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Microbial Immunology and Immunogenetics

Research Lines

Content with Investigacion Entomología Médica .

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

Content with Investigacion Entomología Médica .

CURRENT PROJECTS

Project title: "Biochemical and functional characterisation of salivary proteins of Phlebotomus perniciosus and their role in infection by Leishmania infantum (PERNIPROT)"
Reference: Project PID2023-147773NA-I00 funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by FEDER, EU.
Start date: 01/09/2024
End date: 31/08/2028
Funding: €175,000
Principal investigator: Inés Elena Martín Martín. 
Funding agency: Agencia Estatal de Investigación (Proyecto de Generación del Conocimiento 2023).


 

Project title: "Surveillance of leishmaniasis in the Community of Madrid from a “One Health” perspective: study of the infectious capacity of patients with visceral leishmaniasis and their role as reservoirs"
Reference: PI24CIII/00026
Start date: 01/01/2025
End date: 31/12/2027
Funding: €60,000.00
Principal investigator: Inés Elena Martín Martín. 
Co-principal investigator: Maribel Jiménez Alonso
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Strategic Action in Intramural Health, AESI). 

Service Contract: "Analysis for the surveillance of the vector and wild reservoirs that transmit leishmaniasis in the Community of Madrid"
Reference: file no. 17/2024 (A/SER-008455/2024).
Start date: 26/06/2024
End date: 10/12/25, extendable to 2026
Total funding: €171,084
Principal Investigator: Maribel Jiménez Alonso
Funding agency: Service Contract between the Instituto de Salud Carlos III and the Directorate-General for Public Health, Regional Ministry of Health of the Community of Madrid 

Project Title: CIBERINFEC Research Group (CB21/13/00110)
Start date: 2021
End date: currently active
Principal Investigator: Dr. Mª Paz Sánchez-Seco, Arbovirus and Imported Viral Diseases Unit. 
Researchers from the Medical Entomology Laboratory: Maribel Jiménez (member), Inés Martín Martín (collaborator).
Funding: €108,134. File number: CB21/13/00110.
Funding agency: Consortium Centre for Biomedical Research in NETWORK (CIBER)


 

PAST PROJECTS

Service Contract: "Evaluation of the anti-leishmania effect of the bacteria Tc1 and its derivatives in the intravectorial cycle"
Reference: ISCIII-06896
Start date: 15/12/2022
End date: 15/04/2025
Funding: €71,265.67
Principal Investigator: Inés Elena Martín Martín
Funding agency: Service Contract between the company GlaxoSmithKline R&D (GSK) and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III

Service Contract: "Analysis for the surveillance of the vector and wild reservoirs that transmit leishmaniasis in the Community of Madrid"
Reference: 59/2020 (A/SER-040739/2020)
Start date: 10/12/2021
End date: 10/12/2023.   
Funding: €42,612.17 per year   Total 2021-2023: €127,836.51
Principal Investigators: Ricardo Molina /Maribel Jiménez Alonso
Funding agency: Service contract between the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) and the Directorate-General for Public Health, Regional Ministry of Health of the Community of Madrid

Project title: "Research and Integrated Surveillance of Emerging Arboviruses West Nile, Toscana and Dengue in some areas of Spain"
Reference: PI19CIII/00014
Start date: 2020
End date: 2022
Principal Investigator: Ana Vázquez González
Co-Principal Investigator: Ricardo Molina
Funding: €60,000.00
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Strategic Action in Intramural Health, AESI).

Project title: "Characterisation of the concept of ‘asymptomatic carrier’ in leishmaniasis: implications for treatment".
Start date: 01/01/2015
End date: 31/12/2017
Principal investigators: Javier Moreno and Javier García
Funding: €159,940
Funding agency: Study Agreement between Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), the Spanish Foundation for International Cooperation, Health and Social Policy (FCSAI) and Fuenlabrada Hospital. Subcontractor: ISCIII Medical Entomology Unit (Maribel Jiménez and Ricardo Molina).

Project title: "Biology and control of vector-borne infections in Europe (EDENext Collaborative Project): Sandfly-borne diseases".  
Reference: Subproject (PBD) (EU, FP7-HEALTH-2010-single-stage, contract No. 261504).
Start date: 2011
End date: 2014
Principal investigator: Ricardo Molina     General coordinator: Petr Volf
Funding: €140,000
Funding agency: EU-FP7

Project Title: "Phlebotomus perniciosus saliva as a source in the search for potential targets for the development of vaccines against Leishmania infantum"
Reference: AGL2008-01592/GAN (MICINN)
Start date: 2009
End date: 2011
Principal investigator: Ricardo Molina
Funding: €70,180
Funding agency: Ministry of Science and Innovation

Publications

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Pharmacologic control of homeostatic and antigen-driven proliferation to target HIV-1 persistence

Pharmacologic control of homeostatic and antigen-driven proliferation to target HIV-1 persistence. Innis EA, Levinger C, Szaniawski MA, Williams ESCP, Alcamí J, Bosque A, Schiffer JT, Coiras M, Spivak AM, Planelles V. Biochem Pharmacol. 2021 Oct 26:114816. doi: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114816. PMID: 34715067.

