May 5 is World Asthma Day, to join the scientific activities that are organized in the wake of it, the Spanish Society of Pharmacology introduces you to the group of Dr. Julio Cortijo who focuses his research on this disease.
Who we are
The research team is formed by J. Cortijo (IP), scientific researcher in charge of projects of research in this field previously carried out in this laboratory (PB86/0428; FIS 87/1376; FIS 88/1850; FAR 90-0680, SAF 93/0132; SAF 96/200; SAF 99/111; SAF2002-4667; SAF 2005-669; SAF2008-03113; SAF2011-26443; SAF2014-55322-P; SAF2017-82913-R, FEDER 1FD97-1143 CDTI, CENIT, TRACE, PROMETEO/2008/045; PROMETEO II/2013/014) y PROMETEO/2017/023) to study new pharmacological agents in experimental in vitro models relevant for chronic lung disease and the following members from the pharmacology laboratory (PL) and the clinical setting (CS).
Currently Julio Cortijo is the principal investigator of group 13 of the CIBERES consortium (Centro de investigación biomedica en red enfermedades respiratorias (ISCiii).
Team composition
R. Guijarro (PL and CS; university professor, Thoracic surgeon with extensive experience in the selection of patients and obtaining samples of human lung tissue and counselling on patients, collaborating researcher in previous projects with the main researcher. Patient recruitment will take place during the 3 years of the study at the University Hospital General of Valencia, the collaborating researcher and thoracic surgeon will be responsible for identifying patients diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and pulmonary hypertension (PH). After performing a lung transplant, the pathological lungs are usually discarded, so these valuable samples can be used for a better understanding of the disease. Dr. R. Guijarro will collect the clinical data of the patients, and once the surgery and lung transplant are finished, they will be responsible for the correct maintenance of the sample until it reaches the Departmente Pharmacology. Medical School of Valencia , where it will be processed. Dr. Guijarro, will be responsible, as well as of the extraction of blood and serum samples, collecting the clinical characteristics of lung function and disease progression with the help of IP and Dr. Javier Milara.
J. Milara CS and PL, previously scientific researcher del Programa Juan Rodés (JR18/00050), Miguel Servet (CP11/00293), Rio Hortega (CM06/00129) having as the researcher responsible for all these contracts the applicant researcher. Associate Professor of the Department of Pharmacology and Full professor accredited by ANECA. Investigator of group 13 of the CIBERES consortium (Centro de investigación biomedica en red enfermedades respiratorias (ISCiii). Scientific researcher in charge of projects of research in this field: CP11/00293; PI14/01733; PI17/02158; PI20/01363.
GROUP general indicators of quality of scientific production
| Sexenies of research | Nineteen |
| Doctoral theses addressed in the last 10 years | 22 CUM LAUDE |
| Total bibliographic citations | 8442 |
| Index h | 106 |
Resarch lines
New pharmacological agents in experimental in vitro models relevant for chronic lung disease
Relevant projects
Julio Cortijo, and Javier Milara have participated in the European project entitled “New PDEI drugs in wounds” (EUROSTAR E!10192) focused on treatment and the pathophysiology of endothelial dysfunction, pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension.
Currently the Julio Cortijo (principal investigator) and Javier Milara, are part of the CIBERES consortium, group 13. The participation in the EMPATHY1 and EMPATHY2 projects in the PH line of the CIBERES opened the opportunity to collaborate with the leaders of PH in Spain such as the group of Professor Joan Albert Barberá and Victor Peinado of the Clinic Hospital of Barcelona, Professor Francisco Pérez Vizcaíno and Angel Cogolludo of the Complutense University of Madrid, with multiple collaborations in the field of PH (for example Thorax. 2018 Jun;73(6):519-529; PLoS One. 2018 Jan 24;13(1):e0191239). The group of Dr Jesús Ruiz-Cabello (CIC biomaGUNE, San Sebastián), Ernest Sala (Hospital Son Espases, Palma de Mallorca), Dr Diego A. Rodríguez (Hospital del Mar-IMIM, Barcelona) are also potent groups in the field of PH. International collaborations of our group with team leaders such as Prof. Mark Humbert (Cardiovasc Res. 2019 Sep 14. pii: cvz244), and the Cardiovascular Research Center of School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York researchers (Mol Ther. 2019 Dec 6. pii: S1525-0016(19)30553-2) have been done and are currently ongoing. Other international groups includes but not limited to Nazzareno Galiè, Gérald Simonneau and Andrew Peacock that have an intensive research on PH.
