Browsing by Author "Contreras-Kallens, Pamina"
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Item Complex Interaction between Resident Microbiota and Misfolded Proteins: Role in Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration(2020) González-Sanmiguel, Juliana; A P Schuh, Christina M; Muñoz-Montesino, Carola; Contreras-Kallens, Pamina; Aguayo, Luis G; Aguayo, SebastianNeurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) are brain conditions affecting millions of people worldwide. These diseases are associated with the presence of amyloid-β (Aβ), alpha synuclein (α-Syn) and prion protein (PrP) depositions in the brain, respectively, which lead to synaptic disconnection and subsequent progressive neuronal death. Although considerable progress has been made in elucidating the pathogenesis of these diseases, the specific mechanisms of their origins remain largely unknown. A body of research suggests a potential association between host microbiota, neuroinflammation and dementia, either directly due to bacterial brain invasion because of barrier leakage and production of toxins and inflammation, or indirectly by modulating the immune response. In the present review, we focus on the emerging topics of neuroinflammation and the association between components of the human microbiota and the deposition of Aβ, α-Syn and PrP in the brain. Special focus is given to gut and oral bacteria and biofilms and to the potential mechanisms associating microbiome dysbiosis and toxin production with neurodegeneration. The roles of neuroinflammation, protein misfolding and cellular mediators in membrane damage and increased permeability are also discussed.Item Type I collagen hydrogels as a delivery matrix for royal jelly derived extracellular vesicles(2020) Ramírez, Orlando J.; Alvarez, Simón; Contreras-Kallens, Pamina; Barrera, Nelson P.; Aguayo, Sebastian; Schuh, ChristinaThroughout the last decade, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have become increasingly popular in several areas of regenerative medicine. Recently, Apis mellifera royal jelly EVs (RJ EVs) were shown to display favorable wound healing properties such as stimulation of mesenchymal stem cell migration and inhibition of staphylococcal biofilms. However, the sustained and effective local delivery of EVs in nonsystemic approaches – such as patches for chronic cutaneous wounds – remains an important challenge for the development of novel EV-based wound healing therapies. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the suitability of type I collagen -a well-established biomaterial for wound healing – as a continuous delivery matrix. RJ EVs were integrated into collagen gels at different concentrations, where gels containing 2mg/ml collagen were found to display the most stable release kinetics. Functionality of released RJ EVs was confirmed by assessing fibroblast EV uptake and migration in a wound healing assay. We could demonstrate reliable EV uptake into fibroblasts with a sustained promigratory effect for up to 7 d. Integrating fibroblasts into the RJ EV-containing collagen gel increased the contractile capacity of these cells, confirming availability of RJ EVs to fibroblasts within the collagen gel. Furthermore, EVs released from collagen gels were found to inhibit Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 biofilm formation. Overall, our results suggest that type I collagen could be utilized as a reliable, reproducible release system to deliver functional RJ EVs for wound healing therapies.