PUBMED DOI

Impaired Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity in a Spanish Cohort of Patients With COVID-19 Admitted to the ICU.

Impaired Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity in a Spanish Cohort of Patients With COVID-19 Admitted to the ICU. Vigón L, García-Pérez J, Rodríguez-Mora S, Torres M, Mateos E, Castillo de la Osa M, Cervero M, Malo De Molina R, Navarro C, Murciano-Antón MA, García-Gutiérrez V, Planelles V, Alcamí J, Pérez-Olmeda M, López-Huertas MR, Coiras M (AC). Front Immunol. 2021 Sep 20;12:742631. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.742631. eCollection 2021. PMID: 34616404.

PUBMED DOI

Provirus reactivation is impaired in HIV-1 infected individuals on treatment with dasatinib and antiretroviral therapy.

Provirus reactivation is impaired in HIV-1 infected individuals on treatment with dasatinib and antiretroviral therapy. Vigón L, Martínez-Román P, Rodríguez-Mora S, Torres M, Puertas MC, Mateos E, Salgado M, Navarro A, Sánchez-Conde M, Ambrosioni J, Cervero M, Wyen C, Hoffmann C, Miró JM, Alcamí J, Podzamczer D, García-Gutiérrez V, Martínez-Picado J, Briz V, Rosa López-Huertas M, Planelles V, Coiras M (AC). Biochem Pharmacol. 2021 Oct;192:114666. doi: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114666. PMID: 34186065.

PUBMED DOI

Kinetics of the invasion and egress processes of Babesia divergens, observed by time-lapse video microscopy.

Sevilla E; González LM; Luque D; Gray J; Montero E. 2018. Kinetics of the invasion and egress processes of Babesia divergens, observed by time-lapse video microscopy. Scientific Reports. 8:14116.DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32349-7

PUBMED DOI

Misdiagnosis of Babesiosis as Malaria, Equatorial Guinea, 2014.

2. Arsuaga M; González LM; Salvador Padial E; Woubshet Dinkessa A; Sevilla E; Trigo E; Puente S; Gray J; Montero E. 2018. Misdiagnosis of Babesiosis as Malaria, Equatorial Guinea, 2014. Emerging Infectious Diseases.24-8, pp.1588-1589.

PUBMED DOI

A fatal case of Babesia divergens infection in Northwestern Spain

3. Asensi V; González LM; Fernández-Suárez J; Sevilla E; Navascués RÁ; Suárez ML; Lauret ME; Bernardo A; Carton JA; Montero E. 2018. A fatal case of Babesia divergens infection in Northwestern Spain. Ticks Tick Borne Dis.9-3, pp.730-734.

PUBMED DOI

First report of Babesia microti-caused babesiosis in Spain.

Arsuaga M*; Gonzalez LM*; Lobo CA; Calle F; Bautista JM; Azcárate IG; Puente S; Montero E. 2016. First report of Babesia microti-caused babesiosis in Spain. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis.16-10, pp.677-679. (*)= contribuyeron igualmente en este trabajo.

PUBMED DOI

First record of Babesia sp. in Antarctic penguins.

5. Montero E; González LM; Chaparro A; Benzal J; Bertellotti M; Masero JA; Colominas-Ciuró R; Vidal V; Barbosa A. 2016. First record of Babesia sp. in Antarctic penguins. Ticks Tick Borne Dis.7-3, pp.498-501.

PUBMED DOI

Ultrastructure of the Babesia divergens free merozoite

6. Del Carmen Terrón M; González-Camacho F; González LM; Luque D; Montero E. 2016. Ultrastructure of the Babesia divergens free merozoite.Ticks Tick Borne Dis.7-6, pp.1274-1279.

PUBMED DOI

First report of Babesia divergens infection in an HIV patient

7. González LM; Castro E; Lobo CA; Richart A; Ramiro R; González-Camacho F; Luque D; Velasco AC; Montero E. 2015. First report of Babesia divergens infection in an HIV patient. Int J Infect Dis. 33:202-4.

PUBMED DOI

Severe babesiosis in immunocompetent man, Spain

9. González LM, Rojo S, González-Camacho F, Luque D, Lobo CA, Montero E. 2014. Severe babesiosis in immunocompetent man, Spain. Emerging Infectious Disease. 20(4):724-726.

