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GASTROENTEROLOGY,
HEPATOLOGY AND
NUTRIGENOMICS |
MEMBERS AND COLLABORATORS
Name |
Category |
E-mail |
María Jesús Tuñón
González (Coord) |
CU Fisiología ULE |
mjtung@unileon.es |
Jose Luís Mauriz Gutierrez |
TU
Fisiología ULE |
jl.mauriz@unileon.es |
Beatriz San Miguel de Vega |
PA Fisiología ULE |
bsanv@unileon.es |
Carolina Méndez Blanco |
Becario AECC |
cmenb@unileon.es |
Flavia Fondevila Peña |
Becario FPU |
ffonp@unileon.es |
Paula Fernández Palanca |
Becario FPU |
pferp@unileon.es |
Irene Crespo Gómez |
AD Fisiología Universidad de Oviedo |
crespo@unilovi.es |
Juan J. Ortiz de Urbina |
Jefe del Servicio de Farmacia CAULE |
jortiz@hleo.sacyl.es |
Pedro Linares Torres |
Facultativo Especialista de Área, Servicio Aparato Digestivo CAULE |
pedrolinato@yahoo.es |
Antonio Blanco Mercadé |
Facultativo Especialista, Servicio Otorrinolaringología CAULE
|
ablame@ono.com |
Andrés García Palomo |
Jefe del Servicio de
Oncología CAULE |
agarciapaolomo@gmail.com |
Santiago Vivas Alegre |
Facultativo Especialista de Área, Servicio Aparato Digestivo CAULE |
svivasa@gmail.com |
Jesús M. Culebras Fernández |
Investigador Colaborador |
jm.culebras@telefonic.net |
OBJECTIVES
1. To improve methods of prevention, diagnosis and
treatment of human liver and gastrointestinal
diseases through cellular and animal models |
2. To test biological substances used in therapeutic
analyzing the power, range and safety in these
cellular and animal models. |
3. Achieve the applicability/transference of basic
research to the clinical setting |
ACTIVITIES
The group is composed by researchers of different formation,
including biologists, physicians, veterinarians and
pharmacists, who come from the Department of Biomedical
Sciences of the University of Leon and from different Units
of the Hospital of León (Surgery, Pharmacy and Oncology).
Our activity is related to the Inflamamation, oxidative
stress and antioxidants Unit (led by Dr.
González-Gallego at the same Institute of Biomedicine), and
it has been shaped in the accomplishment of research
projects funded by the Spanish National Plan of R+D, the
Spanish Health Research Fund o the Regional Government of
Castilla y León, and has made possible the development of
research contracts with diverse multinational companies of
the pharmaceutical sector.
Members of this group have been part of one of the nodes of
a Cooperative Research Thematic Network of the Carlos III
Health Institute on "Pathogenic mechanisms of viral
hepatitis and steatohepatitis" (2003-2005). From its
creation in 2006 they are members of the “Hepatic and
Digestive Diseases “CIBER of the Spanish Health Ministry.
Moreover, our unit collaborates with other groups such as
the Center of Applied Medical Research (CIMA) at the
University of Navarra (Spain), the Experimental Hepatology
Unit at the Hospital La Fe (Spain), the Nanobiosensors and
Bioanalytical Applications Group at CSIC (Spain), the
Hepatology and Gastroenterology Laboratory of the Hospital
of Porto Alegre and Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul
(Brazil), the Department of Internal Medicine at the
Johannes Gutenberg University (Germany), the Department of
Chemistry at the Federal University of Santa Maria (Brazil),
etc.
The group has centered its activity in the use of cellular
and animal models for the study of pathophysiological and
therapeutic aspects of liver and gastrointestinal diseases,
with special interest on oxidative and inflammatory
mechanisms as well as proliferation and cell death, and
analyzing the potential effects of different molecules
(drugs, nutraceutics, etc).
Interesting data have been obtained by our group using a new
animal model of fulminant hepatic failure (FLF) through
experimental rabbit infection with the rabbit hemorrhagic
disease virus (RHDV). RHDV infection reproduces clinical,
biochemical, and histological features of the human FLF
syndrome and satisfies criteria for a suitable animal model.
