Page 94 - MemoriaES-Eng

RESEARCH GROUPS
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PROGRAMME:
New Therapeutic Targets/ Group 1

Acute Lung Injury

Group Members
Lead Researcher

STAFF MEMBERS
Casals Carro, Cristina

íCaadas Benito, Olga
Garca-Fojeda Garca-Valdecasas, Ma Beln
Contact:
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Lorenzo Avils, Alba
Dpto. de Bioqumica y Biología Molecular I.
Facultad de Biologa. Senz Martnez, Alejandra

Ciudad Universitaria, S/N. Madrid · Phone: (+34) 91 394 42 61 ASSOCIATED MEMBERS
E.mail: [email protected] Coya Raboso, Juan Manuel

Website: http://pendientedemigracion.ucm.es/info/respira/
Muoz Minutti, Carlos
Monsalve Hernando, Carmen

Egido Martn, Virginia
Main lines of research

The respiratory epithelium has evolved to produce a complicated network of
extracellular membranes, called lung surfactant, that are essential for breath-

ing and, ultimately, survival. Lung surfactant not only protects the lung against
alveolar collapse during the breathing cycle but is involved in host defense. The

manner in which surfactant components might participate in successful elimi-
nation of microorganisms without triggering excessive inflammatory response

in the alveolus is still poorly understood. How biophysical surfactant properties

and host defense mechanisms can be interdependent is also unknown.
The focus of our group is to understand how surfactant lipids and proteins 13
20
exert their action. We study:
T
R
• L1 The molecular mechanisms by which surfactant components control un- PO
E
necessary tissue inflammation, using cell culture models of inflammation L R
and infection (CRP on Host-Pathogen Interactions).
A
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• L2 The potential molecular interactions between surfactant protein A (SP- N
A
A) and antimicrobial peptides present in the alveolar fluid (SP-BN , LL37, /
and beta-defensins) that might facilitate (or block) antimicrobial actions ES
ER
(CRP on Host-Pathogen Interactions).
B
CI
• L3 Surfactant membranes’ mechanisms of resistance to inactivation by

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factors which increase in the alveolar fluid during infection and inflamma-
tion (CRP on Host-Pathogen Interactions).