Rodrigo Morales Castro
Assistant Professor
E-mail: rodrigo.morales@ki.se
Visiting address: ,
Postal address: H5 Laboratoriemedicin, H5 Klin immunologi Bergman, 141 52 Huddinge
Part of:
- Department of Laboratory Medicine
- Division of Clinical Immunology at Labmed
- Primary Immunodeficiency, Innate Immunity and Antimicrobial peptides – Peter Bergman Research Group/The AMP-group
About me
My research goal is to understand the basis of inflammatory responses during tissue damage at a cellular and molecular level, and specifically investigate how different immune players modulate tissue repair and regeneration. I have specialized in the application of zebrafish models to study in real-time the role of immune cells during tissue damage and regeneration. I joined Karolinska Institutet with the goal of developing new zebrafish models to study in vivo the immunological mechanisms leading to the initiation and treatment of chronic intestinal pathologies, such as Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). My long-term goal is to address with zebrafish clinically relevant questions which remain challenging due to the limitations of classical animal models or in vitro approaches.
Articles
- Article: PROGRESS IN NEURO-PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. 2025;142:111487Benrejdal L; Hubená P; Brodin D; Morales Castro RA; Rekha RS; Winberg S; Bergman P
- Article: MUCOSAL IMMUNOLOGY. 2025;18(4):836-847Morales Castro RA; Kern BC; Díaz-Basabe A; Meinen ER; Zhao D; Zhou Y; Castillo F; Monasterio G; Farcas V; Chávez MN; Fransson J; Villablanca EJ
- Article: NATURE. 2025;637(8048):1198-1206Das S; Parigi SM; Luo X; Fransson J; Kern BC; Okhovat A; Diaz OE; Sorini C; Czarnewski P; Webb AT; Morales RA; Lebon S; Monasterio G; Castillo F; Tripathi KP; He N; Pelczar P; Schaltenberg N; De la Fuente M; Lopez-Kostner F; Nylen S; Larsen HL; Kuiper R; Antonson P; Hermoso MA; Huber S; Biton M; Scharaw S; Gustafsson J-A; Katajisto P; Villablanca EJ
- Article: ISCIENCE. 2024;27(12):111406Chavez MN; Arora P; Meer M; Marques IJ; Ernst A; Morales Castro RA; Mercader N
- Article: NATURE COMMUNICATIONS. 2023;14(1):8402Pennacchietti F; Alvelid J; Morales RA; Damenti M; Ollech D; Oliinyk OS; Shcherbakova DM; Villablanca EJ; Verkhusha VV; Testa I
- Article: EBIOMEDICINE. 2023;94:104691Devarakonda S; Thorsell A; Hedenstrom P; Rezapour A; Heden L; Banerjee S; Johansson MEV; Birchenough G; Moren AT; Gustavsson K; Skokic V; Pettersson VL; Sjoberg F; Kalm M; Al Masri M; Ekh M; Fagman H; Wolving M; Perkins R; Morales RA; Castillo F; Villablanca E; Yrlid U; Bergmark K; Steineck G; Bull C
- Article: IMMUNITY. 2022;55(12):2336-2351.e12Frede A; Czarnewski P; Monasterio G; Tripathi KP; Bejarano DA; Flores ROR; Sorini C; Larsson L; Luo X; Geerlings L; Novella-Rausell C; Zagami C; Kuiper R; Morales RA; Castillo F; Hunt M; Mariano LL; Hu YOO; Engblom C; Lennon-Dumenil A-M; Mittenzwei R; Westendorf AM; Hoevelmeyer N; Lundeberg J; Saez-Rodriguez J; Schlitzer A; Das S; Villablanca EJ
- Article: MUCOSAL IMMUNOLOGY. 2022;15(5):940-951Morales RA; Rabahi S; Diaz OE; Salloum Y; Kern BC; Westling M; Luo X; Parigi SM; Monasterio G; Das S; Hernandez PP; Villablanca EJ
- Article: MUCOSAL IMMUNOLOGY. 2022;15(3):443-458Melhem H; Kaya B; Kaymak T; Wuggenig P; Flint E; Roux J; Oost KC; Cavelti-Weder C; Balmer ML; Walser J-C; Morales RA; Riedel CU; Liberali P; Villablanca EJ; Niess JH