Julio Cortijo and Javier Milara have participated have participated in research projects with international pharmaceutical industry:
| Contract year1 | Contract year Responsible Researcher | Duration (months) |
| 1992 | Evaluación de la actividad antitusígena de varios fármacos (codeína, dememorfano, cloperastina, levodropropizina). Laboratorios MORRITH/SKF/BEECHAM SA. | 6 |
| 1993 | New selective inhibitors of PDE IV: Relaxation and inhibition of PDE activity from human bronchus. ZAMBON SA (Milán, Italia) | 12 |
| 1995 | Effects of fenspiride on PDE activity from human bronchus. IRIS-SERVIER (París, Francia). | 12 |
| 1996 | Effects of N-acetylcysteine and levulose on human neutrophils and human sensitized airways ZAMBON SA (Milan, Italy). | 9 |
| 1998 | Effects of new selective PDE4 inhibitors on passively sensitized human isolated airways. ZAMBON SpA (Milán, Italia) E | 11 |
| 1998 | Effects of N-acetylcysteine, taurine and taurine-chloramine on functional responses of human eosinophils in vitro | 11 |
| 1998 | Activity of N-acetylcysteine on human isolated bronchus exposed to oxidative stress. ZAMBON SpA (Milán, Italia) | 9 |
| 1999 | N-Acetilcisteine and taurine on lung fibrosis. ZAMBON SpA (Milán, Italia) | 7 |
| 1999 | N-Acetilcisteine and taurine on an experimental model of allergic asthma in Brown-Norway rats. ZAMBON SpA (Milán, Italia) E | 12 |
| 1999 | Modulación farmacológica de la inflamación pulmonar. ZAMBON SpA (Milán, Italia). 1FD97-1143 | 27 |
| 1999 | Effect of second generation PDE4 inhibitors (Z15370A) on in vivo and in vitro models relevant to asthma and allergic diseases. ZAMBON SpA (Milán, Italia) | 8 |
| 2000 | Macrolides on neutrophilic lung inflammation (LPS model) ZAMBON SpA (Milán, Italia) | 12 |
| 2000 | NAC on NF-kB and iNOS in experimental asthma (BN-rats) ZAMBON SpA (Milán, Italia) | 6 |
| 2000 | NAC on lung fibrosis (catabolism) ZAMBON SpA (Milán, Italia) | 12 |
| 2001 | Effects of macrolides on an in vivo experimental model of acute lung injury (extension of previous project) ZAMBON GROUP | 4 |
| 2001 | Effects of macrolides on an in vivo experimental model of asthma. ZAMBON GROUP. | 6 |
| 2001 | New PDE4 inhibitors in vivo acute lung injury ZAMBON. | 4 |
| 2001 | New macrolides in vivo acute lung injury ZAMBON. | 4 |
| 2002 | Addenda al proyecto sobre New PDE4 inh in vivo ZAMBON. | 1 |
| 2002 | Addenda al proyecto sobre new macrolides in vivo ZAMBON. | 1 |
| 2002 | Further studies with new PDE4 inhibitors in experimental in vivo models of lung disease. ZAMBON. | 3 |
| 2002 | Further studies on the effects of new PDE4 inhibitors on an LPS model of acute lung disease (IRT compounds) ZAMBON | 1 |
| 2002 | Further studies on the effects of new macrolides on in vivo experimental models of acute lung injury ZAMBON 1 becario adscrito al proyecto | 6 |
| 2002 | Effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on mucin gene expression and other functional outputs of human cultured bronchial epithelial cells ZAMBON. | 12 |
| 2002 | Further studies on the effects of NAC in vitro on human neutrophils obtained from healthy nonsmokers and COPD patients ZAMBON. | 12 |
| 2003 | Effects of roflumilast, a potent and selective PDE4 inhibitor on various fubctional outputs in in vitro and in vivo models relevant to COPD. ALTANA PHARMA AG. | 12 |
| 2004 | Effects of roflumilast, a potent and selective PDE4 inhibitor on various fubctional outputs in in vitro and in vivo models relevant to COPD II (ampliación) . ALTANA PHARMA AG. . | 6 |
| 2005 | Effects of new antioxidant compounds on lipopolysacharide-induced acute lung injury, an in vivo animal model relevant to human disease related to xidant stress CHRONOGEN Inc. | 6 |
| 2005 | Effects of selective PDE4 inhibitors (e. g. roflumilats) on invitro and invivo models relevant to COPD ot asma. ALTANA PHARMA AG. | 12 |
| 2006 | Shaping the preclinical profile of roflumilats, an investigational PDE$ inhibitor: Advance in vivo and in vitro estudies. ALTANA PHARMA AG. | 6 |
| 2006 | Effects of CHNG 2957 (10 mg/Kg) , a new antioxidant compounds on lipopolysacharide-induced acute lung injury, an in vivo animal model relevant to human disease related to xidant stress CHRONOGEN Inc. | 6 |
