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- Human medicine
- Molecular bases and their applications in cancer
- Human medicine
- Molecular bases and their applications in cancer
Research priorities
- Studies of molecular, immunological, metabolic, genetic and epigenetic mechanisms in the process of carcinogenesis and its clinical application.
- Research into new therapeutic targets for neoplasms in preclinical models.
- Research to evaluate new cancer immunotherapy strategies in preclinical models.
- Research in development and/or pharmacological repositioning in cancer.
- Research to improve the diagnosis of hematological malignancies.
EquipmentOngoing projectsScientific Publications
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Stefany Fiorela Infante Varillas stefany.infante@udep.edu.pe Faculty of Human Medicine |
Master's degree in Biomedical Research, specializing in Cancer, Immunology, and Immunotherapy from the University of Navarra. Biologist, Microbiologist, and Parasitologist from the National University Pedro Ruiz Gallo. She has conducted research on immunotherapy strategies for cancer treatment at the Center for Applied Medical Research, Navarra. She also has experience in bacterial biotechnology, molecular characterization, and genomics of microorganisms at the Microbiology and Immunology Laboratory of the University of Piura. He currently leads a research project on new therapeutic targets in non-small cell lung cancer, funded by Fondecyt. He is a professor and researcher at the Faculty of Human Medicine of the University of Piura. |
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Juan Faya Castillo juan.faya@udep.edu.pe Faculty of Human Medicine |
A licensed biologist from the National University Pedro Ruiz Gallo, Lambayeque, he holds a Master's degree in Bioinformatics from the Institute of Mathematics and Statistics of the University of São Paulo. His research interests include protein phosphorylation, cross-reactivity, and drug discovery using in silico techniques. He is currently a professor and researcher at the Faculty of Human Medicine of the University of Piura. |
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Luis Edgardo Gonzales Huerta luis.gonzales.h@udep.edu.pe Faculty of Human Medicine |
Bachelor of Medicine and Medical-Surgeon from the Universidad Científica del Sur. He holds a Master's degree in Immunology and a PhD in Clinical Medicine Research, specializing in Infectious Diseases, from Imperial College London (ICL).
In 2017, he received a Fellowship in Global Health, funded by the Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund (ISSF). As a fellow of the Concytec/Prociencia “Doctorate Abroad” program, he conducted research at the Center for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection (MRC-CMBI), analyzing the modulation of the immune system by mycobacteria in coinfection with Aspergillus fumigatus. He is currently a teacher and researcher at the Faculty of Human Medicine of the University of Piura. |
| Project | Year | Project status | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| In silico exploration of the interactions of the antimicrobial peptide Nisin with proteins involved in hepatocellular carcinoma processes and its in vitro standardization for obtaining | 2024 | Completed | Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. In Peru, hepatocellular carcinoma ranks third among the most frequent oncological diseases. In the exploration of novel approaches to combat cancer, it has been demonstrated that antimicrobial peptides can be used not only as potent antibiotics, modulators of inflammatory processes, or neutralizers of pathogenic toxins, but also as important inhibitors of the abnormal development and multiplication of cancer cells. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the antimicrobial effect of nisin obtained from Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis ATCC 11454 on the Listeria monocytogenes strain ATCC 35152, and, through a bioinformatics approach, to identify possible interactions between nisin and specific proteins related to processes associated with hepatocellular carcinoma. |
| Determination of the binding energies and inhibitory capacity of Abacavir and Mitoxantrone in EML4-ALK cell models | 2024 | Completed | Lung cancer is one of the most prevalent forms of cancer worldwide, accounting for 11.41% of all cases. In this context, we propose to investigate the antineoplastic potential of the drugs abacavir and mitoxantrone using computational studies of their binding energies to the tyrosine kinase (TK) domain mutated at specific amino acid positions (L1196M, C1156Y, and G1202R). Furthermore, we aim to evaluate the ability of these drugs to inhibit cancer cell growth in in vitro EML4-ALK cell models. |
