We protect your health through science

Investigation

Pneumococcus

Research Lines

Content with Investigacion Inmunopatología del SIDA .

Research Lines:

1.    Molecular mechanisms associated to the protection of HIV-1 infection in limb-girdle muscular dystrophy dominant D2 (LGMDD2) patients.
2.    Generation of neutralizing antibodies for therapeutic use based on the broad-spectrum neutralizing response against founder viruses.
3.    Characterization of the immune memory against SARS-CoV-2 in a population over 65 years of age.
4.    Screening and characterization of new anti-latency drugs against HIV-1.
5.    Study of viral entry and HIV tropism in viruses of special epidemiological relevance in Spain. 
6.    Genetic mechanisms of protection and control of HIV-1 infection in populations with extreme phenotypes.

Clinical studies:

1.    Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of HIV-1 envelope-based 763SIP8/MPLA-5 vaccine as a preventive vaccine in healthy uninfected adults. 
2.    ENE-COVID-Senior: Prospective observational study in a cohort of elderly nursing home residents to establish their immune status after receiving a complete vaccination regimen.

Implementation of new technologies:

1.    Identification of HIV-1 integration sites by deep sequencing.
2.    Single cell transcriptomics with simultaneous TCR/BCR sequencing.
3.    Epidemiological intelligence for prediction of SARS-CoV-2 variants likely to emerge in different vaccination settings.
 

Research projects

Content with Investigacion Inmunopatología del SIDA .

1.    Immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection: effect in naïve vaccinees and seropositives against the most transmissible variants and relevance of host genetics.
Principal Investigator: Javier García Pérez. 
Funding Agency: Acción Estratégica en Salud Intramural 2021(ISCIII)
Funding: 135.000 €
Duration: 2022-2025. 
Project Reference: PI21CIII/00025.
2.    Design and generation of viral stocks of new SARS-CoV-2 variants (omicron subvariants) and analysis of their susceptibility to antibodies neutralization.
Principal Investigator: Javier García Pérez.
Funding Agency: Hipra Scientific S.L.U.
Funding: 103.771 €
Duration: 2023-2025.
Project Reference: MVP 198/23.
3.    Characterization of a mutation in transportin 3 that protects against HIV infection: molecular mechanisms and discovery of new drugs.
Principal Investigator: José Alcamí y Javier García Pérez.
Funding Agency:     Proyectos de I+D+I, Generación de Conocimiento y Retos Investigación de la Agencia Estatal de Investigación.
Funding: 240.000 €
Duration: 2022-2026. 
Project Reference: PID2021-125978OB-C21 funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by FEDER, UE

4.    Generation of immunogens based on HIV-1 envelopes from acutely infected individuals with a broad neutralizing response against founder viruses.
Principal investigator: Nuria González Fernández.
Funding Agency: Acción Estratégica en Salud Intramural 2023 (ISCIII)
Funding: 82.000 €
Duration: 2024-2026. 
Project Reference: PI23CIII/00039.
5.    Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of HIV-1 envelope-based 763SIP8/MPLA-5 vaccine. 
Principal Investigator: Josep Mallolas Masferrer.
Funding Agency: Proyectos de Investigación Clínica Independiente, Acción Estratégica en Salud 2021-2023 (ISCIII).
Funding: 173.200 €
Duration: 2024-2026. 
Project Reference: ICI23/00025.
6.    Service of immunological determinations of the ENE-COVID SENIOR II protocol.
Principal Investigator: Mayte Pérez Olmeda y Javier García Pérez. 
Funding Agency: Fundación para la investigación biomédica del Hospital Universitario La Paz
Funding: 185.037 €
Duration: 2024-2025. 
Project Reference: MOTR 219/24.
7.    Characterization of the immune memory against SARS-CoV-2 in a population over 65 years of age using single cell transcriptomics.
Principal Investigator: Javier García Pérez y Francisco Díez Fuertes.
Funding Agency: Acción Estratégica en Salud Intramural 2021(ISCIII)
Funding: 152.000 €
Duration: 2025-2027. 
Project Reference: PI24CIII/00058
8. Evaluation of rimonabant and cannbinooid analogues in HIV infection and viral latency.
Principal Investigator: Luis Miguel Bedoya del Olmo. 
Funding Agency: Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Funding: 12.000 €
Duration: 2024-2025. 
Project Reference: PR12/24-31553.
9. Discovery of new inhibitors of HIV-1 RNA biogenesis based on blocking the ribonucleoprotein RRE-Rev.
Principal Investigator: José Gallego Sala. Associate Researcher: Luis Miguel Bedoya del Olmo
Funding Agency: Department of Innovation, Universities, Science and Digital Society. Generalitat Valenciana.
Funding: 543,683.84 €
Duration: 2025-2027. 
Project Reference: PROMETEO/2021/036.

