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Investigation
Viral Pathogenesis and Immunity
Research Lines
Content with Investigacion .
Mechanisms of pathogenic fungal host adaptation: Morphogenesis in Cryptococcus neoformans
One of the main mechanisms by which fungi are able to cause disease in humans is their ability to evade the immune response and adapt to the environmental conditions found in the host. In this regard, one of the yeasts that has the greatest ability to adapt to the host is Cryptococcus neoformans. This fungus is found in the environment, and is acquired by inhalation, although the most typical picture is meningitis in immunocompromised patients, mainly HIV+. The main phenotypic characteristic is the presence of a polysaccharide capsule surrounding the cell, which is considered a virulence factor. In addition, C. neoformans is able to increase cell size significantly forming “titan” cells, which can reach a diameter of more than 70 microns. In the laboratory, we are interested in the role of these titan cells in the virulence of C. neoformans. Recently, we have described in vitro media in which C. neoformans forms pseudo-titan cells, which has allowed us to identify new factors and pathways involved in this process.
Mechanisms of action of antifungals
In parallel, we have a line whose main objective is to characterize the mechanisms of action of antifungals. Specifically, we have focused our work on the effect of Amphotericin B (AmB). For decades it has been thought that this antifungal causes cell death after binding to ergosterol and pore formation. Our results indicate that this antifungal also induces strong oxidative stress in the cell, which occurs before cell integrity is lost. Furthermore, we have shown that oxidative stress is necessary for the fungicidal action of AmB. These results open the door to design new strategies to improve its efficiency in patients.
New therapeutic strategies
Work with AmB has led to research aimed at improving antifungal therapies. In particular, we have used the strategy of “off-patent” drug repositioning to search for new activities. Using this approach, we have identified several drugs that increase the effectiveness of AmB against major pathogenic yeasts, such as the antibiotic erythromycin. This approach has allowed us to identify drugs with antifungal activity against emerging pathogens, such as Candida auris.
Research projects
Content with Investigacion .
Projects with public funding
TITLE: Virulence factors of pathogenic yeasts and their influence on the host.
FUNDING ENTITY: Ministry of Education and Science.
POSITION HELD: Principal Investigator, Contracted “Ramón y Cajal”.
START/FINISH: 2006-2007
AMOUNT: 15,000 EUROS
TITLE: Characterization of fungal giant cells and their role during infection in mammals.
FINANCING ENTITY: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
POSITION HELD: Principal Investigator, Contracted “Ramón y Cajal”.
START/FINISH: 2006-2007
AMOUNT: 55,000 EUROS
TITLE: Search and identification of genes involved in the resistance to antifungal agents in
Cryptococcus neoformans
FUNDING ENTITY: Ministry of Science and Innovation.
POSITION HELD: Principal Investigator, Contracted “Ramón y Cajal”.
START/FINISH: 2008-2010
AMOUNT: 25,000 EUROS
COLLABORATORS: Juan Luis Rodríguez Tudela (National Center of Microbiology, ISCIII. Madrid); Manuel Cuenca Estrella (National Center of Microbiology, ISCIII. Madrid); Maria Jose Gianinni (Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas-UNESP). Brazil
TITLE: Role of morphological changes of the pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans during host infection.
FUNDING ENTITY: Ministry of Science and Innovation. National Plan Program “Non-oriented Fundamental Research”, area of Biomedicine, SAF2008-03761.
POSITION HELD: Principal Investigator, Contracted “Ramón y Cajal”.
START/END: 2009-2011
AMOUNT: 46,000 EUROS
PROJECT TITLE: Identification of the molecular mechanisms involved in the morphogenesis of Cryptococcus neoformans and study of their function during infection.
FUNDING ENTITY: Ministry of Science and Innovation, National Plan for Non-Oriented Fundamental Research, Biomedicine Area, Referencia: SAF2011-25140
DURATION FROM: January 2012 UNTIL: December 2014
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Oscar Zaragoza Hernández
This project has an FPI grantee granted.
SUBSIDY: 90.000 euros
TITLE: Importance of morphogenesis in the virulence of pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans and improvement of amphotericin B-based cryptococcosis therapy. Reference: SAF2014-25140
FUNDING ENTITY: MINECO (Call for R+D+I Projects “RETOS INVESTIGACION)
POSITION HELD: Principal Investigator
START/FINISH: 2015-2017
Funding: 100.000 €.
