, and lungs. We investigate how factors like microbiota and tissue injury impact sensory neuron development, regeneration, overgrowth, and degeneration. Also, we examine how sensory neurons influence wound healing, immune responses, inflammation, and sensation, extending our studies to areas like diabetic foot ulcers and other challenging non-healing chronic wounds.
- Brain Sensing of Tissue Injury and Repair: We also explore how the brain orchestrates peripheral responses to tissue injury and repair. Our investigation spans barrier tissues and visceral organs with high (liver, spleen, kidney, urinary bladder) and low (heart) repair rates. Our goal is to identify precise brain regions, neuronal circuits and neurotransmitters to advance strategies for promoting tissue restoration in response to injury.
- Impact of Tissue Injury and Repair on Mental Health: Another major area of our research is dedicated to understanding the consequences of tissue injury and repair on mental health disorders, including conditions like depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and addictive behaviors. We focus on the neuroimmune mechanisms underlying how non-healing chronic wounds and fibrotic organs contribute to the development of these psychological conditions and vice versa.
Our goal is to revolutionize the way chronic diseases (Diabetic Foot Ulcers, Pressure Ulcers Chronic Venous, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Cardiovascular Disease, Chronic Kidney Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Neuropathies and Chronic Pain Syndromes) and mental disorders related to tissue injury and repair are approached and treated. By advancing our understanding of the neuroimmune mechanisms at play, we will contribute to the development of personalized, targeted therapies that can make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients.
Our Approach
Research in our laboratory leverages a multidisciplinary approach, integrating cellular and molecular immunology, neurobiology, behavior, microbiology, and multi-omics techniques. We harness a wide range of preclinical models to explore injury and repair. More specifically, we utilize models of neuropathy, wound healing, nerve injury, ischemia reperfusion injury, traumatic injury and experimental burn models. Our primary goal is comprehending the complex interplay between microbiota, host immunity and sensory neuron within the barrier tissues in the context of tissue injury and repair, and how these biological processes are sensed and ultimately regulated by the brain. The neuroimmune mechanisms we unveil undergo rigorous validation using human tissues.
Research Funding
Our research is made possible by the generous support from our sponsors: NIH/NCI and NIH/NAID