We are interested in the study of the functional role played by human dendritic cells (DCs) in allergy, inflammatory immune-mediated and infectious diseases as well as in the restauration of healthy immune responses after immunotherapy. Our work is focused on the study of the immunological mechanisms underlying the clinical benefit of next generation vaccines based on allergoid-mannan conjugates for allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT), polybacterial formulations as Trained Immunity based Vaccines (TIbVs) for recurrent infections affecting the respiratory or urinary tracts and other inflammatory immune-mediated diseases, including cancer. One of the main lines of research of the group is focused on studying the role played by cannabinoids and other small molecules in the immunomodulation of human DCs, epithelia cells and endothelial cells in the context of allergic diseases, endothelial damage and cardiovascular diseases. We are also working on the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms involved in the mode of action of anti-IgE treatments (Omalizumab and Ligelizumab) with special focus on human DCs and Tregs. We are also interested in the identification of the molecular mechanisms involved in allergic sensitization in the context of food allergy and asthma.

Overall, we aimed at the identification of molecules in human DCs, other myeloid cells and non-hemotopeitic cells such epithelial and endothelial cells as potential therapeutic targets to develop novel vaccines and alternative immunotherapy protocols for the treatment of asthma, food allergy, inflammatory immune-mediated diseases, cancer and infections.

1. Study of the role played by the endocannabinoid system in the context of allergic diseases with special focus on the immunomodulation exerted by cannanbinoids in human DCs and epithelial cells to identify novel molecules as potential therapeutic targets to treat inflammatory processes. Within this context, we have recently open a line line of research to study the relationship between endothelial damage, inflammation and cardiovascular diseases.

 -Angelina A/Palomares O et al. Allergy 2021; 76:1900-1902. FI: 13,146

-Angelina A/Palomares O et al. Mucosal Immunol 2021. FI: 7,313

-Angelina A/Palomares O et al. Allergy 2021. FI: 13,146.

-Lavin B/Botnar R et al. ATVB 2020. FI: 8,311

2. Vaccine development and study of their immunological mechanisms of action in humans and mice models for the treatment of (in collaboration with Inmunotek S. L.):

i). Allergy (hypoallergenic and immunogenic vaccines with the capacity to generate healthy immune responses to allergens, i.e. Th1 and/or regulatory T cells (Treg)).

-Sirvent S/Palomares O et al. JACI 2016;158:558-67. FI: 12,485

-Benito-Villalvilla C/Palomares O et al. Allergy 2020; 75:648-59. FI: 13,146

-Benito-Villalvilla C/Palomares O et al. JACI 2021. FI: 10,793

-Benito-Villalvilla C/Palomares O et al. Allergy 2021. FI: 13,146

ii). Infectious diseases (polybacterial vaccines able to promote the generation of suitable immune responses to prevent and treat recurrent infections, i.e Th1, Th17 or IL-10-producing T cells).

– Benito-Villalvilla C/Palomares O et al. Mucosal Immunol 2017. FI: 7,360

– Cirauqui C/Palomares O et al. Eur J Immunol 2018. FI: 4,248

– Martín-Cruz L/Palomares O et al. Front Immunol 2021. FI: 7,561

3. Study of the molecular mechanims involved in the mode of action of anti-IgE treatments (Omalizumab and Ligelizumab) with specifal focus on the capacity of these monoclonal antibodies to condition the functional properties of human DCs, including their capacity to generate functional FOXP3+ Treg cells.

-López-Abente J/Palomares O et al. Eur Respir J 2020;14;57(1):2000751. FI: 16,671

-Bousquet J/ Palomares O et al. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2020; 3;6(1):95. FI: 52,329

4. Identification of novel food allergens implicated in the sensitization of allergic patients. Study of the immunological mechanisms governing allergic sensitization and the actual role played by human DCs and Th2 cells in such processes.

-Sirvent S/Palomares O et al. JACI 2014; 133:1765-7. FI: 11,248

-Sirvent S/Palomares O et al. Allergy 2014; 69:1481-8. FI: 5.995

The group has experience and routinely uses many different techniques: cellular-culture procedures (human cell lines and primary cells), preparation of human PBMC, isolation of different blood cell populations, generation of humoDCs, staining of cells with labelled-Abs for flow cytometry and confocal microscopy, functional experiments with human blood cells, in vivo mice models of allergic asthma, food allergy, vaccination, endothelial damage and other cardiovascular diseases, immunological techniques, labeling of antigens and Abs with biotin, fluorophores and other ligands, cloning and manipulation of nucleic acids, protein purification, chemical and spectroscopic analysis of proteins, analytical techniques, gene arrays, proteomic tools, systems biology computer programs and databases, etc.