Staff directory Mary Cano Sarabia

Publications

2024

  • Metal‐Organic Framework‐Based Antimicrobial Touch Surfaces to Prevent Cross‐Contamination

    Javier Fonseca; Mary Cano‐Sarabia; Pilar Cortés; Jordi Saldo; David Montpeyó; Júlia Lorenzo; Montserrat Llagostera; Inhar Imaz; Daniel Maspoch Advanced Materials; 2024. 10.1002/adma.202403813.


2022

  • Antibacterial Films Based on MOF Composites that Release Iodine Passively or Upon Triggering by Near-Infrared Light

    Han X., Boix G., Balcerzak M., Moriones O.H., Cano-Sarabia M., Cortés P., Bastús N., Puntes V., Llagostera M., Imaz I., Maspoch D. Advanced Functional Materials; 32 (19, 2112902) 2022. 10.1002/adfm.202112902. IF: 18.808

    Multidrug-resistant bacteria have become a global health problem for which new prophylactic strategies are now needed, including surface-coatings for hospital spaces and medical equipment. This work reports the preparation and functional validation of a metal-organic framework (MOF) based composite for the triggered controlled release of iodine, an antimicrobial element that does not generate resistance. It comprises beads of the iodophilic MOF UiO-66 containing encapsulated gold nanorods (AuNRs) coated with a silica shell. Irradiation of the AuNRs with near-infrared light (NIR) provokes a photothermal effect and the resultant heat actively liberates the iodine. After validating the performance of this composite, it is integrated into a polymer for the development of antibacterial films. This work assesses the adsorption of iodine into these composite films, as well as its passive long-term release and active light-triggered. Finally, this work validates the antibacterial activity of the composite films in vitro against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The findings will surely inform the development of new prophylactic treatments. © 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.


2021

  • Buttermilk as encapsulating agent: Effect of ultra-high-pressure homogenization on chia oil-in-water liquid emulsion formulations for spray drying

    Aghababaei F., Cano-Sarabia M., Trujillo A.J., Quevedo J.M., Ferragut V. Foods; 10 (5, 1059) 2021. 10.3390/foods10051059. IF: 4.350

    Functional foods are highly demanded by consumers. Omega-3 rich oil and commercial buttermilk (BM), as functional components, used in combination to produce emulsions for further drying may facilitate the incorporation to foods. Ultra-high-pressure homogenization (UHPH) has a great potential for technological and nutritional aspects in emulsions production. The present study aimed to examine the potential improvement of UHPH technology in producing buttermilk-stabilized omega-3 rich emulsions (BME) for further drying, compared with conventional homogenization. Oil-in-water emulsions formulated with 10% chia: sunflower oil (50:50); 30% maltodextrin and 4 to 7% buttermilk were obtained by using conventional homogenization at 30 MPa and UHPH at 100 and 200 MPa. Particle size analysis, rheological evaluation, colloidal stability, zeta-potential measurement, and microstructure observations were performed in the BME. Subsequent spray drying of emulsions were made. As preliminary approximation for evaluating differences in the homogenization technology applied, encapsulation efficiency and morphological characteristics of on spray-dried emulsions (SDE) containing 21.3 to 22.7% oil content (dry basis) were selected. This study addresses the improvement in stability of BME treated by UHPH when compared to conventional homogenization and the beneficial consequences in encapsulation efficiency and morphology of SDE. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.


  • Mouthwashes with CPC Reduce the Infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 Variants In Vitro

    Muñoz-Basagoiti J., Perez-Zsolt D., León R., Blanc V., Raïch-Regué D., Cano-Sarabia M., Trinité B., Pradenas E., Blanco J., Gispert J., Clotet B., Izquierdo-Useros N. Journal of Dental Research; 100 (11): 1265 - 1272. 2021. 10.1177/00220345211029269. IF: 6.116

    Oral mouthwashes decrease the infectivity of several respiratory viruses including SARS-CoV-2. However, the precise agents with antiviral activity in these oral rinses and their exact mechanism of action remain unknown. Here we show that cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), a quaternary ammonium compound in many oral mouthwashes, reduces SARS-CoV-2 infectivity by inhibiting the viral fusion step with target cells after disrupting the integrity of the viral envelope. We also found that CPC-containing mouth rinses decreased more than a thousand times the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro, while the corresponding vehicles had no effect. This activity was effective for different SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the B.1.1.7 or Alpha variant originally identified in United Kingdom, and in the presence of sterilized saliva. CPC-containing mouth rinses could therefore represent a cost-effective measure to reduce SARS-CoV-2 infectivity in saliva, aiding to reduce viral transmission from infected individuals regardless of the variants they are infected with. © International & American Associations for Dental Research 2021.


