Publications by authors named "Natalia Gonzalez-Martinez"

Emerging cell-based therapies such as CAR-T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T) cells require cryopreservation to store and deliver intact and viable cells. Conventional cryopreservation formulations use DMSO to mitigate cold-induced damage, but do not address all the biochemical damage mechanisms induced by cold stress, such as programmed cell death (apoptosis). Rho-associated protein kinases (ROCK) are a key component of apoptosis, and their activation contributes to apoptotic blebbing.

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Conventional cryopreservation solutions rely on the addition of organic solvents such as DMSO or glycerol, but these do not give full recovery for all cell types, and innovative cryoprotectants may address damage pathways which these solvents do not protect against. Macromolecular cryoprotectants are emerging, but there is a need to understand their structure-property relationships and mechanisms of action. Here we synthesized and investigated the cryoprotective behavior of sulfoxide (i.

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Article Synopsis
  • HPV-associated cervical cancer is a major cause of cancer deaths in women, and this study analyzed 643 cases of cervical squamous cell carcinomas (CSCC) from the USA, Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • The researchers identified two distinct CSCC subtypes, C1 and C2, which have different prognoses, but the differences are not solely related to the HPV types (16 and 18) commonly found in these tumors.
  • C2 tumors, accounting for about 20% of CSCCs, exhibit unique genomic changes and immune characteristics, leading to shorter survival rates, highlighting their significance for future treatment approaches.
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Macromolecular cryoprotectants based on polyampholytes are showing promise as supplemental cryoprotectants alongside conventional DMSO-based freezing. Here we exploit radical ring-opening (ter)polymerization to access ester-containing cryoprotective polyampholytes, which were shown to be degradable. Using a challenging cell monolayer cryopreservation model, the degradable polyampholytes were found to enhance post-thaw recovery when supplemented into DMSO.

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The direct link between lipid metabolism alterations and the increase of cardiovascular risk are well documented. Dyslipidemias, including isolated high LDL-c or mixed dyslipidemia, such as those seen in diabetes (hypertriglyceridemia, high LDL-c or low HDL-c), correlate with a significant risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease worldwide.  This review analyzes the current knowledge concerning the genetic basis of lipid metabolism alterations, emphasizing lipoprotein lipase gene mutations and the HindIII polymorphism, which are associated with decreased levels of triglycerides and LDL-c, as well as higher levels of HDL-c.

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