Person:
Mas Zubiri, Alicia

First Name

Alicia

Last Name

Mas Zubiri

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/84522

Affiliation

Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Faculty / Institute

Veterinaria

Department

Sanidad Animal

Identifiers

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 10

Epitope Selection for Fighting Visceral Leishmaniosis: Not All Peptides Function the Same Way
(Vaccines, 2020) Álvarez-Campos, Daniel; Martínez Rodrigo, Abel; Mas Zubiri, Alicia; Orden Gutiérrez, José Antonio; Domínguez Bernal, Gustavo Ramón; Carrión Herrero, Francisco Javier
Visceral leishmaniosis (VL) caused by Leishmania infantum is a disease with an increasing prevalence worldwide. Treatments are expensive, toxic, and ineffective. Therefore, vaccination seems to be a promising approach to control VL. Peptide-based vaccination is a useful method due to its stability, absence of local side effects, and ease of scaling up. In this context, bioinformatics seems to facilitate the use of peptides, as this analysis can predict high binding affinity epitopes to MHC class I and II molecules of different species. We have recently reported the use of HisAK70 DNA immunization in mice to induce a resistant phenotype against L. major, L. infantum, and L. amazonensis infections. In the present study, we used bioinformatics tools to select promising multiepitope peptides (HisDTC and AK) from the polyprotein encoded in the HisAK70 DNA to evaluate their immunogenicity in the murine model of VL by L. infantum. Our results revealed that both multiepitope peptides were able to induce the control of VL in mice. Furthermore, HisDTC was able to induce a better cell-mediated immune response in terms of reduced parasite burden, protective cytokine profile, leishmanicidal enzyme modulation, and specific IgG2a isotype production in immunized mice, before and after infectious challenge. Overall, this study indicates that the HisDTC chimera may be considered a satisfactory tool to control VL because it is able to activate a potent CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell protective immune responses.
A further investigation of the leishmaniosis outbreak in Madrid (Spain): low-infectivity phenotype of the Leishmania infantum BOS1FL1 isolate to establish infection in canine cells
(Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, 2020) Viñals, Luis Miguel; Mas Zubiri, Alicia; Martínez Rodrigo, Abel; Orden Gutiérrez, José Antonio; Domínguez Bernal, Gustavo Ramón; Carrión Herrero, Francisco Javier
Human leishmaniosis caused by Leishmania infantum is a zoonotic disease, with dogs as the main reservoir in Mediterranean Basin countries. The largest European outbreak of human leishmaniosis declared in the southwestern Madrid region (Spain) is characterized by unusual epidemiological and clinical features, such as the emergence of new wild reservoirs (hares and rabbits), whereas the seroprevalence, infection, and severity of canine leishmaniosis have not substantially changed since the first studies conducted in Madrid before the outbreak. Previous studies reported that L. infantum isolates from the Madrid leishmaniosis focus displayed elevated virulence in in vivo models of infection and increased infectivity in murine target cells. With the aim of studying whether changes in the host-parasite interaction and virulence profile have developed, we first assessed the behaviour of one circulating isolate of the outbreak, IPER/ES/2012/BOS1FL1 (BOS1FL1), compared to that of a well-characterized strain from canine leishmaniosis, MCAN/ES/1996/BCN150 (BCN150), in terms of infection capacity (percentage of infected cells, representing infectivity, and number of amastigotes per infected cell, representing the intensity of infection) in canine monocytes and macrophages. BCN150 displayed significantly higher infectivity (76.82 ±4.40 vs 38.58 ±2.19; P <0.0001) and intensity of infection (3.64 ±0.13 vs 1.83 ±0.12; P <0.0001) than BOS1FL1 when interacting with canine cells. Our ROS induction results did not differ significantly between the two isolates or with the responses previously described for other L. infantum isolates. Paradoxically, increased resilience to hydrogen peroxide exposure was observed for BOS1FL1 (% viability 40.62 ±5.54 vs 26.37 ±2.93; P =0.039). Finally, we demonstrated that a decreased intracellular load of BOS1FL1 was associated with increased IFN-γ (261.21 ±26.29 vs 69.80 ±9.02; P =0.0151) and decreased IL- 10 production (165.06 ±23.87 vs 264.41 ±30.58; P =0.0002). In this study, we provide the first detailed insight into the differences between the isolate BOS1FL1 from the outbreak in Madrid and the well-characterized strain BCN150 MON-1 obtained from a dog in their response to interacting with canine cells. However, further studies are necessary to shed light on the immune mechanisms resulting in BOS1FL1 exhibiting less virulent behaviour in canine cells than in cells derived from other host species.
