We protect your health through science
Investigation
Medical Entomology
Research Lines
Content with Investigacion .
Neisseria, Listeria y Bordetella
• Invasive Meningococcal Disease.
o Laboratory surveillance based on whole-genome sequencing and its application in Public Health.
o Study and characterization of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms.
o Study and evaluation of conventional (polysaccharide) and new-generation (protein) vaccines.
• Gonococcal Infection (Gonorrhea).
o Laboratory surveillance based on whole-genome sequencing and its application in Public Health.
o Study and characterization of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms.
• Listeriosis.
o Laboratory surveillance based on whole-genome sequencing and its application in Public Health.
• Pertussis.
o Development and application of molecular techniques for the diagnosis and characterization of Bordetella pertussis, B. parapertussis, B. holmessi, and B. bronchiseptica.
Research projects
Content with Investigacion .
1. Project Title: Determination of the degree of identity of common antigens of N. meningitidis and N. gonorrhoeae using genomic and immunological tools.
Principal Investigator: Raquel Abad Torreblanca
Funding Entity: ISCIII. Program: Strategic Action in Intramural Health
Reference: PI23CIII/00040
Period: 2024-2026
Amount Awarded: €68,500
2. Project Title: Meningococcal Disease and Molecular Epidemiology (MEMORY).
Principal Investigator: Raquel Abad Torreblanca and Julio A. Vázquez Moreno
Funding Entity: Pfizer Inc.
Reference: MVP 352/21
Period: 2022-2024
Amount Awarded: €82,834.50
3. Project Title: Modelling Approaches to Guide Intelligent Surveillance for the Sustainable Introduction of Novel Antibiotics. MAGIcIAN.
Principal Investigator: Raquel Abad Torreblanca
Funding Entity: ISCIII / International Joint Action / Joint Programming Initiatives (JPI) Program
Reference: AC19CIII/00002
Period: 2020-2024
Amount Awarded: €46,000
4. Project Title: Epidemiological, Microbiological, and Clinical Analysis of the Listeriosis Outbreak in Andalusia. LISMOAN Study.
Principal Investigator: José Miguel Cisneros Herreros
Funding Entity: FISEVI (Andalusian Public Foundation for Health Research Management)/FPS2020 Call for Proposals
Reference: PI-0001-2020
Period: 2020-2023
Amount Awarded: €114,954
5. Project Title: Population Structure of Neisseria meningitidis Using Massive Sequencing: A Potential Tool for Estimating Vaccine Effectiveness?
Principal Investigator: Raquel Abad Torreblanca
Funding Entity: ISCIII / Strategic Action in Intramural Health
Reference: PI19CIII/00030
Period: 2020-2023
Amount Awarded: €67,153
6. Project Title: Management agreement between the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality (Directorate General of Public Health, Quality and Innovation) and the Carlos III Health Institute, for the laboratory determinations corresponding to the 2nd seroprevalence study in Spain.
Principal Investigator: Fernando de Ory and Julio A. Vázquez
Funding Entity: Directorate General of Public Health, Ministry of Health
Reference: MEG151/17
Period: 2018-2020
Amount Awarded: €565,663
7. Project Title: Effectiveness of the Meningococcal B Vaccine in Immunocompromised Children with Sickle Cell Disease
Principal Investigator: Raquel Abad Torreblanca
Funding Entity: Spanish Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Foundation (SEHOP)
Reference: MVP 199/18
Period: 2018-2020
Amount Awarded: €18,285
8. Project Title: Application of Massive Sequencing and Immunological Approaches in the Expression Analysis of New Vaccine Antigens in Meningococcal Populations
Principal Investigator: Raquel Abad Torreblanca
Funding Entity: ISCIII / Strategic Action in Intramural Health
Reference: PI16CIII/00023
Period: 2017-2020
Amount Awarded: €115,084
9. Project Title: fHbp variability over time and potential coverage of the new meningococcal serogroup B vaccine (bivalent rLP2086/fHbp) in Spain.
Principal Investigators: Raquel Abad and Julio A. Vázquez
Funding Entity: Pfizer SLU
Reference: MVP 1273/16
Period: 2017-2020
Amount Awarded: €125,350
10. Project Title: Estimation of protection of a conjugate vaccine against meningococcus serogroup C based on a mathematical model.
Principal Investigator: Julio A. Vázquez and Javier Díez
Funding Entity: Higher Center for Research in Public Health (CSISP)
Reference: MVP 1116/11
Period: 2011-2017
Amount awarded: €143,750
Publications
Curso de Gestión de Calidad y Buenas Prácticas de Laboratorio. Ed. 3
Grammatico JP, Cuevas L (Edits.) y Grupo de expertos de la Organización Panamericana de la Salud OPS/OMS. Curso de Gestión de Calidad y Buenas Prácticas de Laboratorio. Ed. 3. OPS/OMS;. Washington, D.C., 2016. Disponible en: “http://iris.paho.org/xmlui/handle/123456789/31168”. ISBN: 978-92-75-11906-8
Gestión de la Calidad para laboratorios de ensayo. 1ª ed.
