Immunobiology
Research Lines
Content with Investigacion .
Virus entéricos
1. Vigilancia microbiológica y epidemiológica a nivel nacional de las infecciones causadas por enterovirus y parechovirus y de los casos de parálisis flácida aguda en menores de 15 años. Caracterización, asociación clínica y epidemiología molecular.
2. Investigación de los enterovirus y parechovirus que causan infecciones neurológicas y sistémicas severas en población pediátrica. Estudio de los factores virológicos implicados en la patogenicidad.
3. Estudio virológico de muestras ambientales (aguas residuales y tratadas para consumo) de la CAM.
4. Estudio virológico (diagnóstico y caracterización) de las infecciones gastrointestinales causadas por virus (norovirus, rotavirus y otros). Epidemiología molecular y caracterización de brotes.
Investigación y vigilancia de los poliovirus y la poliomielitis
El Laboratorio de Enterovirus (actualmente de Virus Entéricos) del CNM fue designado Laboratorio Nacional de Poliovirus en 1998 y desde entonces es certificado anualmente por la OMS, como parte del Plan Global de Erradicación de la Poliomielitis. Es responsable, junto a 3 laboratorios primarios en 3 CCAA, de la vigilancia de la poliomielitis a nivel nacional, estudiando e investigando (clínica, epidemiológica y virológicamente) todos los casos compatibles, incluidos los de parálisis flácida aguda en menores de 15 años (enfermedad de notificación obligatoria) para descartar la presencia y circulación de poliovirus en España.
Además, desde 1999 (y gracias a un convenio con el CYII) posee toda la infraestructura y metodología necesaria para realizar vigilancia medioambiental en aguas, tanto para medir la calidad de las aguas potables de ETAP, como para monitorizar la excreción de virus por parte de la población con el estudio de la presencia de poliovirus y otros enterovirus en aguas residuales de EDAR. Esto ha permitido que, a partir de marzo de este año, se estén realizando, además, ensayos de presencia de SARS-CoV-2 en las muestras procedentes de diferentes EDAR situadas en la CAM.
Investigación y referencia en infecciones por enterovirus y parechovirus
El Laboratorio también es Laboratorio de Referencia para las infecciones por Enterovirus y Parechovirus realizando: 1) el diagnostico virológico en muestras clínicas; 2) la caracterización de todos los enterovirus y parechovirus detectados (Programa de Vigilancia Microbiológica del CNM); 3) el desarrollo, mantenimiento y transferencia de métodos de diagnóstico y tipado, tanto moleculares como de cultivo viral; y 4) la investigación para profundizar en el conocimiento de aquellos virus implicados en casos de excepcional importancia clínica o epidemiológica. La larga experiencia del grupo en la propagación de cultivos virales de enterovirus y en técnicas celulares y moleculares de caracterización, ha permitido que el CNM posea una amplia colección de cepas, muy valiosa para la investigación de estos virus.
Investigación y referencia en infecciones gastrointestinales causadas por virus
Desde 2016, el laboratorio realiza: 1) el diagnostico virológico de Norovirus, Rotavirus, Adenovirus 40/41, Astrovirus y otros virus productores de gastroenteritis aguda en muestras clínicas; 2) el genotipado de los virus detectados y la caracterización de brotes; 3) el desarrollo y mantenimiento de métodos de diagnóstico y genotipado; y 4) la investigación básica y epidemiológica de aquellos virus de mayor importancia clínica.
Research projects
Content with Investigacion .
