Publications by authors named "Elsa Molina"

Conventional type 1 dendritic cells (cDC1s) are critical for innate sensing of cancer, yet they are scarce in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, we present a protocol to identify and isolate cDC1 subsets from murine implantable tumors for subsequent transcriptomic profiling using a flow sorting-based strategy. We describe steps for cell culture of mouse tumors, tumoral growth, dissociation and isolation of tumoral cells, extracellular staining, and cell sorting.

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Astrocytes, the most abundant glial cell type in the brain, are underrepresented in traditional cortical organoid models due to the delayed onset of cortical gliogenesis. Here we introduce a new glia-enriched cortical organoid model that exhibits accelerated astrogliogenesis. We demonstrated that induction of a gliogenic switch in a subset of progenitors enabled the rapid derivation of astroglial cells, which account for 25-31% of the cell population within 8-10 weeks of differentiation.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to identify key coding genes linked to biomarkers and pathways in giant cell arteritis (GCA) by analyzing temporal arteries from GCA patients and controls.
  • Researchers used spatial profiling and transcriptome analysis on temporal artery biopsy samples, discovering significant gene expression differences across various layers of the arteries.
  • The results highlighted that many genes related to immune processes and vascular remodeling were upregulated in GCA arteries, suggesting new potential treatment targets for immunotherapies.
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  • Immunologically cold tumors, which lack tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, are typically resistant to immune checkpoint blockade, but local treatment with immunomodulatory agents can boost T cell responses and enhance overall effectiveness when combined with systemic therapies.
  • VAX014, a novel non-viral targeted oncolytic agent, was tested in preclinical models to analyze its local and systemic immunotherapeutic effects when injected directly into tumors, particularly focusing on improving outcomes in tumors characterized by an immune desert phenotype.
  • Results showed that VAX014 led to significant immune-mediated clearance of injected tumors, increased CD8 T cell populations, and enhanced immune responses, although responses in non-injected tumors were modest, especially when used alone compared to when combined with systemic immune
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Focal cortical dysplasia is a highly epileptogenic cortical malformation with few treatment options. Here, we generated human cortical organoids from patients with focal cortical dysplasia type II. Using this human model, we mimicked some focal cortical dysplasia hallmarks, such as impaired cell proliferation, the presence of dysmorphic neurons and balloon cells, and neuronal network hyperexcitability.

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Chromosomal instability (CIN) and epigenetic alterations have been implicated in tumor progression and metastasis; yet how these two hallmarks of cancer are related remains poorly understood. By integrating genetic, epigenetic, and functional analyses at the single cell level, we show that progression of uveal melanoma (UM), the most common intraocular primary cancer in adults, is driven by loss of Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 (PRC1) in a subpopulation of tumor cells. This leads to transcriptional de-repression of PRC1-target genes and mitotic chromosome segregation errors.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates how specific genetic variants in the male-specific region of the Y chromosome (MSY), particularly haplogroup I1, relate to increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) among men, finding an 11% higher risk in I1 carriers compared to others.
  • - Researchers identified 235 unique genetic variants associated with haplogroup I1, which are linked to vital processes in atherosclerosis, like immune response and lipid metabolism.
  • - The findings suggest that haplogroup I1 promotes cardiovascular risk by altering gene expression in crucial pathways linked to atherosclerosis, indicating the MSY's significant role in male cardiovascular health.
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There is an increasing appreciation for the role of the human Y chromosome in phenotypic differences between the sexes in health and disease. Previous studies have shown that genetic variation within the Y chromosome is associated with cholesterol levels, which is an established risk factor for atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of coronary artery disease (CAD), a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, the exact mechanism and potential genes implicated are still unidentified.

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Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality globally. In the last few years our understanding of the genetic and molecular mechanisms that promote CAD in individuals has increased with the advent of the genome era. This complex inflammatory disease has well-defined environmental risk factors.

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Introduction: Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is characterized by intimal hyperplasia leading to ischaemic manifestations that involve large vessels. Neurotrophins (NTs) and their receptors (NTRs) are protein factors for growth, differentiation and survival of neurons. They are also involved in the migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs).

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