Research Project
Our research is focused in the study of the immunity of the intestinal tract. Our working hypothesis is that signals outside the mucosal microenvironment alter the inflammatory-anti-inflammatory balance in the intestine.
We are aimed to:
a) characterize the effects of circadian rhythm in intestinal immunity
b) establish the influence of feeding signals in the activity of intestinal dendritic cells (DCs) and lamina propria macrophages.
We wonder if the mechanisms that regulate the tolerance to lumen antigens are affected by circadian variations. For that purpose we study DC subpopulations along 24 hs well as the function of the most abundant protein of the mucus (Muc2) in the tolerogenic activity of these cells. We evaluate the expression of the biological clock genes Bmal1 and Per in intestinal tissue together with some molecules that regulate leukocyte trafficking. The effect of disturbances in the rhythm is studied in mice deficient in different immunological mediators or normal controls that are kept either in continuous dark or light, analyzing histopathological changes in small and large intestine as well as changes in the barrier of mucus and permeability intestinal.
Regarding the second point, we use different experimental models to address the influence of external signals in intestinal homeostasis. We study the effects of vitamin A on DCs of afferent lymphatics, analyzing phenotype and function at different times after feeding as well as the chemoattractant stream that attracts these cells to lymph nodes. In systemic or intestinal inflammation models we study the migration and differentiation of bone marrow monocytes as well as the function of CD64 receptor expressed by phagocytes of lamina propria. We also evaluate the delivery of flavonoids in microcapsules of derivatized chitosan to attenuate oxidative stress and accelerate tissue regeneration after inflammatory burst in acute colitis models.
Publications
Dendronization of chitosan films: surface characterization and biological activity. Aldana AA, Barrios BE, Strumia MC, Correa SG, Martinelli M.
React Funct Polym 2016.100:18-25. 2016.
Systemic IL-12 burst expands intestinal T-lymphocyte subsets bearing the α4 β7integrin in mice. Pedrotti LP, Barrios BE, Maccio-Maretto L, Bento AF, Sena AA, Rodriguez-Galán MC, Calixto JB, Correa SG.
Eur J Immunol. 2016;46(1):70-80.
Lack of TNFRI signaling enhances annexin A1 biological activity in intestinal inflammation. Sena AA, Pedrotti LP, Barrios BE, Cejas H, Balderramo D, Diller A, Correa SG.
Biochem Pharmacol. 2015;98 (3):422-31.
Contribution of resident and recruited macrophages to the photodynamic intervention of colorectal tumor microenvironment. Pansa MF, Lamberti MJ, Cogno IS, Correa SG, Rumie Vittar NB, Rivarola VA.
Tumour Biol. En prensa, 2015
Immune neuroendocrine phenotypes in Coturnix coturnix: do avian species show LEWIS/FISCHER-like profiles? Nazar FN, Barrios BE, Kaiser P, Marin RH, Correa SG.
PLoS One. 2015;10(3):e0120712.
Chitosan enhances transcellular permeability in human and rat intestine epithelium. Canali MM, Pedrotti LP, Balsinde J, Ibarra C, Correa SG.
Eur J Pharm Biopharm. 2012;80(2):418-25.
Immune-metabolic balance in stressed rats during Candida albicans infection. Rodríguez-Galán MC, Porporatto C, Sotomayor CE, Cano R, Cejas H, Correa SG.
Stress. 2010;13(5):373-83.
Signals elicited at the intestinal epithelium upon chitosan feeding contribute to immunomodulatory activity and biocompatibility of the polysaccharide. Canali MM, Porporatto C, Aoki MP, Bianco ID, Correa SG.
Vaccine. 2010;28(35):5718-24.