Grammatico JP, Cuevas L (Edits.). Gestión de la Calidad para laboratorios de ensayo. 1ª ed. Conicet-Madri+d; Buenos Aires, 2011. Disponible en: “http://www.madrimasd.org/Laboratorios/Documentos/Red-Laboratorios/documentos/Gest_Calidad_Ensayo.pdf”. ISBN: 978-950-692-095-1
Curso de Gestión de Calidad y Buenas Prácticas de Laboratorio.
Grupo de expertos de la Organización Panamericana de la Salud OPS/OMS. Curso de Gestión de Calidad y Buenas Prácticas de Laboratorio. OPS; Documentos Técnicos THR/HT 2009/001. Washington, D.C., 2009. ISBN: 978-92-75-32977-1
Guía Latinoamericana para la implementación de Código de Ética en los laboratorios de salud.
Grupo de expertos de la Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS/OMS). Guía Latinoamericana para la implementación de Código de Ética en los laboratorios de salud. Organización Panamericana de la Salud. Documentos Técnicos. Políticas y Regulación. THS/EV-2007/001; 2007. ISBN: 92-7-532702-5
HCV eradication with DAAs differently affects HIV males and females: A whole miRNA sequencing characterization
Valle-Millares D; Brochado-Kith O; Gómez-Sanz A; et al; Fernández-Rodríguez A (AC). (17/17). 2021. Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy. Elsevier.
DOIIdentification of HIV-1 circulating BF1 recombinant form (CRF75_BF1) of Brazilian origin that also circulates in Southwestern Europe
Bacqué J, Delgado E, Gil H, Ibarra S, Benito S, García-Arata I, Moreno-Lorenzo M, Sáez de Arana E, Gómez-González C, Sánchez M, Montero V and Thomson MM. Front Microbiol. 2023. 14: 1301374
PUBMED DOIFactors associated with HIV-1 resistance to integrase strand transfer inhibitors in Spain: Implications for dolutegravir-containing regimens.
Gil H, Delgado E, Benito S, Moreno-Lorenzo M, Thomson MM and Spanish Group for the study of antirretroviral drug Resistance. Front Microbiol. 2022. 13:1051096
PUBMED DOIAdditional Information
The Medical Entomology Laboratory has accumulated extensive experience in this field, especially in entomological field studies, biology of arthropods of medical interest, vector competence and vector control. Also, in the molecular detection of Leishmania infantum promastigotes in naturally parasitized phlebotomine sand flies, in the molecular identification of blood ingested by hematophagous arthropods and in the study of the immunomodulatory properties of proteins present in the saliva of phlebotomine sand flies and mosquitoes. Our laboratory is currently co-leading the studies of vectors and wild reservoirs of leishmaniasis in the leishmaniasis focus of Fuenlabrada, Madrid. In this sense, we have studied the role of asymptomatic individuals as reservoirs in the outbreak by xenodiagnosis. On the other hand, we have participated since 2007 in the Entomological Surveillance Program in Airports and Ports against Potential Vectors of Exotic Infectious Diseases, a program that is allowing to develop the expansion map in Spain of Aedes albopictus. In 2016-2017, we carried out surveillance of Ae. albopictus in the Community of Castilla-La Mancha. On the other hand, we conducted studies on the role of patients with post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) in the transmission of the parasite in Bangladesh and Sudan. In addition, we participate in research studying ticks transmitting Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in Spain.
Currently, it maintains confidentiality agreements with several companies participating in the evaluation of molecules with activity against pathogens in vectors (GSK), in the development of vector traps using artificial intelligence algorithms (Irideon, Spain), and in the evaluation of repellents against phlebotomine sand flies (IRSEA, France).
The laboratory actively participates in outreach activities such as the Science Week or the European Researchers' Night, among others, making medical entomology science available to the general population.
The Medical Entomology Laboratory has accumulated extensive experience in this field, especially in entomological field studies, biology of arthropods of medical interest, vector competence and vector control. Also, in the molecular detection of Leishmania infantum promastigotes in naturally parasitized phlebotomine sand flies, in the molecular identification of blood ingested by hematophagous arthropods and in the study of the immunomodulatory properties of proteins present in the saliva of phlebotomine sand flies and mosquitoes. Our laboratory is currently co-leading the studies of vectors and wild reservoirs of leishmaniasis in the leishmaniasis focus of Fuenlabrada, Madrid. In this sense, we have studied the role of asymptomatic individuals as reservoirs in the outbreak by xenodiagnosis. On the other hand, we have participated since 2007 in the Entomological Surveillance Program in Airports and Ports against Potential Vectors of Exotic Infectious Diseases, a program that is allowing to develop the expansion map in Spain of Aedes albopictus. In 2016-2017, we carried out surveillance of Ae. albopictus in the Community of Castilla-La Mancha. On the other hand, we conducted studies on the role of patients with post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) in the transmission of the parasite in Bangladesh and Sudan. In addition, we participate in research studying ticks transmitting Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in Spain.
Currently, it maintains confidentiality agreements with several companies participating in the evaluation of molecules with activity against pathogens in vectors (GSK), in the development of vector traps using artificial intelligence algorithms (Irideon, Spain), and in the evaluation of repellents against phlebotomine sand flies (IRSEA, France).
The laboratory actively participates in outreach activities such as the Science Week or the European Researchers' Night, among others, making medical entomology science available to the general population.