Proyectos de investigación financiados en los últimos 5 años
- Investigación de las infecciones neurológicas graves en niños causadas por enterovirus emergentes en España: EV-A71 y EV-D68 (PI18CIII/00017). Financiación: ISCIII. 2019-2021. IP: M. Cabrerizo
- Metagenomic sequencing to identify viral etiologies in undiagnosed cases of meningitis and encephalitis (PI20CIII/00005). Financiación: ISCIII. 2021-2023. IP: M.D. Fernández-García
- Investigación en infecciones por enterovirus y parechovirus que causan patologías neurológicas y sistémicas graves en población infantil (PI15CIII/00020). Financiación: ISCIII. 2016-2019. IP: M. Cabrerizo
- Aplicación de la secuenciación masiva para el diagnóstico de infecciones neurológicas de origen vírico no filiadas (PI-0216-2019). Financiación: Junta de Andalucía, Consejería de Salud y Familias. 2019-2021. IP: M.D. Fernández-García (2019)/ Ana Belen Pérez-Jiménez (2020-21)
- Epidemiología y patogenia molecular de los enterovirus y parechovirus asociados a sepsis e infecciones neurológicas en población infantil en España (PI12/00904). Financiación: ISCIII. 2013-2016. IP: M. Cabrerizo
Otros proyectos de investigación relevantes en los que ha colaborado o colabora el grupo
- Dinámica de colonización e infección por E. coli enteroagregativo en poblaciones pediátricas y su asociación con la composición de la microbiota intestinal mediante análisis metagenómico (PI18CIII/00043). Financiación: ISCIII. 2019-2021. IP: S. Sánchez
- Paving the way for implementing a syndromic diagnostic scheme at the CNM for the diagnosis of diarrhoea-causing pathogens in stool samples based on molecular and metagenomics methods (PI19CIII/00029). Financiación: ISCIII. 2020-2022. IP: D. Carmena
- Engineering lactobacilli for intranasal immunization against the emerging enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) infections and prevention of acute flaccid myelitis. Financiación: ESCMID. 2019-2020. IP: M.C. Póvoa-Cabral
- Análisis epidemiológico y virológico de los agentes virales incluidos en la vacuna triple vírica: nuevos retos (PI15CIII/00023). Financiación: ISCIII. 2016-2019. IP: F. de Ory/A. Fernández
- Epidemiología general y molecular de la hepatitis E en España: ¿una zoonosis emergente? (PI080865). Financiación: ISCIII. 2009-2012. IP: M. Fogeda
- Etiología de las meningitis y encefalitis víricas en España (PI07/90154). Financiación: ISCIII. 2008-2010. IP: F. de Ory
- Investigation of the dynamics and geography of the spread of recombinant forms of human enteroviruses (WT081173MA). Financiación: Wellcome Trust. 2007-2010. IP: P. Simmonds.
Convenios
- Servicios para la realización de estudios virológicos previstos en el agua procedentes para Canal de Isabel II-Gestión (MVP-207/18). Financiación: Canal de Isabel II. 2018-2021. IP: M. Cabrerizo
- Análisis virológico en muestras de aguas procedentes del Canal de Isabel II (MVI-1005/99). Financiación: Canal de Isabel II. 2016-2017. IP: M. Cabrerizo
Publications
Francisella species in ticks and animals, Iberian Peninsula
Lopes de Carvalho, I.; Toledo, A.; Carvalho, C. L.; Barandika, J. F.; Respicio-Kingry, L. B.; Garcia-Amil, C.; Garcia-Perez, A. L.; Olmeda, A. S.; Ze-Ze, L.; Petersen, J. M.; Anda, P.; Nuncio, M. S.; Escudero, R. Francisella species in ticks and animals, Iberian Peninsula. Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases. 7 - 1, pp. 159 - 165. Elsevier GMBH, Urban & Fischer Verlag, 01/01/2016.
PUBMED DOIStable levels of Coxiella burnetii prevalence in dairy sheep flocks but changes in genotype distribution after a 10-year period in northern Spain
Álvarez-Alonso R, Barandika JF, Ruiz-Fons F, Ortega-Araiztegi I, Jado I, Hurtado A, García-Pérez AL. Stable levels of Coxiella burnetii prevalence in dairy sheep flocks but changes in genotype distribution after a 10-year period in northern Spain. Acta Vet Scand. 2018 Nov 20;60(1):75.
PUBMED DOIEvidence for Suppression of Onchocerciasis Transmission in Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea
Moya L, Herrador Z, Ta-Tang TH, Rubio JM, Perteguer MJ, Hernandez-González A, García B, Nguema R, Nguema J, Ncog P, Garate T, Benito A, Sima A and Aparicio P. Evidence for Suppression of Onchocerciasis Transmission in Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea.PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2016; 10(7): e0004829.
PUBMED DOIContent with Investigacion .
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Leticia Bernal Martínez
Staff Scientist
ORCID code: 0000-0002-1694-5522
Dr. Bernal-Martínez obtained her degree in Biochemistry from the University of Zaragoza in 2005. She joined the Mycology Reference and Research Laboratory (LRIM) in 2006 under a trainee contract and completed her PhD within the Official Doctoral Program in Microbiology and Parasitology at the Complutense University of Madrid, defending her thesis in 2010 with highest honors (Cum Laude). In 2007, she continued her research activity at LRIM within the framework of the Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI). In 2016, she completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Promotion and Management of International Projects (Technical University of Madrid) and undertook a research stay at the Microbiology and Infection Research Domain, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho (Braga, Portugal). She was subsequently appointed as a PhD researcher within the Biomedical Research Networking Center in Infectious Diseases (CIBERINFEC). Since 2024, she serves as Specialist Scientist at the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) and is responsible for the Diagnostic and Serology Section for Endemic Fungi at the Mycology Reference and Research Laboratory.
Dr. Bernal-Martínez has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed scientific publications and two book chapters. She has actively participated in over 12 research projects and has presented her work at numerous national and international scientific conferences. Her research has focused on human fungal infections, antifungal resistance, therapeutic drug monitoring, genetic variants associated with antifungal metabolism, and the identification of predictive biomarkers of invasive fungal infections. However, her primary expertise lies in the diagnostic field, particularly in the design, optimization, and validation of real-time PCR–based methodologies.