Virulencia de aislados de Leishmania infantum procedentes del brote de leishmaniosis humana en la Comunidad de Madrid: caracterización y evaluación en células de reservorios mamíferos
(2021) Mas Zubiri, Alicia; Domínguez Bernal, Gustavo Ramón; Carrión Herrero, Francisco Javier
La leishmaniosis visceral zoonótica (ZVL) producida por L. infantum, es una enfermedad parasitaria que constituye un gran reto para la salud pública al afectar tanto a seres humanos como a perros, siendo estos últimos el principal reservorio. Su transmisión, fundamentalmente vectorial, se lleva a cabo mediante insectos denominados flebotomos pertenecientes al género Lutzomyia en América Central y del Sur y Phlebotomus en la Cuenca Mediterránea, Oriente Medio y Asia. Se trata de una enfermedad que cursa con cuadros clínicos de gravedad variable en los hospedadores, con manifestaciones tanto cutáneas como viscerales, que pueden incluso llegar a producir la muerte de los pacientes si no se recibe el tratamiento adecuado...
Enhancing Control of Leishmania infantum Infection: A Multi-Epitope Nanovaccine for Durable T-Cell Immunity
(Animals, 2024) Hurtado Morillas, Clara; Martínez Rodrigo, Abel; Orden Gutiérrez, José Antonio; De Urbina Fuentes, Laura; Mas Zubiri, Alicia; Domínguez Bernal, Gustavo Ramón
Canine leishmaniosis (CanL) is a growing health problem for which vaccination is a crucial tool for the control of disease. The successful development of an effective vaccine against this disease relies on eliciting a robust and enduring T-cell immune response involving the activation of CD4+ Th1 and CD8+ T-cells. This study aimed to evaluate the immunogenicity and prophylactic efficacy of a novel nanovaccine comprising a multi-epitope peptide, known as HisDTC, encapsulated in PLGA nanoparticles against Leishmania infantum infection in the murine model. The encapsulation strategy was designed to enhance antigen loading and sustain release, ensuring prolonged exposure to the immune system. Our results showed that mice immunized with PLGA-encapsulated HisDTC exhibited a significant reduction in the parasite load in the liver and spleen over both short and long-term duration. This reduction was associated with a cellular immune profile marked by elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IFN-γ, and the generation of memory T cells. In conclusion, the current study establishes that PLGA-encapsulated HisDTC can promote effective and long-lasting T-cell responses against L. infantum in the murine model. These findings underscore the potential utility of multi-epitope vaccines, in conjunction with appropriate delivery systems, as an alternative strategy for CanL control.
QUIMERA SINTÉTICA MULTIEPITÓPICA COMO VACUNA Y TRATAMIENTO FRENTE A LEISHMANIOSIS EN MAMÍFEROS
(2022) Martínez Rodrigo, Abel; Mas Zubiri, Alicia; Carrión Herrero, Francisco Javier; Orden Gutiérrez, José Antonio; Fuente López, Ricardo De La; Domínguez Bernal, Gustavo Ramón; Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Quimera sintética multiepitópica como vacuna y tratamiento frente a leishmaniosis en mamíferos. La invención se refiere a quimeras sintéticas que incluyen 4 péptidos multiepitópicos frente a Leishmania. Cada uno de los péptidos se ha seleccionado de una proteína de Leishmania infantum. Se trata de las histonas nucleosomales H2A, H2B, H3 y H4. La invención también se refiere a una composición farmacéutica que incluye una de estas quimeras sintéticas. También se refiere a una vacuna profiláctica y/o terapéutica frente a Leishmania spp para su uso en mamíferos y, especialmente, en humana y en perros.
Detection and antimicrobial resistance of Enterobacteriaceae other than Escherichia coli in raccoons from the Madrid region of Spain
(Journal of Veterinary Research, 2022) Orden Gutiérrez, José Antonio; Martínez Rodrigo, Abel; Vela Alonso, Ana Isabel; Fernández-Garayzábal Fernández, José Francisco; Hurtado Morillas, Clara; Mas Zubiri, Alicia; Domínguez Bernal, Gustavo Ramón
