Seminario – Sandra Jurado Sánchez

Oxytocin is a neuropeptide hormone synthesized in the hypothalamus involved in the modulation of vital homeostatic functions and complex behaviors such as social conduct, one of the aspects that have contributed to its popularity with adjectives like the “love hormone” or the “molecule of friendship.”

However, despite its important role as a neuromodulator, many details of the functioning and regulation of the oxytocinergic system remain unknown. Basic questions such as the specification of these circuits during development or how the release of oxytocin is controlled in response to different stimuli continue to be subjects of intense exploration. Advancing the knowledge of this type of signaling is of vital importance, as the alteration of these circuits has been related to numerous social behavior disorders such as autism or social anxiety.

In this seminar, I will present the latest advances made by my laboratory in the study of the oxytocin system. Our group implements innovative techniques that range from the reconstruction of circuits in 3D in the whole brain to in vivo molecular manipulations and behavioral analysis, with the aim of analyzing the formation of these systems during development, their plastic properties, and degeneration during healthy and pathological aging. These studies contribute to the basic understanding of the functioning of the oxytocin system and provide the building blocks for the development of new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of social deficits.