She is currently Principal Investigator of a research project aimed at improving current diagnostic techniques for invasive fungal infections, evaluating emerging diagnostic technologies, and studying primary fungal pathogens. A substantial part of her work has been transferred to the Spanish National Health System and to research centers in Latin America. Many of the diagnostic methodologies developed have been incorporated into the official service portfolio of ISCIII. She has collaborated with multiple hospitals through research projects and clinical trials applying these technologies, as well as with the ISCIII spin-off company Micomol S.L.
Dr. Bernal-Martínez has supervised several Master’s and Undergraduate Final Degree Projects from students at the Complutense University of Madrid and the University of Alcalá. She is a member of the teaching staff of the UNED-ISCIII PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences and Public Health and serves as lecturer in the Master’s Program in Public Health and Research in Infectious Diseases at the University of Alcalá. -

Laura Alcázar Fuoli
Research Scientist
Graduated in Biochemistry from the Autonomous University of Madrid and PhD in Biology from the Complutense University of Madrid in 2006. She completed her doctoral thesis at the National Center of Microbiology (CNM) under the direction of Dr. Emilia Mellado, in the study of the synthesis of Ergosterol in Aspergillus fumigatus. In 2012 Laura joined the reference laboratory in mycology with a researcher contract for the “Miguel Servet” program after having worked for three years as an associate researcher at Imperial College London. During that period his research focused on host adaptation mechanisms and virulence factors of A. fumigatus. In 2014 he obtained the position of Senior Scientist of Public Research Organizations carrying out his research work at the CNM.
List of staff
Additional Information
Doctoral theses
“Expression and functionality of tlr2 and tlr4 in lymphomyeloid populations present in the lung and lymphoid organs during embryonic and neonatal life in mouse models.” Carolina Ruiz Sánchez. Complutense University of Madrid, 2022
Master's thesis
Detection and characterization of extracellular vesicles of platelet origin in lung supernatants from SPN-infected animals. Marta Paris, Alcalá University, 2024
Study of TLR-dependent activation in the RAW 264.7 macrophage line. Iñigo Merino de Saracho, Alcalá University, 2023
Study of the functionality of TLR receptors in the lung and other lymphoid organs in B cell populations using the neonatal mouse model. Yolanda Campanero, Alcalá University, 2023
Exploratory study of T lymphoid progenitors in the neonatal mouse lung. Alejandro Arrabal, Complutense University of Madrid, 2022
Study of B lymphoid differentiation in mice deficient for CD5 and CD6 molecules. Cristina Martín, Alcalá University, 2022
Role of platelets and their progenitor cells in two animal models of infection: SPN and RSV. Ana de Lucas Rius, Alcalá University, 2020
Pilot study of RSV infection in the mouse model: cellular phenotype of myeloid and lymphoid populations in the lung in two animal models of infection: SPN and RSV. Juan Antonio Martín Quesada, Alcalá University, 2020
B cell response during Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. Eva Castro, 2020
Study of the hematopoietic potential of neonatal lung cells in the mouse model. Ana Cogollo García, Alcalá University, 2018
Innate immune response to S. pneumoniae in the lung. Rodrigo Sánchez, Complutense University of Madrid, 2018
Neonatal immunity in the mouse model: localization and function of the innate and adaptive response. Alba Ezequiel Fernández, Alcalá University, 2017
Characterization of immunoglobulin gene diversity in the mouse model of TLR4 homeostasis and activation by bacterial lipopolysaccharide. Cristina García Caballero, Alcalá University, 2017
Altered lymphopoiesis and splenic B cell subsets on Telomerase Activity Deficient Mice (TERC-/-). Juliana Manosalva, Complutense University of Madrid, 2017
Study of the Immune Response in Nasopharyngeal Washings of Infants with Bronchiolitis. Isabel Martín Barrios, Complutense University of Madrid, 2016
Dynamics of B1-REL lymphocytes in the in vivo immunization model with DNP-LPS. Inmaculada Sanz Ramos University Alcalá, 2015
Megakaryocyte differentiation pathways in the mouse model. Marta Cobos Briz, Alcalá University, 2015
Role of megakaryocytes in infectious processes. Melania Guerrero Hue, Complutense University of Madrid, 2015
Final degree projects
Study of new bacterial vaccines in the mouse (Mus musculus) infection model due to Streptococcus pneumoniae. Alejandro Arrabal, Polytechnic University of Madrid, 2021
Megakaryocytes and platelets in SPN respiratory infection: Role of TLR4. Óscar González Hervás, Complutense University of Madrid, 2021
Study of the immune response mediated by pseudo-innate B lymphocytes against TLR4-dependent immunization models. Rodrigo Sánchez, Complutense University of Madrid, 2017.
