Cód. SSPA: IBiS-A-16
The Viral Diseases and Infections in Immunodeficiencies Research Group of the Institute of Biomedicine of Seville / Virgen del Rocio University Hospital, whose IR and Co-IR are, respectively, Elisa Cordero and Javier Sánchez Céspedes, has extensive experience in clinical, experimental and multidisciplinary research in community-acquired viral respiratory infections and in infections in immunocompromised patients, both healthcare-associated and community-acquired infections, by opportunistic and common pathogens.
Currently, they lead research lines aimed to: i) Respiratory viral infections with pandemic potential, such as influenza or COVID-19, focused on the virological characterization, the innate and specific immune response and, based on this, the identification of prognostic factors, with special attention to immunocompromised patients; ii) The burden of adenovirus infections and disease in patients with hematologic malignancies; iii) In the current context of scarcity of antiviral therapies for the treatment of most viral infections in human beings, the group works in the development of new antiviral molecules, through the analysis of their activity and cytotoxicity, mechanistic studies, and preclinical studies. In this line, the group has developed and promoted the intellectual protection of several molecules of diverse origins, which are currently under evaluation of their efficacy and safety in animal models of infection; and iv) the management of urinary tract infections by Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in kidneys transplant recipients.
Research lines
The Viral Diseases and Infections in Immunodeficiencies Research Group has extensive experience in the following areas:
- Viral infections with pandemic potential: influenza virus and COVID-19.
- Viral infections in immunodepressed patients.
- Development of new antiviral molecules.
- Bacterial infections in immunodepressed patients.
Within these study areas, the priority lines of research include:
Clinical research sub-lines and projects:
a. Viral infections (SARS-CoV-2, cytomegalovirus, adenovirus, influenza virus) in immunocompetent patients and in solid organ and hematological transplant recipients.
b. Bacterial infections in solid organ transplant recipients: epidemiological and intervention studies (pneumococci and urinary tract infections in renal transplant).
c. Diagnostic-therapeutic management of patients with febrile neutropenia and optimization of antifungal use in immunosuppressed patients.
d. Optimization of antimicrobial treatment in: general hospitalized population, immunosuppressed, primary care, complex bacterial infections caused by resistant microorganisms.
e. Study of new vaccination strategies against influenza in solid organ transplant recipients.
Experimental research sub-lines and projects:
a. Cellular and humoral immune response to viral infections (SARS-CoV-2, adenovirus, cytomegalovirus and influenza virus) and its clinical translation with the identification of patients at risk of infection and development of adoptive immunotherapy techniques.
b. Cellular and humoral immune response to influenza vaccine in transplant recipients.
c. Development of new antivirals against human adenovirus and broad-spectrum antiviral strategies.
d. Development of new antimicrobials.
e. Virulence studies, including genomic studies, and pathogenesis in multidrug-resistant bacteria.
f. Studies of the oncogenic potential of adenoviruses in patients with lymphoma.
g. Evaluation of new therapies (antimicrobial and non-antimicrobial) in experimental animal models.
h. Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) studies oriented to the analysis of new drugs for multidrug resistant bacteria and viruses causing infections in the above mentioned populations of immunocompromised patients.