PUBMED DOI

The efficacy of the ultraviolet C pathogen inactivation system in the reduction of Babesia divergens in pooled buffy coat platelets

Castro E, González LM, Rubio JM, Ramiro R, Gironés N, Montero E. 2014. The efficacy of the ultraviolet C pathogen inactivation system in the reduction of Babesia divergens in pooled buffy coat platelets. Transfusion. 54(9): 2207-2216.

PUBMED DOI

Clinical, microbiological, and molecular characterization of pediatric invasive infections by Streptococcus pyogenes in Spain in a context of global outbreak

Ramírez de Arellano E, Saavedra-Lozano J, Villalón P, Jové-Blanco A, Grandioso D, Sotelo J, Gamell A, González-López JJ, Cervantes E, Gónzalez MJ, Rello-Saltor V, Esteva C, Sanz-Santaeufemia F, Yagüe G, Manzanares Á, Brañas P, Ruiz de Gopegui E, Carrasco-Colom J, García F, Cercenado E, Mellado I, Del Castillo E, Pérez-Vazquez M, Oteo-Iglesias J, Calvo C; Spanish PedGAS-Net/CIBERINFEC GAS Study Group. Clinical, microbiological, and molecular characterization of pediatric invasive infections by Streptococcus pyogenes in Spain in a context of global outbreak. mSphere. 2024 Mar 26;9(3):e0072923

PUBMED DOI

Accumulation of endogenous free radicals is required to induce titan-like cell formation in Cryptococcus neoformans

Irene García-Barbazán, Alba Torres-Cano, Rocío García-Rodas, Martin Sachse, Daniel Luque, Diego Megías, Oscar Zaragoza. mBio. 2024 Jan 16;15(1):e0254923

PUBMED DOI

An alternative host model of a mixed fungal infection by azole susceptible and resistant Aspergillus spp strains

15. Alcazar-Fuoli L, Buitrago M, Gomez-Lopez A, Mellado E. An alternative host model of a mixed fungal infection by azole susceptible and resistant Aspergillus spp strains. Virulence. 2015;6(4):376-84. doi: 10.1080/21505594.2015.1025192. PMID: 26065322.

PUBMED DOI

Effect of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines and SARS-CoV-2 on antimicrobial resistance and the emergence of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes with reduced susceptibility in Spain, 2004-20: a national surveillance study

Sempere J, Llamosí M, López Ruiz B, Del Río I, Pérez-García C, Lago D, Gimeno M, Coronel P, González-Camacho F, Domenech M, Yuste J. Effect of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines and SARS-CoV-2 on antimicrobial resistance and the emergence of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes with reduced susceptibility in Spain, 2004-20: a national surveillance study. Lancet Microbe. 2022 Oct;3(10):e744-e752.

PUBMED DOI

Seconeolitsine, the Novel Inhibitor of DNA Topoisomerase I, Protects against Invasive Pneumococcal Disease Caused by Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Strains

Tirado-Vélez JM, Carreño D, Sevillano D, Alou L, Yuste J, de la Campa AG. Seconeolitsine, the Novel Inhibitor of DNA Topoisomerase I, Protects against Invasive Pneumococcal Disease Caused by Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Strains. Antibiotics. 2021 May 13;10(5):573.

PUBMED DOI

Minilungs from Human Embryonic Stem Cells to Study the Interaction of Streptococcus pneumoniae with the Respiratory Tract

Sempere J, Rossi SA, Chamorro-Herrero I, González-Camacho F, de Lucas MP, Rojas-Cabañeros JM, Taborda CP, Zaragoza Ó, Yuste J, Zambrano A. Minilungs from Human Embryonic Stem Cells to Study the Interaction of Streptococcus pneumoniae with the Respiratory Tract. Microbiol Spectr. 2022 Jun 29;10(3):e0045322

PUBMED DOI

A national longitudinal study evaluating the activity of cefditoren and other antibiotics against non-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae strains during the period 2004-20 in Spain

Sempere J, González-Camacho F, Domenech M, Llamosí M, Del Río I, López-Ruiz B, Gimeno M, Coronel P, Yuste J. A national longitudinal study evaluating the activity of cefditoren and other antibiotics against non-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae strains during the period 2004-20 in Spain. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2022 Mar 31;77(4):1045-1051.

PUBMED DOI

Nationwide Trends of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in Spain From 2009 Through 2019 in Children and Adults During the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Era

de Miguel S, Domenech M, González-Camacho F, Sempere J, Vicioso D, Sanz JC, Comas LG, Ardanuy C, Fenoll A, Yuste J. Nationwide Trends of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in Spain From 2009 Through 2019 in Children and Adults During the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Era. Clin Infect Dis. 2021 Dec 6;73(11):e3778-e3787

PUBMED DOI

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