Publications

Sort
Category

Misdiagnosis rate of among negative COVID-19 patients in real-life with Panbio COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test during 2021.

8. Ryan P, Pérez-García F, Torres-Macho J, Bibiano C, Ignacio Lazo J, Castaño-Ochoa G, Vidal-Alcántara EJ, Muñoz-Gómez MJ, Martínez I#, Resino S#. Misdiagnosis rate of among negative COVID-19 patients in real-life with Panbio COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test during 2021. J Infect. 2022 May; 84(5):e42-e44. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2022.03.013. PMID: 35306106 (L; FI= 38.637; D1 Infectious Diseases; JCR 2021).

PUBMED

Similar humoral immune responses against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in HIV and non-HIV individuals after COVID-19.

11. Martín-Vicente M, Berenguer J, Muñoz-Gómez MJ, Díez C, Micán R, Pérez-Elías MJ, García-Fraile LJ, Peraire J, Suárez-García I, Jiménez-Sousa MÁ, Fernández-Rodríguez A, Vázquez M, Ryan P, González-García J, Jarrín I, Mas V, Martínez I#, Resino S#. Similar humoral immune responses against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in HIV and non-HIV individuals after COVID-19. J Infect. 2022 Mar;84(3):418-467. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2021.11.002. PMID: 34752819 (L; FI= 38.637; D1 Infectious Diseases; JCR 2021).

PUBMED

Low anti-SARS-CoV-2 S antibody levels predict increased mortality and dissemination of viral components in the blood of critical COVID-19 patients.

12. Martin-Vicente M#, Almansa R#, Martínez I#, Tedim AP, Bustamante E, Tamayo L, Aldecoa C, Gómez JM, Renedo G, Berezo JÁ, Cedeño JA, Mamolar N, García Olivares P, Herrán-Monge R, Cicuendez R, Enríquez P, Ortega A, Jorge N, Doncel C, de la Fuente A, Bustamante-Munguira J, Muñoz-Gómez MJ, González-Rivera M, Puertas C, Más V, Vázquez M, Pérez-García F, Rico-Feijoo J, Martín S, Motos A, Fernandez-Barat L, Eiros JM, Dominguez-Gil M, Ferrer R, Barbé F, Trapiello W, Kelvin DJ, Bermejo-Martin JF, Resino S, Torres A. Low anti-SARS-CoV-2 S antibody levels predict increased mortality and dissemination of viral components in the blood of critical COVID-19 patients. J Intern Med. 2022 Feb; 291(2):232-240. doi: 10.1111/joim.13386. PMID: 34611927 (A; FI= 13.068; D1 Medicine, General & Internal; JCR 2021).

PUBMED

Strategies Targeting the Innate Immune Response for the Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus-Associated Liver Fibrosis.

13. Sepulveda-Crespo D, Resino S*, Martinez I*. Strategies Targeting the Innate Immune Response for the Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus-Associated Liver Fibrosis. Drugs. 2021 Drugs. 2021 Mar; 81(4):419-443. doi: 10.1007/s40265-020-01458-x. PMID: 33400242. (R; FI= 11.431; D1 Pharmacology & Pharmacy; JCR 2021).

PUBMED

Metabolic Profiling at COVID-19 Onset Shows Disease Severity and Sex-Specific Dysregulation FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY.

3 Ceballos, Francisco C.; Virseda-Berdices, Ana; Resino, Salvador; et al; Jimenez-Sousa, Maria Angeles. (19/19). 2022. Metabolic Profiling at COVID-19 Onset Shows Disease Severity and Sex-Specific Dysregulation FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY. ISSN 1664-3224.

