Jesús Pérez Gil
Group of "Biophisics of membranes and lipid-protein interfaces"
Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I
Facultad de Biología
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
C/ Jose Antonio Novais, 2
28040 Madrid, España
Telf.: +34 913944439
Fax: +34 913944672
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Group of "Biophisics of membranes and lipid-protein interfaces":
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:
- M. Martinez-Calle, M. Prieto, B. Olmeda, A. Fedorov, L. Loura, J. Perez-Gil; "Pulmonary surfactant protein sp-b nanorings induce the multilamellar organization of surfactant complexes"; Biochim. Biophys Acta 2020, 1862, 183216.
- E. Lopez-Rodriguez, N. Roldan, B. Garcia-Alvarez, J. Pérez-Gil; "Protein and lipid fingerprinting of native-like membrane complexes by combining thin layer chromatography and protein electrophoresis: the example of lung surfactant"; J. Lipid. Res. 2019, 60, 430.
- M. Martinez-Calle, B. Olmeda, P. Dietl, M. Frick, J. Perez-Gil; "Pulmonary surfactant protein sp-b promotes secretion of surfactant by alveolar type ii cells" FASEB J. 2018, 32, 4600.
- R. Arroyo, A. Martin-Gonzalez, M. Echaide, A. Jain, W. H. Brondyk, J. Rosenbaum, F. Moreno-Herrero, J. Perez-Gil; "Supramolecular assembly of human pulmonary surfactant protein sp-d"; J. Mol. Biol. 2018, 430, 1495.
- A. Hidalgo, F. Salomone, N. Fresno, G. Orellana, A. Cruz, J. Perez-Gil; "Efficient interfacially-driven vehiculization of corticosteroids by pulmonary surfactant"; Langmuir 2017, 33, 7929.