2020

  • Antigen-specific immunotherapy combined with a regenerative drug in the treatment of experimental type 1 diabetes

    Villalba A., Rodriguez-Fernandez S., Perna-Barrull D., Ampudia R.-M., Gomez-Muñoz L., Pujol-Autonell I., Aguilera E., Risueño R.M., Cano-Sarabia M., Maspoch D., Vázquez F., Vives-Pi M. Scientific Reports; 10 (1, 18927) 2020. 10.1038/s41598-020-76041-1. IF: 3.998

    Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease caused by the destruction of the insulin-producing β-cells. To revert type 1 diabetes, the suppression of the autoimmune attack should be combined with a β-cell replacement strategy. It has been previously demonstrated that liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, restores β-cell mass in type 1 diabetes, via α-cell transdifferentiation and neogenesis. We report here that treatment with liraglutide does not prevent type 1 diabetes in the spontaneous non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse model, but it tends to reduce leukocytic islet infiltration. However, in combination with an immunotherapy based on tolerogenic liposomes, it is effective in ameliorating hyperglycaemia in diabetic NOD mice. Importantly, liraglutide is not detrimental for the tolerogenic effect that liposomes exert on dendritic cells from patients with type 1 diabetes in terms of membrane expression of molecules involved in antigen presentation, immunoregulation and activation. Moreover, the in vivo effect of the combined therapy was tested in mice humanised with peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with type 1 diabetes, showing no adverse effects in leukocyte subsets. In conclusion, the combination therapy with liraglutide and a liposome-based immunotherapy is a promising candidate strategy for type 1 diabetes. © 2020, The Author(s).


  • Biomimetic Synthesis of Sub-20 nm Covalent Organic Frameworks in Water

    Franco C., Rodríguez-San-Miguel D., Sorrenti A., Sevim S., Pons R., Platero-Prats A.E., Pavlovic M., Szilágyi I., Ruiz Gonzalez M.L., González-Calbet J.M., Bochicchio D., Pesce L., Pavan G.M., Imaz I., Cano-Sarabia M., Maspoch D., Pané S., De Mello A.J., Zamora F., Puigmartí-Luis J. Journal of the American Chemical Society; 142 (7): 3540 - 3547. 2020. 10.1021/jacs.9b12389. IF: 14.612

    Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are commonly synthesized under harsh conditions yielding unprocessable powders. Control in their crystallization process and growth has been limited to studies conducted in hazardous organic solvents. Herein, we report a one-pot synthetic method that yields stable aqueous colloidal solutions of sub-20 nm crystalline imine-based COF particles at room temperature and ambient pressure. Additionally, through the combination of experimental and computational studies, we investigated the mechanisms and forces underlying the formation of such imine-based COF colloids in water. Further, we show that our method can be used to process the colloidal solution into 2D and 3D COF shapes as well as to generate a COF ink that can be directly printed onto surfaces. These findings should open new vistas in COF chemistry, enabling new application areas. Copyright © 2020 American Chemical Society.


  • Development and Characterization of a New Endoscopic Drug-Eluting Platform With Proven Efficacy in Acute and Chronic Experimental Colitis

    Bon I., Cano-Sarabia M., de la Ossa N., Bartolí R., Lorenzo-Zúñiga V. Frontiers in Medicine; 7 (415) 2020. 10.3389/fmed.2020.00415. IF: 3.900

