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Investigation
Bacterial Genetics
Research Lines
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The Laboratory of Medical Entomology (LME) develops an intense reference and research activity, focused on the field of disease vectors of interest in Public Health. The LME has an insectary where biological cycles of insect vectors are currently maintained, allowing the performance, among others, of vector competence and xenodiagnostic studies. The LME supports the national health system by offering techniques available in the portfolio of services for the taxonomic identification of arthropods of health interest. In addition, it performs entomological surveillance of outbreaks, supporting Surveillance Plans. In particular, the LME plays a leading role in the Entomological Surveillance Plan for Leishmaniasis in the Community of Madrid. On the other hand, the LME offers scientific advice to the CCAES (Centro de Coordinación de Alertas y Emergencias Sanitarias, Ministerio de Sanidad, Consumo y Bienestar Social), and participates in the elaboration of reports and rapid risk assessments.
The main research lines of the Laboratory of Medical Entomology are:
1. Maintenance of insect vector colonies: phlebotomine sand flies (Phlebotomus perniciosus, Phlebotomus papatasi and Phlebotomus argentipes, vectors of Leishmania infantum, Leishmania major and Leishmania donovani, respectively), Culex and Aedes mosquitoes (vectors of various arboviruses) and Rhodnius prolixus (vector of Trypanosoma cruzi).
2. Biology of disease vectors of public health interest: biology, vector competence, experimental infections. The CNM has a BSL3 safety laboratory to carry out vector competence studies with culicidae and phlebotomine sand flies.
3. Entomological sampling, infectivity of potential reservoirs of leishmaniasis.
4. Insecticides and repellents: evaluation of their efficacy.
5. Characterization of saliva proteins of hematophagous Diptera: genomics, proteomics, biochemistry and gene editing. Study of salivary proteins as markers of bite exposure, virulence factors and/or vaccines.
6. Xenodiagnosis of leishmaniasis.
7. Molecular biology and taxonomy of phlebotomine sand flies. Molecular detection of Leishmania infantum in phlebotomine sand flies and characterization of Leishmania spp. Molecular identification of blood ingested by vectors.
Research projects
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Proyectos del Plan Nacional.
1. Título del proyecto: Characterization of the antibody immune response against CMV in transplant patients for vaccine design.
Entidad financiadora: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Expediente: PI20CIII/00009
Financiación: 92.000 € + 1 contrato de Técnico Superior 2 años Duración: 2021-2024
Investigador Principal: Pilar Pérez Romero
2. Título del proyecto: STOP-Coronavirus: factores clínicos, inmunológicos, genómicos, virológicos y bioéticos de COVID-19.
Entidad financiadora: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Expediente: COV20/00181
Financiación: 1.200.000,00 € Duración: 2020-2021
3. Título del proyecto: Coordinación de actividades de investigación en el CNM para realizar una respuesta integradora frente a la pandemia por SARS-COV2 en España.
Entidad financiadora: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Expediente: COV20/00679
Financiación: 325.909,46€ Duración: 2020-2021
4. Título del proyecto: Desarrollo preclínico de vacunas de ADN frente a CMV a través de análisis inmunogénico del proteoma completo de CMV.
Entidad financiadora: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Proyecto de Desarrollo Tecnológico)
Expediente: DTS18CIII/00005
Financiación: 98.400€ Duración: 2019-2021
Investigador Principal: Pilar Pérez Romero
5. Título del proyecto: Score integrado de factores inmunológicos y genotípicos de predicción del riesgo y evolución de la infección por CMV en pacientes con trasplante renal.
Entidad financiadora: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Expediente: P17CIII/00016
Financiación: 94.700€ Duración: 2018-2021
Investigador Principal: Pilar Pérez Romero
6. Título del proyecto: ACINETOCLINIC: Transición a fase clínica de investigación para licencia de la primera vacuna contra Acinetobacter baumannii drogorresistente.
Entidad financiadora: Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad
Expediente: RTC-2016-5161-1
Financiación: 147.104,40€ Duración: 2016-2019
Co-Investigadores Principales: Pilar Pérez Romero, Michael McConnell, Jerónimo Pachón
7. Título del proyecto: Búsqueda de antígenos virales capaces de estimular una respuesta inmune protectora frente a la infección por CMV para el diseño de una vacuna.
Entidad financiadora: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Expediente: PI14/01291
Financiación: 121.000€ Duración: 2015-2017
Investigador Principal: Pilar Pérez Romero
Otros proyectos.
1. Título del Proyecto: Estudio de la cinética y reactividad de los anticuerpos neutralizantes en pacientes recuperados de COVID-19.
Entidad financiadora: Fundación Mutua Madrileña
Financiación: 80.000 € Duración: 2020-2021
Investigador Principal: José Mª Aguado y Pilar Pérez Romero
2. Título del Proyecto: SARSVAX: Development of a multi-epitope vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 using the PLASMIVAX vaccine platform.