TITLE: Study of the molecular basis and factors inducing morphological changes in Cryptococcus neoformans and characterization of new therapeutic strategies. Reference: SAF2017-86912-R
FUNDING ENTITY: MINECO (Call for R+D+I Projects “RETOS INVESTIGACION)
POSITION HELD: Principal Investigator
START/END: 2018-2020
Funding: 106.000 €.
TITLE: Mechanisms of adaptation of the pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans to the lung. Reference: PID2020-114546RB
FUNDING ENTITY: Ministry of Science and Innovation, State Research Agency (Call “Proyectos I+D+I” 2020 - Modalities “Research Challenges” and “Knowledge Generation”).
POSITION HELD: Principal Researcher
START/END: 01/09/2021-31/05/2025
Funding: 143,990 €.
TITLE: Precision medicine against antimicrobial resistance. MePRAM Project.
FUNDING ENTITY: Research Projects on Precision Personalized Medicine of the Strategic Action in Health 2021-2023, under the PERTE for Vanguard Health and charged to the European funds of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
POSITION: Collaborator (Principal Investigator: Jesús Oteo Iglesias)
START/FINISH: 2023-2025
Funding: 4.339.500 €.
TITLE: Centre for Biomedical Research in Network. Infectious Diseases Area (CIBERINFEC)
Funding Agency: Insituto de Salud Carlos III. Reference: CB21/13/00105
Dates: 2022-2026 Funding: 85.000 € (first year)
PI: Emilia Mellado Terrado / CoPI: Óscar Zaragoza Hernández
TITLE: Study of the genetic, metabolic and cellular determinants that influence titan cell formation in the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans and correlation with antifungal exposure.
CALL FOR PROJECTS: Knowledge Generation Projects.
FUNDING ENTITY. State Research Agency. Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.
REFERENCE: Project PID2023-148686OB-I00 Project funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by FEDER, EU.
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Oscar Zaragoza Hernández
START/END: 2024-2027
FUNDING: 180.000 €.
TITLE: Characterization of azole-resistant Candida parapsilosis isolates associated with hospital outbreaks: New strategies for their detection and treatment.
CALL: Strategic Action in Intramural Health.
FUNDING ENTITY. Carlos III Health Institute.
REFERENCE: AESI-2024 PI24CIII/00051
PRINCIPAL RESEARCHER: Oscar Zaragoza Hernández / Laura Alcázar Fuoli
START/FINISH: /01/012025-31/12/2027
FUNDING: 70.000 €.
Projects financed by biotechnology companies
PROJECT TITLE: Amphores. Evaluation of the induction of oxidative damage by Amphoterin B in susceptible and resistant yeast species.
FUNDING ENTITY: Gilead
DURATION FROM: 2011 TO: 2012
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Oscar Zaragoza Hernández
GRANT: 55,000 euros
TITLE: Fungomics. Evaluation of the activity of amphotericin B and other antifungals against human pathogenic fungi.
FINANCING ENTITY: Gilead
POSITION HELD: Principal Investigator
START/END: 2019-2020
TITLE: Antifungal susceptibility testing of a set of Candida spp to CD101 and anidulafungin in five microdilution plates.
FUNDING ENTITY: Cidara
POSITION HELD: Principal Investigator
START/END: 2018
TITLE: Cidara MultiCentre EUCAST study
FUNDING ENTITY: Cidara
POSITION HELD: Principal Investigator
START/END: 2016
TITLE: Characterization of triazole-resistant Candida parapsilosis isolates from Spanish hospitals
FUNDING ENTITY: Gilead Science
POSITION HELD: Principal Investigator
START/END: 2022-2023
TITLE: EUCAST multicentre MIC testing of manogepix meeting EUCAST ECOFF setting criteria
FUNDING ENTITY: Pfizer
POSITION HELD: Principal Investigator
START/END: 2023
Publications
HCV eradication with IFN-based therapy does not completely restore gene expression in PBMCs from HIV/HCV-coinfected patients.
