In the research group led by Víctor Franco Puntes, they investigate metabolic regulation through mineral antioxidants, specifically cerium oxide nanoparticles. Their work combines materials science with molecular biology, examining the strained crystalline structure of nanoparticles only a few nanometers in size and the effects of metabolic dysregulation, the resulting oxidative stress, tissue damage, and the amplification of the immune response. This amplification increases oxidative stress and tissue damage, ultimately leading to a chronic and undesirable immune reaction against the body itself, while simultaneously preventing the immune system from regenerating the damaged tissue.