Integrative Translational Programme | Drug Screening
Pharmacology Applied to Drug Discovery (BioFarma)
Labs: P3L1, P3L2
Innopharma platform: PSSL2, PSSL3, PSSL4, PSSL5
Management Office: P2D11
Innopharma platform: PSSL2, PSSL3, PSSL4, PSSL5
Management Office: P2D11
Field of knowledge
The BioFarma Research Group (GI-1685) started its research in 1998 and was created at USC in 2005. Currently, it consists of over 35 members and a wide network of collaborators, including more than 80 research groups and companies.
BioFarma Research Group is an internationally recognized research group in the field of pharmacology applied to early drug discovery and biosafety, with a translational and transfer approach to bring new scientific advances to patients. Therefore, it is a multidisciplinary group with a consolidated scientific trajectory in intensive R&D, whose research has reached clinical trials in patients for 17 new chemical entities in public-private collaborations.
This extensive experience in early drug discovery has allowed the establishment of the InnoPharma platform for drug screening and pharmacogenomics, integrated within the group. This platform is one of the seven high-capacity platforms of the European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) EU-OPENSCREEN (https://www.eu-openscreen.eu/index.html), and is responsible for the profiling of the solubility of the 100.000 compounds in the EU-OPENSCREEN chemical library, as well as their screening against different targets.
Research Lines
- Chemical libraries and compound management: The Innopharma platform guarantees the integrity of the compounds that make up its own chemical library (60,000 compounds) and the one that is included within the ERIC EU-OPENSCREEN where the research group is the ambassador for Spain of compound management. It consists of the latest advances in the logistics management of compounds, identifying the key points for correct management.
- Biological reagents and therapeutic targets: Identification of new pharmacological targets for the search for new, more effective and safe therapies.
- Assay development and translational in vitro models: Development of new, more complex in vitro models that emulate the disease and thus facilitate the translation of drugs to patients.
- HTS, miniaturization, automation and screening campaigns: Development of assays that allow the study of chemical libraries of thousands of compounds, in 96, 384 or 1536 well plates to evaluate this activity efficiently and robustly. More than 300 developed, miniaturized and automated assays are available.
- Hit-to-Lead-to-Candidate: Execution of high-throughput screening (HTS) campaigns using automated and miniaturized assays that allow the identification of chemical starting compounds (hits). The continuous execution of this activity in public-private partnerships has made it possible to identify 17 new chemical entities that have reached clinical studies. Development of preclinical screening cascades that allow new compounds to become candidates for regulatory preclinical studies. These cascades include the pharmacological evaluation of compounds and products on the targets or phenotype of interest, the evaluation of their efficacy in translational models and their selectivity.
- ADME and Toxicity: Evaluation of preliminary in vitro pharmacokinetics of compounds, as well as their safety for human health.
- Companion stratification and target engagement: Search for markers that allow a more precise diagnosis of the pathology, patient stratification and prediction of the therapeutic response of patients. Development of different target engagement markers, a measure that allows the therapeutic effect of a new drug to be attributed to its interaction with the pharmacological target, a key point for the approval of a drug by regulatory agencies.
Members
María Isabel Cadavid Torres
Professor
mariaisabel.cadavid@usc.es
Alejandro Rodríguez Pena
Postdoctoral research associate
alejandro.rodriguez.pena@usc.es
Antón Leandro Martinez Rodríguez
Assistant professor
antonleandro.martinez@usc.es
Geert Daudey
Research Associate
geert.daudey@usc.es
Iria Brocos Mosquera
Margarita Salas Postdoctoral Fellowship
iria.brocos@ehu.eus
José Manuel Brea Floriani
Associate professor
pepo.brea@usc.es
María José Varela Liste
Research Associate
mariajose.varela@usc.es
Pricila Fernándes Pflüger
Postdoctoral research associate
pricila.fernandes.pfluger@usc.es
Sonia Gómez Fernández
Postdoctoral research associate
sonia.gomez.fernandez@usc.es
José Manuel Santamaría Pérez
Transfer Manager
josemanuel.santamaria@usc.es
Selected publications
Evidence for distinct antagonist-revealed functional states of 5-hydroxytryptamine(2A) receptor homodimers.
Essential role of the C148 - C227 disulphide bridge in the human 5-HT2A homodimeric receptor
A New Model of Sensorial Neuron-Like Cells for HTS of Novel Analgesics for Neuropathic Pain
Nitrogen-Walk Approach to Explore Bioisosteric Replacements in a Series of Potent A2B Adenosine Receptor Antagonists.