10.1186/s40249-021-00894-5. 9. Brochado O, Martínez I (*), Berenguer J, Medrano L, González-García J, Jiménez-Sousa MA, Carrero A, Hontañón V, Navarro J, Guardiola JM, Pérez-Latorre L, Micán R, Fernández-Rodríguez A (‡), Resino S (* ‡). HCV eradication with IFN-based therapy does not completely restore gene expression in PBMCs from HIV/HCV-coinfected patients. J Biomed Sci 2021; 28:23 (A; FI= 12.77; D1, Medicine, Research & Experimental; JCR 2021). PMID: 33785040. DOI: 10.1186/s12929-021-00718-6.
PUBMEDRelationship of vitamin D status with advanced liver fibrosis and response to hepatitis C virus therapy: A meta-analysis.
12. García-Álvarez M, Pineda-Tenor D, Jiménez-Sousa Ma, Fernández-Rodríguez A, Guzmán-Fulgencio M; Resino S (*). Relationship of vitamin D status with advanced liver fibrosis and response to hepatitis C virus therapy: A meta-analysis. Hepatology. 2014, 6(5):1541-1550. (A; FI= 11.05; D1, Gastroenterology & Hepatology; JCR 2014). PMID: 24975775. DOI: 10.1002/hep.27281.
PUBMEDFTO rs9939609 polymorphism is associated with metabolic disturbances and response to HCV therapy in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients.
13. Pineda-Tenor D, Berenguer J, Jiménez-Sousa MA, García-Álvarez M, Aldamiz-Echevarría T, Carrero A, Vázquez-Morón S, García-Broncano P, Diez C, Tejerina F, Guzmán-Fulgencio M, Resino S (*). FTO rs9939609 polymorphism is associated with metabolic disturbances and response to HCV therapy in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients. BMC Med. 2014, 12:198. (A; FI= 7.34; D1, Medicine, General & Internal; JCR 2014). PMID: 25367448. DOI: 10.1186/s12916-014-0198-y.
PUBMEDHLA-E variants are associated with sustained virological response in HIV/hepatitis C virus-coinfected patients on hepatitis C virus therapy.
14. Guzmán-Fulgencio M, Berenguer J; Rallón N, Fernández-Rodríguez A, Miralles P, Soriano V, Jiménez-Sousa MA, Cosin J, Medrano J, García-Álvarez M, López JC, Benito JM, Resino S (*). HLA-E variants are associated with sustained virological response in HIV/hepatitis C virus-coinfected patients on hepatitis C virus therapy. AIDS 2013; 27(8):1231-1238. (A; FI= 6.55; D1, Infectious Diseases; JCR 2013). PMID: 23811951. DOI: 10.1097/QAD.0b013e32835f5b9c.
PUBMEDEva Orviz, Anabel Negredo, Oskar Ayerdi, Ana Vázquez, Ana Muñoz-Gomez, Sara Monzón, Petunia Clavo, Angel Zaballos, Mar Vera, Patricia Sánchez, Noemi Cabello, Pilar Jiménez, Jorge A Pérez-García, Sarai Varona, Jorge Del Romero, Isabel Cuesta, Alberto Delgado-Iribarren, Montse Torres, Iñigo Sagastagoitia, Gustavo Palacios, Vicente Estrada, Maria Paz Sánchez-Seco, Grupo Viruela del Simio Madrid CNM/ISCIII/HCSC/Sandoval.
Eva Orviz, Anabel Negredo, Oskar Ayerdi, Ana Vázquez, Ana Muñoz-Gomez, Sara Monzón, Petunia Clavo, Angel Zaballos, Mar Vera, Patricia Sánchez, Noemi Cabello, Pilar Jiménez, Jorge A Pérez-García, Sarai Varona, Jorge Del Romero, Isabel Cuesta, Alberto Delgado-Iribarren, Montse Torres, Iñigo Sagastagoitia, Gustavo Palacios, Vicente Estrada, Maria Paz Sánchez-Seco, Grupo Viruela del Simio Madrid CNM/ISCIII/HCSC/Sandoval. Monkeypox outbreak in Madrid (Spain): Clinical and virological aspects. J Infect. 2022 Jul 10;S0163-4453(22)00415-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2022.07.005.