Additionally, we have demonstrated, in both animal and
cellular models, that flavonoid administration could be
useful against liver damage induced by diabetes, portal
hypertension and other situations with oxidative stress or
inflammation. Also, studies using animal models have
confirmed the interest of glutamine derivatives as part of
new parenteral formulations. Moreover, we have analyzed the
beneficial effects of antioxidant molecules (such as
melatonine) and new antiangiogenic drugs on human
hepatocarcinoma treatment. Furthermore, we are studying the
potential interest of new antioxidant molecules (such as
diphenyl diselenide) blocking liver and neuronal
acetaminophen-induced damage. Finally, we are developing new
methods to analyze liver tumor markers like VEGF in blood
samples using biosensors based on the surface plasmon
resonance.
METHODOLOGY
STUDIES
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Ex vivo e in
vitro experimental models (isolated hepatocytes, liver
and endotelial cell lines, ect)
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In vivo experimental
models (rat, rabbit, hamster, sheep, etc)
METHODS
-
Cell
isolation
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Human and
animal cell culture
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FACS and
confocal microscopy
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Blood
biochemical markers
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Coagulation
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Histopathological and immunohistochemistry studies
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Radiological
studies (CHO, CT, NMR)
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Intracraneal
pressure monitoring
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Oxidative
stress markers and antioxidant ability
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Citoquines
and growth factors determination
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Oxidative
stress, inflammation and cell damage mediators
expression
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Transcription factors activation
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Apoptosis
and autophagy markers
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Cell cycle
and cell proliferation markers
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Mitochondrial damage measurement
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Study of
biomedical application of new biosensors
TECHNOLOGICAL OFFER
1. Development of animal and cellular models for the
study of pathogenetic mechanisms and beneficial
effects of drugs and nutrients in different
pathologies |
2. Clinical and basic research on gastrointestinal
and liver diseases. |
3. Advising and transfer of technology to companies
in the health sector |
4. Training
in laboratory techniques |
SELECTED
PUBLICATIONS
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“Melatonin inhibits autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum
stress in mice with carbon tetrachloride-induced
fibrosis”.
B. San Miguel, I. Crespo,
D. I. Sánchez, B. González-Fernández, J. J. Ortiz, M. J.
Tuñón y J. González-Gallego.
Journal of Pineal Research:
59, 151-162, 2015.
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“Sensitivity and resistance to sorafenib in
hepatocellular carcinoma: the role of autophagy”.
N. Prieto-Domínguez, R. Ordoñez, A. Fernández, A.
García-Palomo, J. González-Gallego, J. L. Mauriz.
Frontiers in Pharmacology:
7, 151, 2016.
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“Melatonin-induced increase in sensitivity of human
hepatocellular carcinoma cells to sorafenib is
associated with ROS production and mitophagy”.
N.
Prieto-Domínguez, R. Ordóñez, A. Fernández, C.
Méndez-Blanco, A. Baulies,
C. Garcia-Ruiz, J. C. Fernandez-Checa, J. L. Mauriz y J.
González-Gallego.
Journal of Pineal Research:
61, 396-407, 2016.
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“Protective effect of protocatechuic acid on
TNBS-induced colitis in mice is associated with
modulation of the Sphk/S1P signaling pathway”.
I. Crespo, B. San-Miguel, J. L.
Mauriz, J. J.
Ortiz de Urbina, M. Almar, M. J. Tuñón y J.
González-Gallego.
Nutrients:
9, E288, 2017.
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“Melatonin modulates dysregulated circadian clocks in
mice with diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocellular
carcinoma”.D.
I. Sánchez, B. González-Fernández, I. Crespo, B.
San-Miguel, M. Álvarez, J. González-Gallego y M. J.
Tuñón.
Journal of Pineal Research:
e12506, 2018.
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"Stabilization
of hypoxia-inducible factors and BNIP3 promoter
methylationcontribute to acquired sorafenib resistance
in hepatocellular carcinoma cells”.
C. Méndez-Blanco, F.
Fondevila, P. Fernández-Palanca, A. García-Palomo, J.
van Pelt, C. Verslype, J. González-Gallego y J. L.
Mauriz.Cancers:
11, 1984, 2019
CONTACT
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