    Background and Aims: Mucosal lesions refractory to biological treatments represent unmet needs in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that require new treatment modalities. We developed and characterized a new endoscopic drug-eluting hydrogel (CoverGel) with proven efficacy in acute and chronic experimental colitis (EC) in rats. Methods: CoverGel was developed based on appropriate rheological, drug release, gelation, structural, and degradation property capacities to allow endoscopic application. Experimental colitis (EC) was induced by TNBS application in rats. In acute EC 40, rats were randomized in five groups (eight each): Sham, Control, CoverGel, CoverGel + Infliximab (IFX) and CoverGel + Vedolizumab (VDZ). In chronic EC, 12 rats were randomized in two groups (six each): IFX s.c. and CoverGel + IFX. Endoscopic, histological, and blood test were performed during follow-up to evaluate clinical success. Antibodies to IFX (ATIs) were evaluated in chronic EC animal study. Results: CoverGel is a biocompatible and bioadhesive reverse thermosensitive gelation hydrogel with a macroporous structure and drug release capacity. In acute EC animals treated with CoverGel + IFX or CoverGel + VDZ showed significantly clinical success (weight recovery, mucosal restoration, and bacterial translocation) as compared with controls and animals without a bioactive drug. In a chronic EC animal study, clinical efficacy was comparable in both groups. Levels of ATIs were significantly lower in animals treated with CoverGel + IFX vs. IFX s.c. (0.90 ± 0.06 μg/mL-c vs. 1.97 ± 0.66 μg/mL-c, p = 0.0025). Conclusions: CoverGel is an endoscopic vehicle to locally deliver biological drugs with proven efficacy in acute and chronic EC in rats and induce less immunogenicity reaction. © Copyright © 2020 Bon, Cano-Sarabia, de la Ossa, Bartolí and Lorenzo-Zúñiga.


  • LipoBots: Using Liposomal Vesicles as Protective Shell of Urease-Based Nanomotors

    Hortelão A.C., García-Jimeno S., Cano-Sarabia M., Patiño T., Maspoch D., Sanchez S. Advanced Functional Materials; 30 (42, 2002767) 2020. 10.1002/adfm.202002767. IF: 16.836

    Developing self-powered nanomotors made of biocompatible and functional components is of paramount importance in future biomedical applications. Herein, the functional features of LipoBots (LBs) composed of a liposomal carrier containing urease enzymes for propulsion, including their protective properties against acidic conditions and their on-demand triggered activation, are reported. Given the functional nature of liposomes, enzymes can be either encapsulated or coated on the surface of the vesicles. The influence of the location of urease on motion dynamics is first studied, finding that the surface-urease LBs undergo self-propulsion whereas the encapsulated-urease LBs do not. However, adding a percolating agent present in the bile salts to the encapsulated-urease LBs triggers active motion. Moreover, it is found that when both types of nanomotors are exposed to a medium of similar pH found in the stomach, the surface-urease LBs lose activity and motion capabilities, while the encapsulated-urease LBs retain activity and mobility. The results for the protection enzyme activity through encapsulation within liposomes and in situ triggering of the motion of LBs upon exposure to bile salts may open new avenues for the use of liposome-based nanomotors in drug delivery, for example, in the gastrointestinal tract, where bile salts are naturally present in the intestine. © 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH


  • Preclinical evaluation of antigen-specific nanotherapy based on phosphatidylserine-liposomes for type 1 diabetes

    Villalba A., Rodriguez-Fernandez S., Ampudia R.-M., Cano-Sarabia M., Perna-Barrull D., Bertran-Cobo C., Ehrenberg C., Maspoch D., Vives-Pi M. Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine and Biotechnology; 48 (1): 77 - 83. 2020. 10.1080/21691401.2019.1699812. IF: 3.343

    Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease caused by the destruction of insulin-producing cells. Due to the ability of apoptotic cells clearance to induce tolerance, we previously generated liposomes rich in phophatidylserine (PS) –a feature of apoptotic cells– loaded with insulin peptides to mimic apoptotic beta-cells. PS-liposomes arrested autoimmunity in experimental T1D through the induction of tolerance. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of several peptides from different T1D autoantigens encapsulated in (PS)-liposomes for T1D prevention and to assess its safety. T1D autoantigens (Insulin, C-peptide, GAD65 and IA2) were encapsulated in PS-liposomes. Liposomes were administered to the 'gold-standard' model for the study of autoimmune T1D, the Non-Obese Diabetic mouse, that spontaneously develop the disease. Safety and toxicity of liposomes were also determined. Only PS-liposomes encapsulating insulin peptides decrease T1D incidence in the Non-Obese Diabetic mouse model. Disease prevention correlates with a decrease in the severity of the autoimmune islet destruction driven by leukocytes. PS-liposomes neither showed toxic effect nor secondary complications. Among the here referred autoantigens, insulin peptides are the best candidates to be encapsulated in liposomes, like an artificial apoptotic cell, for the arrest of autoimmunity in T1D in a safe manner. © 2019, © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.