DOIEuropean mitochondrial haplogroups are associated with CD4+ T-cell recovery in HIV-infected patients on combination antiretroviral therapy.
15. Guzmán-Fulgencio M; Berenguer J, Micheloud D, Fernández-Rodríguez A; García–Álvarez M, Jiménez-Sousa MA, Bellón JM, Campos Y, Cosin J, Aldámiz-Echevarría T, Catalán P, López JC, Resino S (*). European mitochondrial haplogroups are associated with CD4+ T-cell recovery in HIV-infected patients on combination antiretroviral therapy. J Antimicrob Chemoth 2013; 68 (10): 2349–2357 (A; FI= 5.44; D1, Infectious Diseases; JCR 2013). PMID: 23749950. DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkt206.
PUBMEDMaría Paz Sánchez-Seco, María José Sierra, Agustín Estrada-Peña, Félix Valcárcel, Ricardo Molina, Eva Ramírez de Arellano, Angeles Sonia Olmeda, Lucía García San Miguel, Maribel Jiménez, Luis J Romero, Anabel Negredo; Group for CCHFv Research. Widespread Detection of Multiple Strains of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Ticks, Spain.
María Paz Sánchez-Seco, María José Sierra, Agustín Estrada-Peña, Félix Valcárcel, Ricardo Molina, Eva Ramírez de Arellano, Angeles Sonia Olmeda, Lucía García San Miguel, Maribel Jiménez, Luis J Romero, Anabel Negredo; Group for CCHFv Research. Widespread Detection of Multiple Strains of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Ticks, Spain. Emerg Infect Dis. 2022 Feb;28(2):394-402. doi: 10.3201/eid2802.211308.
DOINegredo A, Sánchez-Ledesma M, Llorente F, Pérez-Olmeda M, Belhassen-García M, González-Calle D, Sánchez-Seco MP, Jiménez-Clavero MÁ. Retrospective Identification of Early Autochthonous Case of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, Spain, 2013
Negredo A, Sánchez-Ledesma M, Llorente F, Pérez-Olmeda M, Belhassen-García M, González-Calle D, Sánchez-Seco MP, Jiménez-Clavero MÁ. Retrospective Identification of Early Autochthonous Case of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, Spain, 2013. Emerg Infect Dis. 2021 Jun;27(6):1754-1756. doi: 10.3201/eid2706.204643.
DOI
Additional Information
The activity of this unit focuses on the development and clinical validation of point-of-care diagnostic methodology against liver viruses based on an emerging field, nanotechnology, a line of research that is developed in collaboration with BioAssays SL. Likewise, this unit focuses on delving into the immuno-virological mechanisms underlying viral infections and coinfections with other microorganisms and their influence on the host through a comprehensive approach to laboratory techniques.
One of the main lines of research involves the study of the coinfection of viral hepatitis with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), evaluating the impact of coinfection and elimination of hepatitis C on the HIV reservoir, as well as its impact on virus-induced senescence, among others through the use of “omic” technologies.
Our group leads the Multidisciplinary HIV/Hepatitis Coinfection Group (COVIHEP), and maintains collaborations with national and international research groups of excellence, facilitating greater harmonization and quality in the biomedical research carried out. On the other hand, Dr. Briz maintains close collaboration with private companies, promoting intersectoral alliances that represent a competitive advantage.
The activity of this unit focuses on the development and clinical validation of point-of-care diagnostic methodology against liver viruses based on an emerging field, nanotechnology, a line of research that is developed in collaboration with BioAssays SL. Likewise, this unit focuses on delving into the immuno-virological mechanisms underlying viral infections and coinfections with other microorganisms and their influence on the host through a comprehensive approach to laboratory techniques.
One of the main lines of research involves the study of the coinfection of viral hepatitis with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), evaluating the impact of coinfection and elimination of hepatitis C on the HIV reservoir, as well as its impact on virus-induced senescence, among others through the use of “omic” technologies.
Our group leads the Multidisciplinary HIV/Hepatitis Coinfection Group (COVIHEP), and maintains collaborations with national and international research groups of excellence, facilitating greater harmonization and quality in the biomedical research carried out. On the other hand, Dr. Briz maintains close collaboration with private companies, promoting intersectoral alliances that represent a competitive advantage.