- Article: NATURE COMMUNICATIONS. 2022;13(1):828Parigi SM; Larsson L; Das S; Flores ROR; Frede A; Tripathi KP; Diaz OE; Selin K; Morales RA; Luo X; Monasterio G; Engblom C; Gagliani N; Saez-Rodriguez J; Lundeberg J; Villablanca EJ
- Article: DISEASE MODELS & MECHANISMS. 2021;14(12):dmm049104Diaz OE; Sorini C; Morales RA; Luo X; Frede A; Krais AM; Chavez MN; Wincent E; Das S; Villablanca EJ
- Article: CELL REPORTS. 2020;32(5):107979Kaya B; Donas C; Wuggenig P; Diaz OE; Morales RA; Melhem H; Hernandez PP; Kaymak T; Das S; Hruz P; Franc Y; Geier F; Ayata CK; Villablanca EJ; Niess JH
- Article: REPRODUCTIVE TOXICOLOGY. 2020;93:163-168Diaz OE; Xue S; Luo X; Nava J; Appelblom A; Morales RA; Das S; Villablanca EJ
- Article: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. 2020;10(1):2191Chavez MN; Morales RA; Lopez-Crisosto C; Carlos Roa J; Allende ML; Lavandero S
- Article: FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY. 2019;10:253Morales RA; Allende ML
- Article: DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROSCIENCE. 2019;41(1-2):112-122Anguita-Salinas C; Sanchez M; Morales RA; Laura Ceci M; Rojas-Benitez D; Allende ML
- Article: IMMUNOGENETICS. 2017;69(5):341-349Paredes-Zuniga S; Morales RA; Munoz-Sanchez S; Munoz-Montecinos C; Parada M; Tapia K; Rubilar C; Allende ML; Pena OA
- Article: FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY. 2016;7:458Garcia-Gonzalez PA; Schinnerling K; Sepulveda-Gutierrez A; Maggi J; Hoyos L; Morales RA; Mehdi AM; Nel HJ; Soto L; Pesce B; Carmen Molina M; Cuchacovich M; Larrondo ML; Neira O; Francisco Catalan D; Hilkens CM; Thomas R; Verdugo RA; Aguillon JC
- Article: JOURNAL OF CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY. 2016;117(8):1880-1889Carrillo SA; Anguita-Salinas C; Pena OA; Morales RA; Munoz-Sanchez S; Munoz-Montecinos C; Paredes-Zuniga S; Tapia K; Allende ML
- Article: PLOS ONE. 2015;10(12):e0144848Aguirre P; Mena NP; Carrasco CM; Munoz Y; Perez-Henriquez P; Morales RA; Cassels BK; Mendez-Galvez C; Garcia-Beltran O; Gonzalez-Billault C; Nunez MT
- Article: IMMUNOLOGY. 2015;146(1):81-88Gajardo T; Morales RA; Campos-Mora M; Campos-Acuna J; Pino-Lagos K
- Article: IMMUNOBIOLOGY. 2015;220(6):769-774Morales RA; Campos-Mora M; Gajardo T; Perez F; Campos J; Aguillon JC; Pino-Lagos M
- Article: IMMUNOLOGY AND CELL BIOLOGY. 2015;93(2):113-119Campos-Mora M; Morales RA; Perez F; Gajardo T; Campos J; Catalan D; Carlos Aguillon J; Pino-Lagos K
- Article: JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE. 2013;11:128Garcia-Gonzalez P; Morales R; Hoyos L; Maggi J; Campos J; Pesce B; Garate D; Larrondo M; Gonzalez R; Soto L; Ramos V; Tobar P; Carmen Molina M; Pino-Lagos K; Catalan D; Carlos Aguillon J
- Show more
All other publications
- Preprint: BIORXIV. 2025Salloum Y; Gros G; Quintero-Castillo K; Garcia-Baudino C; Rabahi S; Kurup AJ; Diabangouaya P; Pérez-Pascual D; Castro RAM; Boekhorst J; Villablanca EJ; Ghigo J-M; Feijoo CG; Brugman S; Hernandez PP
- Preprint: ELSEVIER BV. 2025Fransson J; Sorini C; Castillo F; Chi Y; He N; Morales Castro RA; Sounart H; Zagami C; Cardoso RF; Das S; Giacomello S; Mechling A; Smith P; Villablanca EJ
- Review: NATURE PROTOCOLS. 2024;19(10):3085-3137Monasterio G; Morales RA; Bejarano DA; Abalo XM; Fransson J; Larsson L; Schlitzer A; Lundeberg J; Das S; Villablanca EJ
- Preprint: BIORXIV. 2024Chávez MN; Arora P; Ernst A; Meer M; Morales RA; Mercader N