  • Repurposed Analog of GLP-1 Ameliorates Hyperglycemia in Type 1 Diabetic Mice Through Pancreatic Cell Reprogramming

    Villalba A., Rodriguez-Fernandez S., Perna-Barrull D., Ampudia R.-M., Gomez-Muñoz L., Pujol-Autonell I., Aguilera E., Coma M., Cano-Sarabia M., Vázquez F., Verdaguer J., Vives-Pi M. Frontiers in Endocrinology; 11 (258) 2020. 10.3389/fendo.2020.00258. IF: 3.644

    Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease caused by the destruction of the insulin-producing β-cells. An ideal immunotherapy should combine the blockade of the autoimmune response with the recovery of functional target cell mass. With the aim to develop new therapies for type 1 diabetes that could contribute to β-cell mass restoration, a drug repositioning analysis based on systems biology was performed to identify the β-cell regenerative potential of commercially available compounds. Drug repositioning is a strategy used for identifying new uses for approved drugs that are outside the scope of the medical indication. A list of 28 non-synonymous repurposed drug candidates was obtained, and 16 were selected as diabetes mellitus type 1 treatment candidates regarding pancreatic β-cell regeneration. Drugs with poor safety profile were further filtered out. Lastly, we selected liraglutide for its predictive efficacy values for neogenesis, transdifferentiation of α-cells, and/or replication of pre-existing β-cells. Liraglutide is an analog of glucagon-like peptide-1, a drug used in patients with type 2 diabetes. Liraglutide was tested in immunodeficient NOD-Scid IL2rg−/− (NSG) mice with type 1 diabetes. Liraglutide significantly improved the blood glucose levels in diabetic NSG mice. During the treatment, a significant increase in β-cell mass was observed due to a boost in β-cell number. Both parameters were reduced after withdrawal. Interestingly, islet bihormonal glucagon+insulin+ cells and insulin+ ductal cells arose during treatment. In vitro experiments showed an increase of insulin and glucagon gene expression in islets cultured with liraglutide in normoglycemia conditions. These results point to β-cell replacement, including transdifferentiation and neogenesis, as aiding factors and support the role of liraglutide in β-cell mass restoration in type 1 diabetes. Understanding the mechanism of action of this drug could have potential clinical relevance in this autoimmune disease. © Copyright © 2020 Villalba, Rodriguez-Fernandez, Perna-Barrull, Ampudia, Gomez-Muñoz, Pujol-Autonell, Aguilera, Coma, Cano-Sarabia, Vázquez, Verdaguer and Vives-Pi.


2019

  • Biodistribution of liposome-encapsulated bacteriophages and their transcytosis during oral phage therapy

    Otero J., García-Rodríguez A., Cano-Sarabia M., Maspoch D., Marcos R., Cortés P., Llagostera M. Frontiers in Microbiology; 10 (APR, 689) 2019. 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00689. IF: 4.259

    This study sheds light on the biodistribution of orally administered, liposome-encapsulated bacteriophages, and their transcytosis through intestinal cell layers. Fluorochrome-labeled bacteriophages were used together with a non-invasive imaging methodology in the in vivo visualization of bacteriophages in the stomach and intestinal tract of mice. In those studies, phage encapsulation resulted in a significant increase of the labeled phages in the mouse stomach, even 6 h after their oral administration, and without a decrease in their concentration. By contrast, the visualization of encapsulated and non-encapsulated phages in the intestine were similar. Our in vivo observations were corroborated by culture methods and ex vivo experiments, which also showed that the percentage of encapsulated phages in the stomach remained constant (50%) compared to the amount of initially administered product. However, the use of conventional microbiological methods, which employ bile salts to break down liposomes, prevented the detection of encapsulated phages in the intestine. The ex vivo data showed a higher concentration of non-encapsulated than encapsulated phages in liver, kidney, and even muscle up to 6 h post-administration. Encapsulated bacteriophages were able to reach the liver, spleen, and muscle, with values of 38% ± 6.3%, 68% ± 8.6%, and 47% ± 7.4%, respectively, which persisted over the course of the experiment. Confocal laser scanning microscopy of an in vitro co-culture of human Caco-2/HT29/Raji-B cells revealed that Vybrant-Dil-stained liposomes containing labeled bacteriophages were preferably embedded in cell membranes. No transcytosis of encapsulated phages was detected in this in vitro model, whereas SYBR-gold-labeled non-encapsulated bacteriophages were able to cross the membrane. Our work demonstrates the prolonged persistence of liposome-encapsulated phages in the stomach and their adherence to the intestinal membrane. These observations could explain the greater long-term efficacy of phage therapy using liposome-encapsulated phages. Copyright © 2019 Otero, García-Rodríguez, Cano-Sarabia, Maspoch, Marcos, Cortés and Llagostera. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