Raccoons are an invasive alien species widely distributed in the Madrid region of Spain. These animals can carry a variety of enteric bacteria with associated antimicrobial resistance, which can infect humans and livestock. However, to our knowledge, the presence of non-E. coli Enterobacteriaceae in raccoons has not been previously studied. We conducted a study to examine the species distribution of Enterobacteriaceae isolates other than E. coli, as well as their antimicrobial resistance, in the faeces of 83 raccoons in the Madrid region. We detected 12 Enterobacteriaceae isolates other than E. coli belonging to seven different species: Citrobacter freundii (1 isolate), Citrobacter gillenii (3 isolates), Citrobacter murliniae (1 isolate), Citrobacter portucalensis (2 isolates), Enterobacter hormaechei subsp. hoffmannii (1 isolate), Hafnia paralvei (2 isolates) and Raoultella ornithinolytica (2 isolates). These isolates were found in 7 of the 83 (8.4%) animals studied. To our knowledge, this study is the first report of the presence of non-E. coli Enterobacteriaceae in raccoon faeces. All isolates but one were resistant to at least one of the 14 antimicrobials tested. Resistance to ampicillin (83.3%), amoxicillinclavulanic acid (50%) and cefoxitin (33.3%) was the most frequent. Our study indicates that raccoons are a potential source of infection with Enterobacteriaceae other than E. coli for humans and livestock in the Madrid region.
Transcriptomic Profile of Canine DH82 Macrophages Infected by Leishmania infantum Promastigotes with Different Virulence Behavior
(International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022) Mas Zubiri, Alicia; Martínez Rodrigo, Abel; Carrión Herrero, Francisco Javier; Orden Gutiérrez, José Antonio; Alzate, Juan F.; Domínguez Bernal, Gustavo Ramón; Horcajo Iglesias, María Del Pilar
Zoonotic visceral leishmaniosis caused by Leishmania infantum is an endemic disease in the Mediterranean Basin affecting mainly humans and dogs, the main reservoir. The leishmaniosis outbreak declared in the Community of Madrid (Spain) led to a significant increase in human disease incidence without enhancing canine leishmaniosis prevalence, suggesting a better adaptation of the outbreak’s isolates by other host species. One of the isolates obtained in the focus, IPER/ES/2012/BOS1FL1 (BOS1FL1), has previously demonstrated a different phenotype than the reference strain MCAN/ES/1996/BCN150 (BCN150), characterized by a lower infectivity when interacting with canine macrophages. Nevertheless, not enough changes in the cell defensive response were found to support their different behavior. Thus, we decided to investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in the interaction of both parasites with DH82 canine macrophages by studying their transcriptomic profiles developed after infection using RNA sequencing. The results showed a common regulation induced by both parasites in the phosphoinositide-3-kinase–protein kinase B/Akt and NOD-like receptor signaling pathways. However, other pathways, such as phagocytosis and signal transduction, including tumor necrosis factor, mitogen-activated kinases and nuclear factor-κB, were only regulated after infection with BOS1FL1. These differences could contribute to the reduced infection ability of the outbreak isolates in canine cells. Our results open a new avenue to investigate the true role of adaptation of L. infantum isolates in their interaction with their different hosts.
Raccoons (Procyon lotor) in the Madrid region of Spain are carriers of antimicrobial‐resistant Escherichia coli and enteropathogenic E. coli
(Zoonoses and Public Health, 2020) Orden Gutiérrez, José Antonio; García‐Meniño, Isidro; Flament‐Simon, Saskia C.; Blanco, Jorge; Francisco Sobrino; Fuente López, Ricardo De La; Martínez Rodrigo, Abel; Mas Zubiri, Alicia; Carrión Herrero, Francisco Javier; Domínguez Bernal, Gustavo Ramón; Sobrino, Francisco
The role of wildlife in the epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance is unclear. Raccoons in North America can carry a variety of enteric bacteria, with associated antimicrobial resistance, that could infect humans and livestock. The potential for raccoons to carry these bacteria in Europe, where they are an invasive species, has not been explored. Our objectives were to determine the prevalence of Escherichia coli with associated antimicrobial resistance in raccoons from the Madrid region of Spain and to determine whether they are carriers of potential human pathogens, including verotoxin‐producing E. coli (VTEC) and enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC). In total, we tested 237 E. coli isolates from the faeces of 83 euthanized raccoons for susceptibility to 14 antimicrobial agents and the presence of VTEC and EPEC. Antimicrobial resistance to at least one antimicrobial was detected in the faeces of 51% (42/83; 95% CI, 40.1–61.1) of the raccoons tested. A high percentage of raccoons carried, in their faeces, E. coli isolates resistant to ampicillin (33%), streptomycin (33%), tetracycline (30%), sulphafurazole (31%) and trimethoprim‐sulphamethoxazole (23%). We detected one isolate of extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase‐producing E. coli from the faeces of one raccoon. We detected VTEC in the faeces of one raccoon, and EPEC in the faeces of 12% (10/83) of the raccoons. Of the raccoons that carried EPEC in their faeces, 60% (6/10) carried EPEC isolates that exhibited characteristics associated with pathogenicity in humans. Raccoons in Madrid can carry pathogenic and antimicrobial‐resistant E. coli in their faeces and may be a risk to public health because of their potential to contaminate food and the environment with their faeces.