- Preprint: BIORXIV. 2021Parigi S; Larsson L; Das S; Ramirez Flores R; Frede A; Tripathi K; Diaz O; Selin K; Morales R; Luo X; Monasterio G; Engblom C; Gagliani N; Saez-Rodriguez J; Lundeberg J; Villablanca E
- Preprint: BIORXIV. 2021Melhem H; Kaya B; Kaymak T; Wuggenig P; Flint E; Roux J; Cavelti-Weder C; Balmer M; Walser J-C; Morales R; Riedel C; Liberali P; Villablanca E; Niess JH
- Preprint: BIORXIV. 2020Kaya B; Cuadra CD; Wuggenig P; Diaz O; Morales R; Melhem H; Swiss IBD Cohort Investigators; Hernández P; Kaymak T; Das S; Hruz P; Ayata K; Villablanca E; Niess JH
- Book chapter: MOLECULAR GENETICS OF INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE. 2019;p. 47-76Diaz OE; Morales RA; Das S; Villablanca EJ
- Review: FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY. 2015;6:232Gajardo Carrasco T; Morales RA; Perez F; Terraza C; Yanez L; Campos-Mora M; Pino-Lagos K
- Review: FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY. 2013;4:405Campos-Mora M; Morales RA; Gajardo T; Catalan D; Pino-Lagos K
Grants
- Red blood cells as modulators of inflammation and tissue regenerationÅke Wibergs Stiftelse1 January 2025 - 31 December 2025Red blood cells (RBCs) are the most abundant blood cell type and play an essential role in transporting oxygen throughout the body. Historically, RBCs were believed to function uniquely as oxygen carries, but recent evidence suggest that they may also play active roles in immune responses and wound healing. This proposal aims to investigate the role of RBCs in inflammation and tissue regeneration, focusing on the molecular mechanisms by which RBCs influence inflammatory responses, control pathogen invasion, and promote wound healing. Using a zebrafish model of tissue injury, I have observed that RBCs accumulate at the injury site during the inflammatory phase, despite oxygen exchange in zebrafish larvae occurring independently of RBCs. Therefore, my proposal is build under the hypothesis that RBC recruitment to injured tissues is an active process that supports inflammation and tissue repair. This proposal will combine live imaging, transcriptomic analyses, and functional experiments, to explore the specific functions of RBCs in wound-related inflammation and tissue regeneration. The outcomes of this study are highly relevant, as it could uncover previously unappreciated immunological functions of RBCs, potentially opening new therapeutical avenues for treating wound infections and promoting wound healing.
- A zebrafish-based platform to study the genetic-environment crosstalk during intestinal inflammation and regenerationMarcus Borgströms Stiftelse1 January 2023 - 31 December 2023
- Developing a zebrafish-based model to study intestinal regeneration in vivoKI Research Foundation1 January 2022 - 31 December 2023
- Using zebrafish to visualize in vivo the genetic-environment crosstalk in the initiation of Inflammatory bowel diseaseMarcus Borgströms Stiftelse1 January 2022 - 31 December 2022
- Addressing the activity of human IBD-risk non-coding regions after exposure to environmental factors in vivoKI Research Foundation1 January 2020 - 31 December 2021
Employments
- Assistant Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 2024-2028
- Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 2020-2024
Degrees and Education
- PhD, Cell, Molecular Biology and Neuroscience, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Chile, 2018