Aprenentatge entre iguals: mentre tu aprens jo consolido els meus coneixements

Els alumnes de primer curs de Podologia acostumen a accedir al Grau per vies diverses i un gran nombre no ha estudiat el Batxillerat Científic. Aquesta diversitat es tradueix en un alumnat heterogeni a l’aula, tant pel que fa als seus coneixements previs com pel seu interès en les matèries bàsiques que es treballen en l’assignatura Bioquímica i Biofísica. En conseqüència, el professorat repetidament havia posat de manifest que era difícil dur a terme les classes a un bon ritme i acabar el programa, ja que mentre uns alumnes es desmotivaven per no poder seguir les classes, d’altres s’avorrien. Amb la finalitat d’homogeneïtzar els coneixements de l’alumnat i afavorir-ne la transmissió transversal, durant el curs 2015-2016 vam incloure diverses sessions amb la metodologia docent d’aprenentatge entre iguals. Les sessions eren de caràcter voluntari i consistien en què alguns alumnes amb un nivell inicial de coneixements alt (determinat en una prova de nivell realitzada el primer dia de classe) tutoritzaven a companys amb un nivell més baix. Com a resultat d’aquesta experiència, si bé el professorat no va percebre millores substancials en el desenvolupament de les classes, sí que es va observar una menor incidència de suspesos entre els alumnes que havien estat tutoritzats

Integració de coneixements: “Donant sentit al que estudia un futur Podòleg”

Memòria final del projecte d'innovació: 2015 PID-UB/017 Integració de coneixements: “Donant sentit al que estudia un futur Podòleg”Al grau de Podologia existeix una certa reticència per part dels estudiants a veure la necessitat d’estudiar conceptes bàsics de matèries de primer que per a ells resulten molt allunyats de la seva futura pràctica professional. L’actual model d’assignatures independents i no coordinades temporalment dificulta la connexió dels coneixements de les diferents matèries de primer. Per aquest motiu ens vam proposar el professorat de Fisiologia, Bioquímica i Biofísica portar a terme el projecte d’integració de coneixements. Aquest projecte s’emmarca en les directrius de l’ESEE i te en compte les noves tendències per promoure curriculums més integrats i interdisciplinaris en el camp de les ciències de la salut (Rosell et al 2002, Vicedo et al. 2009). Aquest projecte s’ha portat a terme durant el primer quadrimestre del curs 2015-16 i s’han elaborat treballs d’integració de coneixements entorn a temes generals i d’altres més específics del camp de la Podologia amb l’objectiu aconseguir una major coordinació entre les diferents disciplines participants i a la vegada proporcionar contextos significatius d’aprenentatge. La iniciativa va tenir una gran acollida per part dels estudiants i es van formar 6 grups de treball d’entre 7-10 participants. Aquesta memòria recull l’experiència realitzada i analitza la incidència positiva del treball d’integració en els resultats de l’assignatura valorats mitjançant enquestes i preguntes específiques d’integració a la prova d’avaluació final

Involvement of both caspase-8 and Noxa-activated pathways in endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis in triple-negative breast tumor cells

Recent evidences indicate that triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells with a mesenchymal phenotype show a basal activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) that increases their sensitivity to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress although the underlying cell death mechanism remains largely unexplored. Here we show that both caspase-8-dependent and -independent apoptotic mechanisms are activated in TNBC cells undergoing sustained ER stress. Activation of the extrinsic apoptotic pathway by ER stress involves ATF4-dependent upregulation of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand receptor 2 (TRAIL-R2/DR5). In addition, accumulation of BH3-only protein Noxa at the mitochondria further contributes to apoptosis following ER stress in TNBC cells. Accordingly, simultaneous abrogation of both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways is required to inhibit ER stress-induced apoptosis in these cells. Importantly, persistent FLICE-inhibitory protein (FLIP) expression plays an adaptive role to prevent early activation of the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis upon ER stress. Overall, our data show that ER stress induces cell death through a pleiotropic mechanism in TNBC cells and suggest that targeting FLIP expression may be an effective approach to sensitize these tumor cells to ER stress-inducing agents