  • Comparative study of electrical and rheological properties of different solutions used in endoscopic mucosal resection

    Bon I., Bartolí R., Cano-Sarabia M., de la Ossa N., de Vega V.M., Marín I., Boix J., Lorenzo-Zúñiga V. Digestive Endoscopy; 31 (3): 276 - 282. 2019. 10.1111/den.13297. IF: 3.640

    Background and Aim: The study of electrical and rheological properties of solutions to carry out endoscopic resection procedures could determinate the best candidate. An ex vivo study with porcine stomachs was conducted to analyze electrical resistivity (R) and rheological properties (temperature, viscosity, height and lasting of the cushion) of different substances used in these techniques. Methods: Tested solutions were: 0.9% saline (S), platelet-rich plasma (PRP), Gliceol (GC), hyaluronic acid 2% (HA), Pluronic-F127 20% (PL), saline with 10% glucose (GS), Gelaspan (GP), Covergel-BiBio (TB) and PRP with TB (PRP+TB). Measurements of electrical and rheological properties were done at 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 min after submucosal injection. Results: Solutions showed a wide variability of transepithelial R after submucosal injection. Substances able to maintain the highest R 60 min postinjection were TB (7 × 104 Ω), HA (7 × 104 Ω) and PL (7 × 104 Ω). Protective solutions against deep thermal injury (Tª lower than 60°C) were PL (47.6°C), TB (55°C) and HA (56.63°C). Shortest time to carry out resections were observed with GC (17.66″), PRP (20.3″) and GS (23.45″). Solutions with less cushion decrease (<25%) after 60 min were TB (11.74%), PL (18.63%) and PRP (22.12%). Conclusions: Covergel-BiBio, PL and HA were the best solutions with long-term protective effects (transepithelial R, lower thermal injury and less cushion decrease). Solutions with quicker resection time were GC, PRP and GS. © 2018 Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society


  • Development and Validation of a New High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Method for the Simultaneous Quantification of Coenzyme Q10, Phosphatidylserine, and Vitamin C from a Cutting-Edge Liposomal Vehiculization

    Ruiz-Garcia M., Pérez-Lozano P., Mercadé-Frutós D., Nardi-Ricart A., Suñé-Pou M., Cano-Sarabia M., Garcia-Jimeno S., Suñé-Negre J.M., Maspoch D., García-Montoya E. ACS Omega; 4 (22): 19710 - 19715. 2019. 10.1021/acsomega.9b02456. IF: 2.584

    A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed to simultaneously quantify three widely used active substances such as coenzyme Q10, phosphatidylserine, and vitamin C. This new method optimizes current timing and costs in the analyses of these three active substances. Additionally, since the analyzed compounds were encapsulated on a cutting-edge liposomal formulation, further processing was necessary to be developed prior to HPLC analyses. The technique was studied and adequately validated in accordance with the guidelines of the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) regarding selectivity, linearity, accuracy, precision, and robustness. After data treatment of results, linear regressions for all active substances showed an optimal linearity with a correlation coefficient of >0.999 in the concentration range between 70 to 130% of the liposomal formulation and less than a 3% relative standard deviation (RSD) in accuracy and precision. Copyright © 2019 American Chemical Society.


