Tools for Advanced Medicine

At IRYCIS 6 Priority Research Areas are established, each one coordinated by 2 directors, with a basic mission to: i) ensure the achievement of the objectives set for their area overall; ii) guarantee communication and collaboration between the different research groups; iii) guide the emerging groups and the associate clinical researchers to achieve their progressive integration into the consolidated group level.

A common objective of this area is to generate and validate tools with clinical utility for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of different pathologies. The translational nature of the groups should be highlighted that allows collaborations with the majority of the Hospital's clinical services and transversal vocation backed by various collaborations with other IRYCIS groups. This is the IRYCIS area with the highest percentage of groups coming from the university.

Leaders

Dr. Mª Elena Martín Palma

Degree in Biological Sciences from the Autonomous University of Madrid (1987). My research career began as a predoctoral researcher at the Ramón y Cajal Hospital (1989-1992), and later as a postdoctoral researcher at the same center (1993-1996). Associate Professor at the University of Alcalá (1994-1996) and postdoctoral hired at the same university (1997-1999). In the year 2000 I joined as a Contracted Investigator in the Service of Biochemistry Research of the Ramón y Cajal Hospital (IRYCIS). My line of research has focused on the study of the role played by protein synthesis in the regulation of gene expression, mainly at the level of the initiation stage, in cerebral ischemia in the rat, in oxidative stress or in hypoxia in PC12 cells differentiated to neuronal type. In addition, we have described a new hierarchical order in phosphorylation that regulates the activity of the 4E-BP1 protein in rat brain [Ayuso et al., J. Biol. Chem, 285, 34355-34363 (2010)]. On the other hand, in 2000 we started a line of research focused on the study of the regulation of translation in cancer, studying the changes in levels and the degree of phosphorylation of eIF2, eIF4E and 4E-BP1 factors in gastrointestinal carcinomas, and brain tumors. In 2004, our laboratory first described the 2 MNK1b isoform [O'Loghlen et al. Exp. Cell Res. 299, 343-355 (2004)] and characterized its activity [O'Loghlen et al. BBA-Mol. Cell Res. 1773, 1416-1427 (2007)]. Very recently, we have shown that the expression of MNK1b is elevated in breast tumors, mainly in triple negative tumors and that its overexpression is associated with shorter disease-free and survival times [Pinto-Díez et al. Oncotarget 9, 13501-13516 (2018)]. In addition, within the line of research aimed at the selection and characterization of aptamers for diagnostic and therapeutic use, in collaboration with Dr. Víctor Manuel González, we have selected and characterized aptamers that recognize histones and the PABP protein of leishmania, aptamers against to MNK1b that inhibit the proliferation, migration and clonogenic capacity of the tumor cells MDA-MB-231 [García-Recio et al. Molecular Therapy-Nucleic Acids, 5, e275 (2016)] and aptamers against PABP capable of inhibiting the viral replication of the influenza virus [Rodriguez et al. Molecular Therapy-Nucleic Acids 5, e308, (2016)]. From the results of this line of research, 4 patents have been obtained and one of these aptamers directed against TLR4 for the treatment of ischemic stroke, obtained in collaboration with the group of Dr. Ignacio Lisazoain (UCM) and the Aptus companies Biotech and Aptatargets, is initiating phase II. In the training aspect, I have directed 2 Bachelor Theses, I have been tutor of 3 End of Degree Projects (TFG) and 1 Master's Final Project (TFM) and I have directed 9 doctoral theses (+ 5 in realization). In summary, during my scientific career I have directed or participated in 26 research projects (9 as a Principal Investigator), I am author of more than 60 articles in international scientific journals (20 of them in the first quartile), 5 patents and I have presented more of 80 communications to national and international congresses.

Contact: m.elena.martin(ELIMINAR)@hrc.es
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Dr. Mª Elena Martín Palma

Senior Scientist & Head of Aptamers Unit (UCA)
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Dr. Gemma Pascual González

Academic background: Degree in Biology (Universidad de Alcalá, 1996). PhD in Sciences (UAH, 2003). Doctorate Award (UAH). Master in University Teaching (UAH, 2010).

Professional experience: Predoctoral Fellow Research Staff Training, UAH (1998-1999). (1998-1999). Pre-doctoral scholarship holder for University Teacher Training, MEC (1999-2003). Researcher hired doctor. General Foundation of the UAH (2003-2004). Postdoctoral contract researcher CAM (2004-2006). Contracted researcher Juan de la Cierva MEC (2006-2007). Postdoctoral contract researcher CIBER-BBN, (2007-05/2017). Associate Professor of Histology, UAH (2008-05/2017). Visiting Professor, UAH (01/06/2017-19/05/2019). Profesor Titular de Universidad (20/05/2019-Act.) POSITIVE ANECA evaluation: Profesor Ayudante Doctor/Contratado Doctor/UniversidaD privado 2006. National accreditation Profesor Titular de Universidad 2013.

Teaching activity: Degrees of Medicine and Pharmacy of the UAH (1998-Act.). Dept. of Medicine and Medical Specialties, Histology Area. Master in Phlebology and Lymphology, UAH 2009-2012/2017. Doctoral Programs UAH and University of Zaragoza. Teaching stay: Higher Polytechnic School of Zaragoza, Doctoral Program Mention excellence, MEC 2012. Teaching stay: National Autonomous University of Mexico, 2018. Direction of 4 Doctoral Thesis and 6 TFGs Medicine. A five-year teaching period granted UAH (2008-2018).

Scientific and technological activity: SCOPUS citations: 1755. H-index: 23. Participation in 29 research projects, 2 European and 6 as PI. Participation in 15 R&D contracts with companies, 4 as PI. Researcher of CIBER-BBN (2007-Act.) and GIBBYC-UAH (Biomedical Research Group in Biomaterials and healing of the University of Alcalá). Since 2017, he is part of the network of the Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS). Author/co-author of 138 papers published in national/international journals and book chapters. 239 communications to mainly international congresses. Research stays in prestigious international centers: Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, USA; Institut de Biologie et Chimie des Proteins, Lyon, France; Hopital Bichat-Claude Bernard, Paris, France; Mount Sinai Hospital and School of Medicine, New York, USA, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Three sexenios of research awarded CNEAI (1998-2015).

Advisory, consultancy and management activities: Organization of R&D activities: organization of international congresses: XIX Latin Meeting on Vascular Research (2003), XIII National Congress of the SEHIT. First International Congress of Histology and Tissue Engineering (2005), 5th Elastin European Meeting (2008). R&D Management: Administrative management of the group at CIBER-BBN (2007-Act.). Scientific Coordinator of the NANBIOSIS-ICTS Unit. Infrastructure on Production and Characterization of Nanomaterials, Biomaterials and Systems in Biomedicine. U17. (2008-Act.). Evaluator of research projects ANEP- adjunct in the surgical area, (2011-Act.) and the Andalusian Public Foundation Progreso y Salud, Junta de Andalucía, (2013-Act.). Evaluator of articles in JCR journals. Scientific Committee of the Sociedad Hispanoamericana de Hernia (SOHAH), (2013-Act.). Editorial Committee of the Journal of the SOHAH (2013-Act.). Member of the Spanish Society of Histology and Tissue Engineering (SEHIT), (2015-Act.).

Contact: gemma.pascual(ELIMINAR)@uah.es
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Dr. Gemma Pascual González

Head of IRYCIS Group
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