MODULATION OF CELL DEATH AND INFLAMMATION RESTORE THE BODY'S BALANCE IN SEVERAL DISEASES.
Our laboratory works on the identification and therapeutic characterization of novel modulators of apoptosis and inflammation.
In apoptosis, proteins in the Bcl-2 family are responsible for controlling the permeabilization of the outer mitochondrial membrane, which is a crucial step in cell death. Deregulation of apoptosis is associated with the development of tumors and resistance to chemotherapeutic treatments. Our group studies modulation of the transmembrane interactions of proteins in this family as a therapeutic target for cancer treatments. However, in some pathological contexts these targets are ineffective, and so we are also working towards the identification of post-mitochondrial modulators that may be useful in these cases.
The inflammasome is responsible for the activation of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, IL-β, and also participates in the interconnections between the innate and adaptive immune responses. Its deregulation is associated with the pathophysiology of autoimmune disorders, inflammatory diseases, and cancer. Therefore, another objective of our group is to identify and characterize new modulators of the inflammasome.
Finally, another line of research in our laboratory is the use of intelligent nanoparticles to transport drugs, resulting in their improved activity and a decrease in their side effects. Our group is also part of the ‘Joint Unit of Disease Mechanisms and Nanomedicine’, formed by researchers from the Polytechnic University of Valencia and the CIPF, a collaboration which is allowing us to work towards improving the bioavailability of these therapeutic molecules.
Presentation
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Research Staff
The people who make it all possible
Maria Mar Orzáez Calatayud
morzaez@cipf.es
Alicia Bel García Jareño
agarcia@cipf.es
Iván Fernández Pérez
ifernandez@cipf.es
Milagros Buffa 
mbuffa@cipf.es
María Palop Medina
mpalop@cipf.es
Stavroula Prapa 
Publications
Our scientific contributions
Mcl-1 and Bok transmembrane domains: Unexpected players in the modulation of apoptosis.
Lucendo E, Sancho M, Lolicato F, Javanainen M, Kulig W, Leiva D, Duart G, Andreu-Fernández V, Mingarro I and Orzáez M
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 2020 Nov,  DOI:  10.1073/pnas.2008885117,  Vol. 117,  pag. 27980-27988
Real-Time In Vivo Detection of Cellular Senescence through the Controlled Release of the NIR Fluorescent Dye Nile Blue
B. LOZANO-TORRES, J. BLANDEZ, I. GALIANA, A. GARCIA-FERNANDEZ, M. ALFONSO, M. MARCOS, M. ORZAEZ, F. SANCENON and R. MARTINEZ-MANEZ
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION, 2020 Aug,  DOI:  10.1002/anie.202004142,  Vol. 59,  pag. 15152-15156
Preclinical antitumor efficacy of senescence-inducing chemotherapy combined with a nanoSenolytic.
Galiana I, Lozano-Torres B, Sancho M, Alfonso M, Bernardos A, Bisbal V, Serrano M, Martínez-Máñez R and Orzáez M
JOURNAL OF CONTROLLED RELEASE, 2020 Jul,  DOI:  10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.04.045,  Vol. 323,  pag. 624-634
Targeting inflammasome by the inhibition of caspase-1 activity using capped mesoporous silica nanoparticles
A. GARCIA-FERNANDEZ, G. GARCIA-LAINEZ, M. FERRANDIZ, E. AZNAR, F. SANCENON, M. ALCARAZ, J. MURGUIA, M. MARCOS, R. MARTINEZ-MANEZ, A. COSTERO and M. ORZAEZ
JOURNAL OF CONTROLLED RELEASE, 2017 Feb,  DOI:  10.1016/j.jconrel.2017.01.002,  Vol. 248,  pag. 60-70
Bax transmembrane domain interacts with prosurvival Bcl-2 proteins in biological membranes
V. ANDREU-FERNANDEZ, M. SANCHO, A. GENOVES, E. LUCENDO, F. TODT, J. LAUTERWASSER, K. FUNK, G. JAHREIS, E. PEREZ-PAYA, I. MINGARRO, F. EDLICH and M. ORZAEZ
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 2017 Jan,  DOI:  10.1073/pnas.1612322114,  Vol. 114,  pag. 310-315
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