  • Impaired Phagocytosis in Dendritic Cells From Pediatric Patients With Type 1 Diabetes Does Not Hamper Their Tolerogenic Potential

    Rodriguez-Fernandez S., Murillo M., Villalba A., Perna-Barrull D., Cano-Sarabia M., Gomez-Muñoz L., Aguilera E., Maspoch D., Vazquez F., Bel J., Vives-Pi M. Frontiers in Immunology; 10 (2811) 2019. 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02811. IF: 4.716

    Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is prompted by defective immunological tolerance, an event in which dendritic cells (DCs) are crucial as immune response orchestrators. In fact, they contribute to maintaining tolerance to self-antigens, but they can also prompt an immunogenic response against them, leading to autoimmunity. Countless factors can potentially impact on the proper functionality of the DCs, which range from altered subset distribution, impaired phagocytic function to abnormal gene expression. Moreover, in T1D, metabolic dysregulation could impair DC functions as well. Indeed, since T1D clinical course is likely to be more aggressive in children and adolescents and entails severe dysglycemia, the aim of this study was to analyze circulating DCs subpopulations in pediatric T1D at different stages, as well as to characterize their phagocytosis ability and tolerance induction potential. Thus, pediatric patients newly diagnosed with T1D, with established disease and control subjects were recruited. Firstly, DCs subsets from peripheral blood were found quantitatively altered during the first year of disease, but recovered in the second year of progression. Secondly, to study the tolerogenic functionality of DCs, liposomes with phosphatidylserine (PS) were designed to mimic apoptotic beta cells, which are able to induce tolerance, as previously demonstrated by our group in DCs from adult patients with T1D. In this study, monocyte-derived DCs from pediatric patients with T1D and control subjects were assessed in terms of PS-liposomes capture kinetics, and transcriptional and phenotypic changes. DCs from pediatric patients with T1D were found to phagocyte PS-liposomes more slowly and less efficiently than DCs from control subjects, inversely correlating with disease evolution. Nonetheless, the transcription of PS receptors and immunoregulatory genes, cytokine profile, and membrane expression of immunological markers in DCs was consistent with tolerogenic potential after PS-liposomes phagocytosis. In conclusion, T1D progression in childhood entails altered peripheral blood DCs subsets, as well as impaired DCs phagocytosis, although tolerance induction could still function optimally. Therefore, this study provides useful data for patient follow-up and stratification in immunotherapy clinical trials. © Copyright © 2019 Rodriguez-Fernandez, Murillo, Villalba, Perna-Barrull, Cano-Sarabia, Gomez-Muñoz, Aguilera, Maspoch, Vazquez, Bel and Vives-Pi.


  • Peripheral administration of human recombinant ApoJ/clusterin modulates brain beta-amyloid levels in APP23 mice

    De Retana S.F., Marazuela P., Solé M., Colell G., Bonaterra A., Sánchez-Quesada J.L., Montaner J., Maspoch D., Cano-Sarabia M., Hernández-Guillamon M. Alzheimer's Research and Therapy; 11 (1, 42) 2019. 10.1186/s13195-019-0498-8. IF: 6.142

    Background: ApoJ/clusterin is a multifunctional protein highly expressed in the brain. The implication of ApoJ in β-amyloid (Aβ) fibrillization and clearance in the context of Alzheimer's disease has been widely studied, although the source and concentration of ApoJ that promotes or inhibits Aβ cerebral accumulation is not clear yet. ApoJ is abundant in plasma and approximately 20% can appear bound to HDL-particles. In this regard, the impact of plasmatic ApoJ and its lipidation status on cerebral β-amyloidosis is still not known. Hence, our main objective was to study the effect of a peripheral increase of free ApoJ or reconstituted HDL particles containing ApoJ in an experimental model of cerebral β-amyloidosis. Methods: Fourteen-month-old APP23 transgenic mice were subjected to subchronic intravenous treatment with rHDL-rApoJ nanodiscs or free rApoJ for 1 month. Aβ concentration and distribution in the brain, as well as Aβ levels in plasma and CSF, were determined after treatments. Other features associated to AD pathology, such as neuronal loss and neuroinflammation, were also evaluated. Results: Both ApoJ-based treatments prevented the Aβ accumulation in cerebral arteries and induced a decrease in total brain insoluble Aβ 42 levels. The peripheral treatment with rApoJ also induced an increase in the Aβ 40 levels in CSF, whereas the concentration remained unaltered in plasma. At all the endpoints studied, the lipidation of rApoJ did not enhance the protective properties of free rApoJ. The effects obtained after subchronic treatment with free rApoJ were accompanied by a reduction in hippocampal neuronal loss and an enhancement of the expression of a phagocytic marker in microglial cells surrounding Aβ deposits. Finally, despite the activation of this phagocytic phenotype, treatments did not induce a global neuroinflammatory status. In fact, free rApoJ treatment was able to reduce the levels of interleukin-17 (IL17) and keratinocyte chemoattractant (KC) chemokine in the brain. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that an increase in circulating human rApoJ induces a reduction of insoluble Aβ and CAA load in the brain of APP23 mice. Thus, our study suggests that peripheral interventions, based on treatments with multifunctional physiological chaperones, offer therapeutic opportunities to regulate the cerebral Aβ load. © 2019 The Author(s).