Metabolomic changes after DAAs therapy are related to the improvement of cirrhosis and inflammation in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients.

4 Virseda-Berdices, Ana; Rojo, David; Martinez, Isidoro; et al; Jimenez-Sousa, Maria Angeles. (14/14). 2022. Metabolomic changes after DAAs therapy are related to the improvement of cirrhosis and inflammation in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients. BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY. 147:112623. ISSN 1950-6007.

HCV Cure With Direct-Acting Antivirals Improves Liver and Immunological Markers in HIV/HCV-Coinfected Patients FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY.

7 Brochado-Kith, Oscar; Martinez, Isidoro; Berenguer, Juan; et al; Jiménez-Sousa, Maria Angeles (‡, AC); Resino, Salvador (‡, AC). (13/13). 2021. HCV Cure With Direct-Acting Antivirals Improves Liver and Immunological Markers in HIV/HCV-Coinfected Patients FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY. 12:723196. ISSN 1664-3224.

Plasma miRNA profile at COVID-19 onset predicts severity status and mortality

3. Fernández-Pato A; Virseda-Berdices A; Resino S; et al; Fernández-Rodríguez A (AC). (20/20). 2022. Plasma miRNA profile at COVID-19 onset predicts severity status and mortality Emerging Microbes and Infections. Taylor & Francis Online. ISSN 2222-1751.

DOI

Content with Investigacion Caracterización molecular de los estafilococcus .

List of staff

Additional Information

The Pneumococcus Unit is in charge of two very important aspects related to pneumococcus infections, such as epidemiological surveillance and basic and translational research of diseases caused by this pathogen. Our unit contributes to the epidemiological surveillance of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), characterizing the serotypes and genotypes of invasive pneumococci circulating in Spain, as well as the evolution of antibiotic resistance in this pathogen. 

Identification of culture-negative samples (CSF and pleural fluids) is performed using real-time PCR. Serotyping is performed using the Dot-blot and PCR-sequencing technique. Genotyping for the study of outbreaks and characterization of clones associated with hypervirulent and/or multiresistant strains is performed using the MLST technique and the analysis of complete genomes by massive sequencing. In addition, antibiotic susceptibility is determined following the EUCAST criteria. 

Our unit belongs to the IBD-labnet network of the ECDC and annually notifies all cases of IPD to the ECDC and also to the IRIS (Invasive Respiratory Infection Surveillance) network. At the level of basic and translational research, our unit is responsible for studying and characterizing different molecular mechanisms of pathogenicity and protection related to pneumococcal infection. Among the main objectives are the molecular characterization of virulence factors, the study of different vaccine candidate proteins and determining the possible impact that tobacco smoke and the formation of biofilms have on the colonization of the respiratory tract.

The Pneumococcus Unit is in charge of two very important aspects related to pneumococcus infections, such as epidemiological surveillance and basic and translational research of diseases caused by this pathogen. Our unit contributes to the epidemiological surveillance of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), characterizing the serotypes and genotypes of invasive pneumococci circulating in Spain, as well as the evolution of antibiotic resistance in this pathogen. 

Identification of culture-negative samples (CSF and pleural fluids) is performed using real-time PCR. Serotyping is performed using the Dot-blot and PCR-sequencing technique. Genotyping for the study of outbreaks and characterization of clones associated with hypervirulent and/or multiresistant strains is performed using the MLST technique and the analysis of complete genomes by massive sequencing. In addition, antibiotic susceptibility is determined following the EUCAST criteria. 

Our unit belongs to the IBD-labnet network of the ECDC and annually notifies all cases of IPD to the ECDC and also to the IRIS (Invasive Respiratory Infection Surveillance) network. At the level of basic and translational research, our unit is responsible for studying and characterizing different molecular mechanisms of pathogenicity and protection related to pneumococcal infection. Among the main objectives are the molecular characterization of virulence factors, the study of different vaccine candidate proteins and determining the possible impact that tobacco smoke and the formation of biofilms have on the colonization of the respiratory tract.

Content with Investigacion Caracterización molecular de los estafilococcus .