HIV Biology and Variability
Líneas de investigación
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.
Publicaciones destacadas
Analysis of strain relatedness using High Resolution Melting in a case of recurrent candiduria
7. Gago S, Lorenzo B, Gomez-Lopez A, Cuesta I, Cuenca-Estrella M, Buitrago MJ. Analysis of strain relatedness using high resolution melting in a case of recurrent candiduria. BMC Microbiol. 2013 Jan 23;13:13. doi: 10.1186/1471-2180-13-13. PMID: 23343107.
PUBMED DOIHigh-Resolution Melting Analysis for Identification of the Cryptococcus neoformans-Cryptococcus gattii Complex
8. Gago S, Zaragoza Ó, Cuesta I, Rodríguez-Tudela JL, Cuenca-Estrella M, Buitrago MJ. High-resolution melting analysis for identification of the Cryptococcus neoformans-Cryptococcus gattii complex. J Clin Microbiol. 2011 Oct;49(10):3663-6. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01091-11. Epub 2011 Aug 10. PMID: 21832024.
PUBMED DOIPerformance of Panfungal- and Specific-PCR-Based Procedures for Etiological Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Diseases on Tissue Biopsy Specimens with Proven Infection: a 7-Year Retrospective Analysis from a Reference Laboratory
9. Buitrago MJ, Bernal-Martinez L, Castelli MV, Rodriguez-Tudela JL, Cuenca-Estrella M Performance of panfungal--and specific-PCR-based procedures for etiological diagnosis of invasive fungal diseases on tissue biopsy specimens with proven infection: a 7-year retrospective analysis from a reference laboratory. J Clin Microbiol. 2014 May;52(5):1737-40. doi: 10.1128/JCM.00328-14. Epub 2014 Feb 26.PMID: 24574295.
PUBMED DOIEpidemiología actual y diagnóstico de laboratorio de las micosis endémicas en España
11. Buitrago MJ, Cuenca-Estrella M. [Current epidemiology and laboratory diagnosis of endemic mycoses in Spain]. Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin. 2012 Aug;30(7):407-13. doi: 10.1016/j.eimc.2011.09.014. Epub 2011 Nov 29. PMID: 22130575 Review. Spanish.
PUBMED DOIInformación adicional
The activities of the HIV viral and biology unit (UBVVIH) include research, service to the National Health System (NHS) and the administration of Justice and teaching. Its main lines of research are molecular epidemiology and HIV-1 phylogeny, in which the UBVVIH has carried out numerous national and international collaborations, focusing on the identification of viral genetic forms and the study of their correlations with epidemiological variables. Related lines are phylodynamics and phylogeography, which study the origin and dynamics of growth and spread of HIV-1 variants. Such studies can be used to better understand the evolution of the epidemic and to plan public health actions.
The UBVHIV also produces and characterises primary isolates and functional clones of the envelope of various genetic forms of HIV-1, which are deposited in repositories and used by numerous international groups. Other lines of research are described in the corresponding section. In terms of service to the NHS, the UBVVIH carries out antiretroviral resistance tests and prediction of tropism as a therapeutic guide in HIV-1 infected patients. As for its collaboration with the Justice Administration, the UBVVIH carries out expert opinions through phylogenetic studies of sequences for legal cases of possible HIV transmissions.