Properties of virulence emergence of Leishmania infantum isolates from Phlebotomus perniciosus collected during the human leishmaniosis outbreak in Madrid, Spain. Hepatic histopathology and immunological parameters as virulence markers in the mouse model
(Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 2020) Maribel Jiménez; Mas Zubiri, Alicia; Martínez Rodrigo, Abel; Orden Gutiérrez, José Antonio; Carrión Herrero, Francisco Javier; Domínguez Bernal, Gustavo Ramón; Jiménez Martínez, María De Los Ángeles
Recent anthropic activity related to the construction of the Bosquesur Green Park in a large urban setting in Madrid (Spain) has resulted in the largest reported community outbreak of human leishmaniosis in Europe. Previous phylogenetic and molecular-typ-ing studies of parasite isolates have implicated the Leishmania infantum ITS-Lombardi genotype in this outbreak. In an unusual scenario, visceral leishmaniosis (VL) is affecting a significant number of individuals, suggesting that an increase in parasite virulence has occurred. In this work, using an in vivo BALB/c model of VL, we aimed to investigate the properties of emergent virulence of the L. infantum POL2FL7 and BOS1FL1 isolates obtained from Phlebotomus perniciosus collected in the outbreak area and compare them with those of the well-characterized strain BCN150 MON-1 isolated from a dog. The P. perniciosus specimens were collected during an entomological survey conducted in the transmission season of 2012. We observed a range of virulence phenotypes from moderately to highly aggressive after 5 weeks of infection. IV challenge of mice with outbreak isolates from sand flies induced higher splenic and liver parasite burdens, higher serological titres of specific anti-Leishmania antibodies and impaired capacities to control infection, as revealed by the arginine metabolism and low ratios of Th1/Th2 cy-tokine profiles analysed, compared with the corresponding measures evaluated in mice infected with the BCN150 strain. The BOS1FL1 isolate showed the highest degree of virulence among the isolates, superior to that of POL2FL7, as evidenced by the analysed biomarkers and the histopathological severity of liver lesions. These results provide in-sight into how L. infantum isolates from sand flies collected in the outbreak area have been able to affect not only immunosuppressed patients but also middle-aged people with normal immunocompetence in the largest human VL outbreak in Europe.
A Tailored Approach to Leishmaniases Vaccination: Comparative Evaluation of the Efficacy and Cross-Protection Capacity of DNA vs. Peptide-Based Vaccines in a Murine Model
(International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2023) Mas Zubiri, Alicia; Hurtado Morillas, Clara; Martínez Rodrigo, Abel; Orden Gutiérrez, José Antonio; Fuente López, Ricardo De La; Domínguez Bernal, Gustavo Ramón; Carrión Herrero, Francisco Javier
Zoonotic leishmaniases are a worldwide public health problem for which the development of effective vaccines remains a challenge. A vaccine against leishmaniases must be safe and affordable and should induce cross-protection against the different disease-causing species. In this context, the DNA vaccine pHisAK70 has been demonstrated to induce, in a murine model, a resistant phenotype against L. major, L. infantum, and L. amazonensis. Moreover, a chimeric multiepitope peptide, HisDTC, has been obtained by in silico analysis from the histone proteins encoded in the DNA vaccine and has showed its ability to activate a potent CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell protective immune response in mice against L. infantum infection. In the present study, we evaluated the plasmid DNA vaccine pHisAK70 in comparison with the peptide HisDTC (with and without saponin) against L. major and L. infantum infection. Our preliminary results showed that both formulations were able to induce a potent cellular response leading to a decrease in parasite load against L. infantum. In addition, the DNA candidate was able to induce better lesion control in mice against L. major. These preliminary results indicate that both strategies are potentially effective candidates for leishmaniases control. Furthermore, it is important to carry out such comparative studies to elucidate which vaccine candidates are the most appropriate for further development.