Esther Serrano-Pertierra

• PhD
• Researcher at University of Oviedo

The counting and characterization of neurons in primary cultures have long been areas of significant scientific interest due to their multifaceted applications, ranging from neuronal viability assessment to the study of neuronal development. Traditional methods, often relying on fluorescence or colorimetric staining and manual segmentation, are tim...

Foodborne allergies and illnesses represent a major global health concern. In particular, fish can trigger life-threatening food allergic reactions and poisoning effects, mainly caused by the ingestion of parvalbumin toxin. Additionally, preformed histamine in less-than-fresh fish serves as a toxicological alert. Consequently, the analytical assess...

Microscopy image analysis of neurons cultures represents a formidable challenge due to their complex structure because of the dynamic nature of neurite tissue development, the neuron movement, the morphological changes, and the pres- ence of many elements in the cultures apart from neurons such as glial cells, dead cells, vesicles, etc. A rigorous...

This work presents a novel approach for the automated characterization of neurons in primary culture from phase-contrast images. Direct characterization of neurons from these images is very challenging due to the complexity of the images. Over time in culture neurons change shape and size, and extend neuronal connections (i.e., neurites) between th...

The aim of this study was to develop a sensitive lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) for the rapid detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7, a pathogen contributor to diseases and fatalities worldwide. Au nanoparticles with high stability, uniform size, and shape were synthesized and coated with heterobifunctional PEG polymer with carboxyl group...

Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 is a pathogenic bacterium that causes serious toxic effects in the human gastrointestinal tract. In this paper, a method for its effective analytical control in a milk sample was developed. To perform rapid (1 h) and accurate analysis, monodisperse Fe3O4@Au magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized and used in an el...

Vanillin is a natural compound easily extracted from plants. It has neuroprotective, anti-carcinogenic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-biofilm properties. It also presents high volatility, high hydrophilicity, and low bioavailability. Nanomaterials can be used to improve pharmacodynamics, solubility, and stability and to enhance pharmacokinet...

Introduction Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of death from cancer in the world; early detection is a key factor for patient´s prognosis. Microvesicles (MVs) are subcellular structures delimited by lipid bilayer intimately involved in physio-pathological processes such as cancer. Our objective is the characterization and detection...

Biofilms find a favorable environment in industrial processes such as food, cosmetic, or medical prosthesis and devices, being responsible of approximately 80% of human bacterial infections. Prevention and/or eradication of microorganism’ films is a worldwide need. There is an increasing interest on the finding and use of novel antimicrobial compou...

The use of nanomaterials in recent years has shown many advantages for the production of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, and food packaging. Nanovesicles are emerging as carriers of bio-compounds and drugs at a wide variety of applications due to the hydrophilic and lipophilic character of the structure: an aqueous core surrounded by a lipid laye...

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are biological nanoparticles of great interest as novel sources of biomarkers and as drug delivery systems for personalized therapies. The research in the field and clinical applications require rapid quantification. In this study, we have developed a novel lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) system based on Fe3O4 nanozymes...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer death and the fourth most common cancer in the world. Colonoscopy is the most sensitive test used for detection of CRC; however, their procedure is invasive and expensive for population mass screening. Currently, the fecal occult blood test has been widely used as a screening tool for CRC...

INTRODUCTION Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer death and the fourth cancer with the highest incidence in the world; early detection is a key factor for patient´s prognosis. Microvesicles (MVs) are subcellular structures delimited by lipid bilayer intimately involved in physiopathological processes such as cancer. Our obje...

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoflowers coated by a black carbon layer (Fe3O4@C) were studied as labels in lateral flow immunoassays. They were synthesized by a one-pot solvothermal route, and they were characterized (size, morphology, chemical composition, and magnetic properties). They consist of several superparamagnetic cores embedded in a car...

Since their first observation, understanding the biology of extracellular vesicles (EV) has been an important and challenging field of study. They play a key role in the intercellular communication and are involved in important physiological and pathological functions. Therefore, EV are considered as potential biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, a...