2018

  • Phosphatidylserine-liposomes promote tolerogenic features on dendritic cells in human type 1 diabetes by apoptotic mimicry

    Rodriguez-Fernandez S., Pujol-Autonell I., Brianso F., Perna-Barrull D., Cano-Sarabia M., Garcia-Jimeno S., Villalba A., Sanchez A., Aguilera E., Vazquez F., Verdaguer J., Maspoch D., Vives-Pi M. Frontiers in Immunology; 9 (FEB, 253) 2018. 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00253. IF: 5.511

    Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a metabolic disease caused by the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing β-cells. With its incidence increasing worldwide, to find a safe approach to permanently cease autoimmunity and allow β-cell recovery has become vital. Relying on the inherent ability of apoptotic cells to induce immunological tolerance, we demonstrated that liposomes mimicking apoptotic β-cells arrested autoimmunity to β-cells and prevented experimental T1D through tolerogenic dendritic cell (DC) generation. These liposomes contained phosphatidylserine (PS)-the main signal of the apoptotic cell membrane-and β-cell autoantigens. To move toward a clinical application, PS-liposomes with optimum size and composition for phagocytosis were loaded with human insulin peptides and tested on DCs from patients with T1D and control age-related subjects. PS accelerated phagocytosis of liposomes with a dynamic typical of apoptotic cell clearance, preserving DCs viability. After PS-liposomes phagocytosis, the expression pattern of molecules involved in efferocytosis, antigen presentation, immunoregulation, and activation in DCs concurred with a tolerogenic functionality, both in patients and control subjects. Furthermore, DCs exposed to PS-liposomes displayed decreased ability to stimulate autologous T cell proliferation. Moreover, transcriptional changes in DCs from patients with T1D after PS-liposomes phagocytosis pointed to an immunoregulatory prolife. Bioinformatics analysis showed 233 differentially expressed genes. Genes involved in antigen presentation were downregulated, whereas genes pertaining to tolerogenic/anti-inflammatory pathways were mostly upregulated. In conclusion, PS-liposomes phagocytosis mimics efferocytosis and leads to phenotypic and functional changes in human DCs, which are accountable for tolerance induction. The herein reported results reinforce the potential of this novel immunotherapy to re-establish immunological tolerance, opening the door to new therapeutic approaches in the field of autoimmunity. © 2018 Rodriguez-Fernandez, Pujol-Autonell, Brianso, Perna-Barrull, Cano-Sarabia, Garcia-Jimeno, Villalba, Sanchez, Aguilera, Vazquez, Verdaguer, Maspoch and Vives-Pi.


2014

  • Targeting and stimulation of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) innate immune system with LPS/dsRNA-loaded nanoliposomes

    Ruyra, A.; Cano-Sarabia, M.; García-Valtanen, P.; Yero, D.; Gibert, I.; Mackenzie, S.A.; Estepa, A.; Maspoch, D.; Roher, N. Vaccine; 32 (31): 3955 - 3962. 2014. 10.1016/j.vaccine.2014.05.010. IF: 3.485


2013

  • A Novel Liposome-Based Nanocarrier Loaded with an LPS-dsRNA Cocktail for Fish Innate Immune System Stimulation

    Ruyra, A.; Cano-Sarabia, M.; MacKenzie, S.A.; Maspoch, D.; Roher, N. PLoS ONE; 8 (10) 2013. 10.1371/journal.pone.0076338. IF: 3.730


  • A spray-drying strategy for synthesis of nanoscale metal-organic frameworks and their assembly into hollow superstructures

    Carné-Sánchez, A.; Imaz, I.; Cano-Sarabia, M.; Maspoch, D. Nature Chemistry; 5: 203 - 211. 2013. 10.1038/nchem.1569. IF: 21.757