Menos es más: integración y aprendizaje en el grado de podología

Projecte: 2015PID/UB017Estos documentos resumen en un póster los resultados obtenidos en el proyecto de innovación 2015PID/UB017 realizado durante tres cursos (2015-2018) para conseguir integrar conceptos de Fisiología, Bioquímica y Biofísica mediante la realización de trabajo cooperativo para las tres materias, de forma que los conceptos básicos cubren significado en un contexto real y significativo para su futura práctica profesional

Akt inhibitors induce apoptosis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells

Background: The phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/Akt pathway has been described to be critical in the survival of chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells. In this study we analyzed the effect of two selective chemical inhibitors of Akt (Akti-1/2 and A-443654) on the survival of chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells. Design and Methods: Using cytometry we studied the cytotoxic effects of Akt inhibitors on peripheral B and T lymphocytes from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and from healthy donors. We studied the changes induced by Akti-1/2 and A-443654 at the mRNA level by performing reverse transcriptase multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification. We also studied the changes induced by both Akt inhibitors in some BCL-2 protein family members on chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells by western blotting. Moreover, we analyzed the cytotoxic effect of Akt inhibitors in patients' cells with deleted/mutated TP53. Results: Both inhibitors induced apoptosis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, B cells from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia were more sensitive to Akt inhibitors than T cells from leukemic patients, and B or T cells from healthy donors. Survival factors for chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells, such as interleukin-4 and stromal cell-derived factor-1 alpha, were not able to block the apoptosis induced by either Akt inhibitor. Akti-1/2 did not induce any change in the mRNA expression profile of genes involved in apoptosis, while A-443654 induced some changes, including an increase in NOXA and PUMA mRNA levels, suggesting the existence of additional targets for A-443654. Both inhibitors induced an increase in PUMA and NOXA protein levels, and a decrease in MCL-1 protein level. Moreover, Akti-1/2 and A-443654 induced apoptosis irrespective of TP53 status. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that Akt inhibitors induce apoptosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells and might be a new therapeutic option for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia

The potential anticancer agent PK11195 induces apoptosis irrespective of p53 and ATM status in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells

Background and Objectives The potential anticancer agent 1-(2-chlorophenyl-N-methylpropyl)-3-isoquinolinecarboxamide (PK11195), a translocator protein (18KDa) (TSPO) ligand, facilitates the induction of cell death by a variety of cytotoxic and chemotherapeutic agents. Primary chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells overexpress TSPO. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of PK11195 on CLL cells. Design and Methods Using cytometric analysis, we studied the cytotoxic effects of PK11195 on peripheral B and T lymphocytes from patients with CLL and from healthy donors. Western blot and cytometric analyses were used to study the mitochondrial effects of PK11195 on CLL cells. Moreover, we analyzed the cytotoxic effect of PK11195 in patients' cells with mutated p53 or ATM. Results PK11195 induces apoptosis and had additive effects with chemotherapeutic drugs in primary CLL cells. Other TSPO ligands such as RO 5-4864 and FGIN-1-27 also induce apoptosis in CLL cells. PK11195 induces mitochondrial depolarization and cytochrome c release upstream of caspase activation, and dithiocyana-tostilbene-2,2-disulfonic acid (DIDS), a voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) inhibitor, inhibits PK11195-induced apoptosis, demonstrating a direct involvement of mitochondria. CLL cells and normal B cells are more sensitive than T cells to PK11195-induced apoptosis. Interestingly, PK11195 induced apoptosis in CLL cells irrespective of their p53 or ATM status. Interpretation and Conclusions These results suggest that PK11195 alone or in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs might be a new therapeutic option for the treatment of CLL

