Prof. Jesús Pérez Gil - BIOMIL
Group of "BIOphysics of Membranes and Interfaces Lipids-proteins"
Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I
Facultad de Biología
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
C/ Jose Antonio Novais, 2
Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
28040 Madrid, España
Telf.: +34 915854994
Fax: +34 915854672
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Group of "BIOphysics of Membranes and Interfaces Lipids-proteins":
BIOMIL research group has spent more tan 20 years studying the molecular mechanisms at the respiratory air-liquid interface and the structure-function relationships of the pulmonary surfactant system. This surfactant is an essential lipid-protein complex that physically stabilizes and defends the huge surface exposed by lungs to gas exchange with the environment. We have developed models to reconstitute surfactant complexes from the combination of proteins purified from animal sources, or obtained by means of recombinant technology, and synthetic lipids, and to test them in setups that mimic respiratory mechanics. Furthermore, we are optimizing the use of surfactant as a drug delivery vehicle targetting the lung. These models are being applied to develop novel therapeutic surfactant preparations, in collaboration with some European pharmaceutical companies very active in this field. Another relevant research line pursues the analysis of functional alterations in pulmonary surfactant that could be associated with different respiratory pathologies, in collaboration with neonatology and pneumology departments from all over the world. Recently, and in collaboration with the Regenerative Medicine group at Hospital 12 de Octubre in Madrid, we have optimized the differentiation of human placenta stem cells into functional pneumocyte-like phenotypes with the ability to produce and secrete surfactant complexes, which will be used to explore the combination of surfactant and cell therapies to treat lung injury pathologies.
Relevant publications in the last five years:
- D. Lukovic, A. Cruz, A. Gonzalez-Horta, A. Almlen, T. Curstedt, I. Mingarro, J. Pérez-Gil. INTERFACIAL BEHAVIOUR OF RECOMBINANT FORMS OF HUMAN PULMONARY SURFACTANT PROTEIN SP-C. Langmuir 28, 7811-7825, 2012.
- J. Bernardino de la Serna, Rodolfo Vargas, A. Cruz, Jose M. Valpuesta, Leonardo Mateu, Jesús Pérez-Gil. SEGREGATED ORDERED LIPID PHASES AND PROTEIN-PROMOTED MEMBRANE COHESIVITY ARE REQUIRED FOR PULMONARY SURFACTANT FILMS TO STABILIZE AND PROTECT THE RESPIRATORY SURFACE. Faraday Discuss. 161, 535-548, 2013.
- B. Olmeda, A. Pascual, J. Lopez-Barneo, D. Phelps, J. Floros, J. Perez-Gil. EFFECT OF HYPOXIA ON LUNG GENE EXPRESSION AND PROTEOMIC PROFILE: INSIGHTS INTO THE PULMONARY SURFACTANT RESPONSE. J. Proteomics 101, 179-191, 2014.
- E. Lopez-Rodriguez, J. Perez-Gil. STRUCTURE-FUNCTION RELATIONSHIPS IN PULMONARY SURFACTANT MEMBRANES: FROM BIOPHYSICS TO THERAPY. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1838, 1568-1585, 2014.
- A. Cerrada, P. de la Torre, J. Grande, T. Haller, A. I. Flores, J. Pérez-Gil. HUMAN DECIDUA-DERIVED MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS DIFFERENTIATE INTO FUNCTIONAL PNEUMOCYTE-LIKE CELLS THAT SYNTHESIZE AND SECRETE PULMONARY SURFACTANT COMPLEXES. Plos One 9, e110195, 2014.