Identification and characterization of Cardiac Glycosides as senolytic compounds
Clinical validation of blood/brain glutamate grabbing in acute ischemic stroke
Selected Results
Projects
UE project(s)
Integrated SERVices supporting a sustainable AGROecological transition (AgroServ)
PI:
Funding: EU-OPENSCREEN ERICEuropean CommissionDrug repurposing and discovery multidisciplinary training network (DRUGtrain)
PI: María Isabel Loza García
European Commission, Marie Skłodowska-Curie – ITNContracts Agreements Services
Protocolos experimentales detallados para ensayar compuestos con actividad farmacológica en ensayos de unicón a proteína plasmática y estabilidad en microsomas
PI: María Isabel Loza García
ALMIRALL PRODESFARMA, S.A.Plataforma de Cribado de Fármacos e Farmacoxenómica INNOPHARMA
PI: María Isabel Loza García
GALCHIMIA S.A.Plataforma de Cribado de Fármacos e Farmacoxenómica INNOPHARMA
PI: María Isabel Loza García
HIFAS DA TERRA, SLPlataforma de Cribado de Fármacos e Farmacoxenómica INNOPHARMA
PI: María Isabel Loza García
GAIN THERAPEUTICS SUCURSAL EN ESPAÑAPlataforma de Cribado de Fármacos e Farmacoxenómica INNOPHARMA
PI: María Isabel Loza García
UNIVERSIDADE DE VIGOPlataforma de Cribado de Fármacos e Farmacoxenómica INNOPHARMA
PI: María Isabel Loza García
CHEMOTARGETS SLPlataforma de Cribado de Fármacos e Farmacoxenómica INNOPHARMA
PI: María Isabel Loza García
SEKKEI BIO PRIVATE LIMITEDPlataforma de Cribado de Fármacos e Farmacoxenómica INNOPHARMA
PI: María Isabel Loza García
LANDSTEINER GENMED, SLModulation of KRAS Nanoclustering
PI: María Isabel Loza García
UNIVERSITY OF ZURICHParticipación da USC no Nodo Español do Consorcio de Infraestructuras de Investigación Europeas EUOPENSCREEN-ERIC, dedocada a la investigación en Biología Química
PI: María Isabel Loza García
AXENCIA GALEGA DE INNOVACION (GAIN)Spin-Offs
Celtarys
Celtarys is a newly created company focused on the development of innovative chemical tools that improve the efficiency of the High Throughput Screening (HTS) process in early drug Discovery.
Alliances
European Research Infrastructure Consortium EU-OpenScreen
Plan Complementario de Biotecnología Aplicado a la salud
Fundación Kaertor
Red Temática Española de Descubrimiento de Fármacos (REDEFAR)
Patents
Phosphodiesterase-7-inhibiting heterocyclic derivatives
Application Nº: WO2012150369
S-substituted quinazolines and their therapeutic applications for the treatment of diseases mediated by PDE7
Application Nº: P201231413
Derivatives of 5-substituted-3-(1-arylmethyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridin-4-yl)-1H-indole, the method of their preparation and their application
Application Nº: PL430108A1
Novel biphenylsulfoximines as allosteric modulators of the dopamine D1 receptor
Application Nº: EP17382372.5
Riboflavin for the treatment of ischemic stroke and/or other glutamate excitotoxicity- associated diseases
Application Nº: EP15382229
Riboflavin for the treatment of ischemic stroke and/or other glutamate excitotoxicity-associated diseases
Application Nº: EP3291801B1
Methods of using up-regulators of the expression of p53 and/or down-regulators or inhibitors of the expression of p63 for the treatment of NAFLD (Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) and/or NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis)
Application Nº: EP3366296 B1
Nuevos derivados de piperidina y piperazina. Procedimiento para la preparación y aplicación de 4-sustituido piperidinialquil y 4-sustituido piperazinoalquil heterocicloalcanonas.
Application Nº: P9601012
Procedimiento para la preparación y aplicación de 4-piperidinoalquil y 4-piperazinoalquil heterocicloalcanonas.
Application Nº: P9701310
6-phenyldihydropyrolopyrimidinedione derivatives.
Application Nº: W0 03/000694 A1
Método cuantitativo para la detección de yesotoxinas en productos pesqueros basado en la activación que la toxina produce en las fosfodiesterasas celulares y utilidad terapéticia de esta activación.
Application Nº: WO 2005/012543 A2
tilización terapéutica de las yessotoxinas como inihibidores del crecimiento de células tumorales humanas.
Application Nº: P200402944
Utilizacion de las yessotoxinas en el tratamiento de procesos alérgicos y asmáticos.
Application Nº: P200402943
Herramienta para el conteo automático de células en imágenes médicas de inmunohistoquímica.
Application Nº: C-468-05
1,2,4-tiadiazoles-5-imino sustituidos útiles en el tratamiento de enfermedades neurodegenerativas.
Application Nº: EP 2484670
Heterociclos inhibidores de forfodiestarasa 7 (PDE7)
Application Nº: P201130712
Pharmaceutical composition for its use in the treatment of inflammatory diseases
Application Nº: P202031238
N-[ω-(4-substituted-piperazin-1-yl)alkyl]-1H-indazole-3-carboxamide derivatives, method of their preparation and their application
Application Nº: PL43826221A