The research group has extensive experience in the field of pulmonary pharmacology and its application in major respiratory diseases such as COPD, Asthma, Pulmonary Fibrosis, Pulmonary Hypertensions and Chronic Rhinosinusitis. Different cellular and animal models of these diseases are available, as well as human samples for different public projects and the transfer of results to the pharmaceutical industry for the development and characterisation of new drugs.

The research group has implemented different vitro methods (such as 3D reconstituted skin cultures, keratinocyte, fibroblast and melanocyte cultures, detection of reactive oxygen species and cell apoptosis by flow cytometry) and their modification by drugs; and in vivo (studies on healthy volunteers and oncology patients) to observe the modification of the physical, biomechanical and physiological properties of the skin both by cellular ageing and by the possible effect of drugs used in oncology, such as the group of taxanes and in particular paclitaxel, in this area.

Some highlights:

• The group’s research receives continuous competitive funding from various national bodies. It has also been financed by various grants from the Generalitat Valenciana, notably the PROMETEO PHASE I and PHASE II (PROMETEO/2008/045; PROMETEO II/2013/014) and with transfer contracts with the pharmaceutical industry, always through the OTRI office of the Universitat de València.
• Scientific output of the principal researcher who is an established figure in this field.
• Extensive experience in knowledge transfer to the pharmaceutical industry in this field (preclinical pharmacology in asthma / COPD), always through the University’s OTRI office as a way of promoting applied research and obtaining complementary funds from the private sector of entrepreneurs. e) Chronic lung diseases represent an important sector in terms of socio-economic costs to health. Hence the quest to establish in vitro disease models with human tissues to save in vivo animal use and to search for useful markers to predict clinical efficacy in the treatment of lung diseases for companies.
• Scientific career focused primarily on the pharmacology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and ASTHMA with experience in new target of potential clinical incorporation, both in experimental in vivo models and in vitro models using isolated human tissues and cells.

The dermatological pathway is also supported by several projects in collaboration with industry, such as the following:

• Safety and efficacy studies of substances and drugs on the skin in vivo in collaboration with different companies.
• Dermatological pharmacokinetics: validation of the ex vivo model in human skin to determine dermal absorption of drugs.
• Validation of the in vitro model in human skin to determine drug phototoxicity.
• Determination of the action of beta-2 adrenergic bookers on catecholamine-mediated vasodilation in the microcirculation of human skin tissues in vitro.

Col·laborador/ Col·laboradora

• Inés Roger Laparra - Centre d'Investigació Biomèdica en xarxa-Malalties Respiratòries (Madrid) 

University education