Study of the diversity in the immunoglobulin repertoire in healthy individuals. Isabel Martín, Francisco de Vitoria University, 2015.
Dynamics of hematopoietic populations in the perinatal spleen. Inmaculada Sanz, Alcalá University, 2014
Teaching in training courses
Training course: Introduction to Flow Cytometry (from 2015 to present)
Training Course: Flow Cytometry Data Analysis (2018 to present)
Outreach / Citizen Science
• Collaboration in the 4th+Company CAM program.
• Collaboration with the ISCIII Scientific Culture Unit in Science Week at the ISCIII
• Scientific Dissemination Project "Talking about Science", carried out in Majadahonda primary, secondary and high school schools, since 2015 in collaboration with the Department of Education and Youth of the Majadahonda City Council: “How your Immune System works and healthy lifestyle habits to take care of it”
Doctoral theses
“Expression and functionality of tlr2 and tlr4 in lymphomyeloid populations present in the lung and lymphoid organs during embryonic and neonatal life in mouse models.” Carolina Ruiz Sánchez. Complutense University of Madrid, 2022
Master's thesis
Detection and characterization of extracellular vesicles of platelet origin in lung supernatants from SPN-infected animals. Marta Paris, Alcalá University, 2024
Study of TLR-dependent activation in the RAW 264.7 macrophage line. Iñigo Merino de Saracho, Alcalá University, 2023
Study of the functionality of TLR receptors in the lung and other lymphoid organs in B cell populations using the neonatal mouse model. Yolanda Campanero, Alcalá University, 2023
Exploratory study of T lymphoid progenitors in the neonatal mouse lung. Alejandro Arrabal, Complutense University of Madrid, 2022
Study of B lymphoid differentiation in mice deficient for CD5 and CD6 molecules. Cristina Martín, Alcalá University, 2022
Role of platelets and their progenitor cells in two animal models of infection: SPN and RSV. Ana de Lucas Rius, Alcalá University, 2020
Pilot study of RSV infection in the mouse model: cellular phenotype of myeloid and lymphoid populations in the lung in two animal models of infection: SPN and RSV. Juan Antonio Martín Quesada, Alcalá University, 2020
B cell response during Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. Eva Castro, 2020
Study of the hematopoietic potential of neonatal lung cells in the mouse model. Ana Cogollo García, Alcalá University, 2018
Innate immune response to S. pneumoniae in the lung. Rodrigo Sánchez, Complutense University of Madrid, 2018
Neonatal immunity in the mouse model: localization and function of the innate and adaptive response. Alba Ezequiel Fernández, Alcalá University, 2017
Characterization of immunoglobulin gene diversity in the mouse model of TLR4 homeostasis and activation by bacterial lipopolysaccharide. Cristina García Caballero, Alcalá University, 2017
Altered lymphopoiesis and splenic B cell subsets on Telomerase Activity Deficient Mice (TERC-/-). Juliana Manosalva, Complutense University of Madrid, 2017
Study of the Immune Response in Nasopharyngeal Washings of Infants with Bronchiolitis. Isabel Martín Barrios, Complutense University of Madrid, 2016
Dynamics of B1-REL lymphocytes in the in vivo immunization model with DNP-LPS. Inmaculada Sanz Ramos University Alcalá, 2015
Megakaryocyte differentiation pathways in the mouse model. Marta Cobos Briz, Alcalá University, 2015
Role of megakaryocytes in infectious processes. Melania Guerrero Hue, Complutense University of Madrid, 2015
Final degree projects
Study of new bacterial vaccines in the mouse (Mus musculus) infection model due to Streptococcus pneumoniae. Alejandro Arrabal, Polytechnic University of Madrid, 2021
Megakaryocytes and platelets in SPN respiratory infection: Role of TLR4. Óscar González Hervás, Complutense University of Madrid, 2021
Study of the immune response mediated by pseudo-innate B lymphocytes against TLR4-dependent immunization models. Rodrigo Sánchez, Complutense University of Madrid, 2017.
Study of the diversity in the immunoglobulin repertoire in healthy individuals. Isabel Martín, Francisco de Vitoria University, 2015.
Dynamics of hematopoietic populations in the perinatal spleen. Inmaculada Sanz, Alcalá University, 2014
Teaching in training courses
Training course: Introduction to Flow Cytometry (from 2015 to present)
Training Course: Flow Cytometry Data Analysis (2018 to present)
Outreach / Citizen Science
• Collaboration in the 4th+Company CAM program.
• Collaboration with the ISCIII Scientific Culture Unit in Science Week at the ISCIII
• Scientific Dissemination Project "Talking about Science", carried out in Majadahonda primary, secondary and high school schools, since 2015 in collaboration with the Department of Education and Youth of the Majadahonda City Council: “How your Immune System works and healthy lifestyle habits to take care of it”