Entidad financiadora: Caixa-Impulse
Financiación: 300.000 € Duración: 2020-2021
3. Título del Proyecto: Investigación de anticuerpos frente a Acinetobacter baumannii.
Entidad financiadora: Vaxdyn S.L
Expediente: MVP 210/18
Financiación: 40.400 € Duración: 2018-2020
Investigador Principal: Pilar Pérez Romero y Michael McConnell
4. Título del proyecto: Caracterización físico-química y biológica de principio activo conteniendo antígenos virales.
Entidad financiadora: Bionaturis SL.
Financiación: 57.290 €. Duración: 2015-2017
Investigadora Principal: Pilar Pérez Romero
5. Título del Proyecto: BIOMAP: Biomolecules design through multivariate analysis process for obtaining active compounds.
Entidad financiadora: CDTI Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación Programa INNTERCONECTA Expediente:ITC-20151294
Financiación (IBiS): 107.000 € Duración: 2015-2017
6. Título del proyecto: Diseño y desarrollo preclínico de una vacuna trivalente frente a la infección por citomegalovirus.
Entidad financiadora: Consejería de Economía, Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de Andalucía
Expediente: CTS 1909
Financiación: 43.100 € Duración: 2014-2017
Investigador Principal: Pilar Pérez Romero.
7. Título del Proyecto: ADELIS: "Andalusian Drug Delivery Injectable Systems"
Entidad financiadora: CDTI Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación Programa INNTERCONECTA
Expediente: ITC-20131036
Financiación (IBiS): 1,3M € Duración: 2013-2015
Investigador Principal: Pilar Pérez Romero.
Publications
Podocytes as new cellular targets of hemoglobin toxicity in massive intravascular hemolysis.
Rubio-Navarro A, Sanchez-Niño MD, Guerrero-Hue M, García-Caballero C, Gutiérrez E, Yuste C, Sevillano A, Praga M, Egea J, Román E, Cannata P, Ortega R, Cortegano I, de Andrés B, Gaspar ML, Cadenas S, Ortiz A, Egido J, Moreno JA. Podocytes as new cellular targets of hemoglobin toxicity in massive intravascular hemolysis. 2018. J.Pathol. 244(3):296-310.
PUBMED DOISpatially-restricted JAG1-Notch signaling in the human thymus provides permissive microenvironments for dendritic cell development.
Martín Gayo, E., González-García, S., García-León, M., Murcia-Ceballos, A., Alcain, J., García-Peydró, M., Allende, L., de Andrés, B., Gaspar, ML. and Toribio, ML. J.Exp.Med. (2017) 214:3361-3379
PUBMED DOIThe formation of titan cells in Cryptococcus neoformans depends on the mouse strain and correlates with induction of Th2-type responses
García-Barbazán, I., Trevijano-Contador, N., Rueda, C., de Andrés, B., Pérez-Tavárez, R., Herrero-Fernández, I., Gaspar ML., and Zaragoza, O. Cellular Microbiology (2015) 18:111-124
PUBMED DOI
Additional Information
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a human pathogen that, despite the development of vaccines, continues to be an important cause of mortality and morbidity. We investigate the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in this bacterium. On the one hand by identifying new therapeutic targets and on the other hand by investigating the molecular basis of the action of antibiotics already used in clinical practice (the fluoroquinolones levofloxacin and moxifloxacin) or not yet used (seconeolitsine). For this purpose, we used a multidisciplinary analysis involving genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics to understand the organization of the S. pneumoniae chromosome and the identification of the factors that stabilize this organization, including ncRNAs. Changes in the level of global supercoiling, either by inhibition of gyrase (decrease) or by inhibition of topoisomerase I (increase) alter the transcriptome. The modulated genes are located in domains, whose genes show specific functional characteristics. The aim is to identify new factors essential for S. pneumoniae physiology and to characterize transcriptional regulation in response to topological stress. In addition, RNA interference technology and CRISPR systems will be used as novel antibacterials. These studies will establish the bases for translational research aimed at the development of new therapeutic targets for the treatment of pneumococcal diseases.
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a human pathogen that, despite the development of vaccines, continues to be an important cause of mortality and morbidity. We investigate the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in this bacterium. On the one hand by identifying new therapeutic targets and on the other hand by investigating the molecular basis of the action of antibiotics already used in clinical practice (the fluoroquinolones levofloxacin and moxifloxacin) or not yet used (seconeolitsine). For this purpose, we used a multidisciplinary analysis involving genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics to understand the organization of the S. pneumoniae chromosome and the identification of the factors that stabilize this organization, including ncRNAs. Changes in the level of global supercoiling, either by inhibition of gyrase (decrease) or by inhibition of topoisomerase I (increase) alter the transcriptome. The modulated genes are located in domains, whose genes show specific functional characteristics. The aim is to identify new factors essential for S. pneumoniae physiology and to characterize transcriptional regulation in response to topological stress. In addition, RNA interference technology and CRISPR systems will be used as novel antibacterials. These studies will establish the bases for translational research aimed at the development of new therapeutic targets for the treatment of pneumococcal diseases.