| Description of PI3K-AKT pathway expression in a cellular model of hepatocellular carcinoma treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors | 2023 | Completed | Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Its development is associated with chronic infections caused by hepatitis B and C viruses, excessive alcohol consumption, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Conventional therapies in early stages consist mainly of surgery and liver transplantation, which extend survival by several years. In recent years, immunotherapy based on immunosuppressive lymphocyte receptor blocking antibodies or checkpoint inhibitors (CIs) has shown promising effects in different types of tumors, including HCC. However, cellular processes, such as the PI3K pathway, which participates in cell proliferation and growth, have been shown to be involved in several types of cancer. More than half of HCC patients have overexpression of this pathway in one or more of its components, leading to the study of its blockade as a therapeutic strategy. |
| Determination of the binding energies and inhibitory capacity of Entrectinib in the EML4-ALK cell model | 2023 | Completed | Lung cancer (LC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide (11.41% of all cancers). These tumors originate in the lung parenchyma or within the bronchi. LC includes two main types: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer. Currently, there are different treatment strategies for NSCLC, such as targeted therapy and other basic treatment options including radiotherapy, surgery, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. In NSCLC, targeted therapy focuses on the use of inhibitor drugs that target specific mutations (driver mutations) in specific proteins (EGFR, ALK, ROS-1) involved in the growth and replication of cancer cells. Blocking these mutations is proposed to improve survival in patients with NSCLC. In this study, we performed a computational analysis of the binding energies between entrectenib (a pan-drug tyrosine kinase) and EML4-ALK mutated at specific amino acid positions that have conferred resistance to first-, second-, and third-generation drugs. Furthermore, we propose the repurposing of entrectenib to inhibit the growth of cancer cells in an EML4-ALK cell model. |
| New strategies to improve immunotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma: combination of current immunotherapies with new drugs aimed at inhibiting TAM receptors | 2021 | Completed | This research studies the origin of cancer, through resistance to cell death. Cells should normally have a programmed time to die naturally, this process is called apoptosis. Tumor cells manage to escape this phenomenon. Apoptosis is subject to regulatory proteins that act as on and off switches, one of these proteins is the BCL2 family of antiapoptotic proteins, there are also proapoptotic proteins. A potential target for treatment is to control the overexpression of BCL2 proteins. |
| Production and stability evaluation of nisin obtained from Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis ATCC11454 for its potential antitumor effect in a cellular model of hepatocellular carcinoma | 2025 | In progress | Scientific advances in the study of cancer cell lines have identified nisin as a potential oncological therapeutic agent. This project aims to further this research by producing nisin on a large scale from Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis ATCC 11454. Obtaining purified and lyophilized nisin will facilitate its analysis and allow for the evaluation of its effect on various cancer cell lines, including hepatocellular carcinoma, with the goal of exploring its potential application in cancer therapies. |
Inhibition of the anti-apoptotic protein BCL2 in EML4-ALK cell models as a second proposed therapeutic target for non-small cell lung cancer
Available in PLOS One
Behavior of the anti-apoptotic protein BCL2 in cell models of non-small cell lung cancer in response to ALK inhibitor treatments and its potential dual BCL2-ALK inhibition
Available at Horizonte Médico (Lima)
Identification of PI3Kα inhibitors through pharmacophore design and drug repurposing
Available at Horizonte Médico (Lima)
In vitro variations in the metabolic activity of macrophages against tumor cells of lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma
Available in the Annals of the Faculty of Medicine
Proposal of combined therapeutic strategies for KRAS in non-small cell lung cancer based on analysis in silico
Available at Horizonte Médico
Application of Graph Models to the Identification of Transcriptotic Oncometabolic Pathways in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Available at Biomolecules
Expression of cytokines and migration and maturation receptors in dendritic cells exposed to a hepatocellular carcinoma tumor model
Available in the Annals of the Faculty of Medicine
Mitoxantrone and abacavir: An ALK protein-targeted in silico proposal for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer
Available in PLoS ONE Magazine
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