Fluorizoline-induced apoptosis requires prohibitins in nematodes and human cells

We previously showed that fluorizoline, a fluorinated thiazoline compound, binds to both subunits of the mitochondrial prohibitin (PHB) complex, PHB1 and PHB2, being the expression of these proteins required for fluorizoline-induced apoptosis in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. To investigate the conservation of this apoptotic mechanism, we studied the effect of PHB downregulation on fluorizoline activity on two human cell lines, HEK293T and U2OS. Then, we asked whether PHBs mediate the effect of fluorizoline in a multicellular organism. Interestingly, reduced levels of PHBs in the human cells impaired the induction of apoptosis by fluorizoline. We observed that fluorizoline has a detrimental dose-dependent effect on the development and survival of the nematode model Caenorhabditis elegans. Besides, such effects of fluorizoline treatment in living nematodes were absent in PHB mutants. Finally, we further explored the apoptotic pathway triggered by fluorizoline in human cell lines. We found that the BH3-only proteins NOXA, BIM and PUMA participate in fluorizoline-induced apoptosis and that the induction of NOXA and PUMA is dependent on PHB expression.This work was supported by grants from the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación), European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Research Council, the Junta de Andalucía and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) (SAF2017-83178-R to J.G.; PID2019-107991RB-I00 to R.L.; ERC-2011-StG-281691 and C2A ID: 42571/Exp: 70806 to M.A-S; PI15-00895 to J.C.). J.S-E and I.S-V are recipients of research fellowships from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. S.N-V is recipient of a research fellowship from Universitat de Barcelona. MD.M-B was supported by the Plan de Empleo Juvenil (EJP09) from the Junta de Anadalucía. D.K has a FI AGAUR fellowship from Generalitat de Catalunya

Activation of the Integrated Stress Response and ER Stress Protect from Fluorizoline-Induced Apoptosis in HEK293T and U2OS Cell Lines

The prohibitin (PHB)-binding compound fluorizoline as well as PHB-downregulation activate the integrated stress response (ISR) in HEK293T and U2OS human cell lines. This activation is denoted by phosphorylation of eIF2 alpha and increases in ATF4, ATF3, and CHOP protein levels. The blockage of the activation of the ISR by overexpression of GRP78, as well as an increase in IRE1 activity, indicate the presence of ER stress after fluorizoline treatment. The inhibition of the ER stress response in HEK293T and U2OS led to increased sensitivity to fluorizoline-induced apoptosis, indicating a pro-survival role of this pathway after fluorizoline treatment in these cell lines. Fluorizoline induced an increase in calcium concentration in the cytosol and the mitochondria. Finally, two different calcium chelators reduced fluorizoline-induced apoptosis in U2OS cells. Thus, we have found that fluorizoline causes increased ER stress and activation of the integrated stress response, which in HEK293T and U2OS cells are protective against fluorizoline-induced apoptosis

The prohibitin-binding compound fluorizoline induces apoptosis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells through the upregulation of NOXA and synergizes with ibrutinib, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide riboside or venetoclax

Fluorizoline is a new synthetic molecule that induces apoptosis by selectively targeting prohibitins. In the study herein, the pro-apoptotic effect of fluorizoline was assessed in 34 primary samples from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Fluorizoline induced apoptosis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells at concentrations in the low micromolar range. All primary samples were sensitive to fluorizoline irrespective of patients' clinical or genetic features, whereas normal T lymphocytes were less sensitive. Fluorizoline increased the protein levels of the pro-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 family member NOXA in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells. Furthermore, fluorizoline synergized with ibrutinib, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide riboside or venetoclax to induce apoptosis. These results suggest that targeting prohibitins could be a new therapeutic strategy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Targeting prohibitins induces apoptosis in acute myeloid leukemia cells

Fluorizoline is a new synthetic molecule that induces apoptosis by selectively targeting prohibitins (PHBs). In this study, the pro-apoptotic effect of fluorizoline was assessed in two cell lines and 21 primary samples from patients with debut of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Fluorizoline induced apoptosis in AML cells at concentrations in the low micromolar range. All primary samples were sensitive to fluorizoline irrespectively of patients' clinical or genetic features. In addition, fluorizoline inhibited the clonogenic capacity and induced differentiation of AML cells. Fluorizoline increased the mRNA and protein levels of the pro-apoptotic BCL-2 family member NOXA both in cell lines and primary samples analyzed. These results suggest that targeting PHBs could be a new therapeutic strategy for AM