Quantitative detection of exosomes in bio-fluids is a challenging task in a dynamic research field. The absence of a well-established reference material (RM) for method development and inter-comparison studies could be potentially overcome with artificial exosomes: lab-produced biomimetic particles with morphological and functional properties close...

A new generation of magnetic lateral flow immunoassays is emerging as powerful tool for diagnostics. They rely on the use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) as detecting label, replacing conventional gold or latex beads. MNPs can be sensed and quantified by means of external devices, allowing the development of immunochromatographic tests with a quant...

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a global health problem. Bacteria are able to adapt to different environments, with the presence or absence of a host, forming colonies and biofilms. In fact, biofilm formation confers chemical protection to the microbial cells, thus making most of the conventional antibiotics ineffective. Prevention and de...

Legend says that Philippides ran to Athens to announce the victory against the Persians in the Battle of Marathon [...]

Extracellular vesicles (EV) are small membrane structures released by cells that act as potent mediators of intercellular communication. The study of EV biology is important, not only to strengthen our knowledge of their physiological roles, but also to better understand their involvement in several diseases. In the field of biomedicine they have b...

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) is an acquired, complex and multisystem condition of unknown etiology, no established diagnostic lab tests and no universally FDA-approved drugs for treatment. CFS/ME is characterised by unexplicable disabling fatigue and is often also associated with numerous core symptom...

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bound nanovesicles delivered by different cellular lineages under physiological and pathological conditions. Although these vesicles have shown relevance as biomarkers for a number of diseases, their isolation and detection still has several technical drawbacks, mainly related with problems of sensitivity a...

Background: Cranial autonomic parasympathetic symptoms (CAPS) appear in at least half of migraine patients theoretically as a result of the release of peptides by the trigemino-vascular system (TVS). Cranial pain pathways become sensitised by repeated episodes of TVS activation, leading to migraine chronification. Objective: The objective of thi...

Lipid rafts were first defined as detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs) due to their relative insolubility in non-ionic detergents. Although they should not be confused with lipid rafts, DRMs are a valuable starting point for the study of these membrane domains and the interactions of proteins with rafts. Here we describe the isolation of DRMs by ul...

: OnabotulinumtoxinA (onabotA) has shown efficacy in chronic migraine (CM). Its mechanism of action, however, remains obscure. We have analysed whether treatment with onabotA is able to induce changes in interictal plasma calcitonin generelated peptide (CGRP) concentrations, which have been shown to be increased in CM patients. CGRP levels were det...

Background Cell-derived microparticles are secreted in response to cell damage or dysfunction. Endothelial and platelet dysfunction are thought to contribute to the development of multiple sclerosis (MS). Our aim here is, first, to compare the presence of microparticles of endothelial and platelet origin in plasma from patients with different clini...

Membrane rafts are microdomains of the plasma membrane that have multiple biological functions. The involvement of these structures in the biology of T cells, namely in signal transduction by the TCR, has been widely studied. However, the role of membrane rafts in immunoreceptor signaling in NK cells is less well known. We studied the distribution...

Background: Onabotulinumtoxin type A (onabotA) has shown efficacy in chronic migraine (CM). Its precise mechanism of action, however, is unknown. Objective: To analyze a potential relationship between calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) levels and response to onabotA in CM. Methods: Adult patients wit...

The activating receptor NKG2D is mainly expressed in NK cells and CD8(+) T cells. NKG2D and CD28 recruit the p85 subunit of PI3K to propagate their signals through the YXXM signaling motif. The function of CD28 as a costimulatory molecule is well-established in T cells. Ligation of NKG2D on T cells costimulates TCR signaling, although the intracell...

NKG2D is a transmembrane receptor mainly expressed on CD8(+) T cells and NK cells. Engagement of NKG2D with its ligands can trigger a cytotoxic response. It has been shown that tumor cells deliver soluble NKG2D ligands as a mechanism of immune evasion through the downregulation of surface-expressed NKG2D. These ligands may be also secreted in micro...