Cell biology and Biotechnology

Salmonella enterica serovar Tiphimurium is probably the best-characterised pathogenic bacteria. Previous studies have demonstrated that attenuated Salmonella spp. specifically target and colonize solid tumors, which makes Salmonella a particularly suitable vector for targeted drug delivery to cancer cells. In spite of the extensive variety of existing gene expression systems used in enteric bacteria, no appropriate control circuits are available for regulated expression in Salmonella once it resides within infected cells. Our research group and Biomedal SL have developed bacterial regulatory circuits inducible by salicylate or by aspirin which induce the production of proteins when Salmonella is inside the eukaryotic cell. 

Our group aims at assembling attenuated Salmonella strains bearing this regulatory circuit able to produce and secrete different therapeutical agents with application in two biomedical topics. In one hand, we are constructing attenuated strains producing citotoxic agents and necrosis or apoptosis inducers, for their use in antitumor therapy. On the other hand, we are interested in obtaining strains producing eukaryotic transcription factors to be used as stem cells development inducers, strategy that constitutes a novel experimental approach in regenerative medicine.