| 2006 | Effects of new coumpound CHG182, on bleomycin-induced pulmonary damage, an in vivo animal model relevant to human pulmonary fibrosis and COPD. CHRONOGEN Inc. | 6 |
| 2006 | Shaping the preclinical profile of roflumilats, an investigational PDE$ inhibitor: Advance in vivo and in vitro estudies. ALTANA PHARMA AG. . | 6 |
| 2006 | Effects of new coumpound CHG182, on bleomycin-induced pulmonary damage, an in vivo animal model relevant to human pulmonary fibrosis and COPD. CHRONOGEN Inc . (Repeat experiment) | 6 |
| 2007 | Effects of compound chgn182 new formulation on bleomycininduced pulmonary damage, an in vivo animal model relevant to human pulmonary fibrosis. CHRONOGEN Inc. | 6 |
| 2007 | Effects of compound chgn212 on tgfb- induced matrix protein expression in human lung epithelial cell line a549, an in vitro animal model. CHRONOGEN Inc. | 6 |
| 2007 | Effects of compound chgn212 on tgfb- induced matrix protein expression in human lung epithelial cell line a549, an in vitro animal model. CHRONOGEN Inc. | 6 |
| 2007 | Drf-chgn182/dose-range finding for chgn182 on bleomycin-inducepulmonary damage, an in vivo animal model relevant to humanpulmonary FIBROSIS AND COPDCHRONOGEN Inc. | 6 |
| 2007 | Drf2-chgn/dose-range finding for chronogen (chgn) compounds on bleomycin-inducedpulmonary damage, an in vivo animal model relevant to human pulmonary. CHRONOGEN Inc. J | 6 |
| 2007 | Effects of a New Selective PDE4 Inhibitor on Human Isolated Bronchus. FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE (USA). | 12 |
| 2008 | In vivo and in vitro investigations to characterize pde4 inhibitors and their interaction with pde5 inhibitors. NYCOMED GMBH | 12 |
| 2010 | “Effects of Roflumilast N-oxide, a PDE4 inhibitor on selected functions of polarized human bronchial epithelial cells in presence or absence of a long acting ß2-agonist (LABA), a long acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA), a glucocorticoid, a PDE5 inhibitor or a statin” NYCOMED SPAIN. | 12 |
| 2010 | Differential effects of roflumilast N-oxide, a potent and selective phopsphodiesterase 4 inhibitor, compared to corticosteroids on various inflammatory cell function outputs in vitro models relevant to COPD-ROF-PH-01). FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE (USA). | 12 |
| 2010 | Actividad farmacológica de cuatro compuestos con actividad MABA. ALMIRALL. | 12 |
| 2011 | Effect of roflumilast N-oxide, a PDE4 inhibitor on selected functional of polrized human bronchial epithelium cells in presence or absence of LABA, LAMA, a glucocorticoid, a PDE5 inhibitor or a statin. NYCOMED S.A. | 12 |
| 2011 | Effect of Roflumilast on TLR signaling: Differentiation from Corticosteroid. FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE (USA). | 12 |
| 2014 | “Effects of PDE4 inhibitors (e.g. Roflumilast N-oxide) on in vitro models related to pulmonary fibrosis and severe COPD. .Laboratorios NYCOMED TAKEDA. | 12 |
| 2014 | Anti-inflammatory effects of a new pde4 (cpd a ) inhibitor compared to roflumilast in the bn rat ova asthma model. Laboratorios NYCOMED TAKEDA | 12 |
| 2015 | Cellular effects of Top-N53 and Top-N44, and analogues – an in vitro study. Laboratorios TOPADUR. | 6 |
| 2015 | Analysis of the inflammatory effects of pi3k inhibitors on neutrophils from healthy and severe copd patients. LABORATORIOS RHIZEN PHARMACEUTICALS S.A. . | 12 |
| 2015 | Differential effects of a substance with comparators pandpe4b inhibitor, selective pde4b inhibitor, selective pde4d inhibitor, roflumilast n-oxide and corticosteroids on leukocyte/endothelium interactions in an in vitro model relevant to copd. LABORATORIOS GRUNENTHAL GMBH | 12 |
| 2016 | Effects of NOX4 inhibitors on primary fibroblasts from IPF patients; an in vitro study GLENMARK PHARMACEUTICALS LIMITED CO. | 6 |
| 2017 | Differential effects of selective PDE4B inhibitor, pan-PDE4 inhibitor and corticosteroids on various keratinocyte inflammatory and remodeling readouts: in vitro studies relevant to psoriasis. LABORATORIOS GRUNENTHAL GMBH. | 6 |
| 2018 | Concentration-dependent Effects of Vardenafil, Vl-2 and Sl-5 on Relaxation of Phenylephrine (PE) Pre-contracted Rat Aortic Rings (RAR) with Intact Endothelium or Endothelial Dysfunction Secondary to High Glucose. . Laboratorios TOPADUR. | 2 |
1All contracts were made through the OTRI or the Fundación Universidad-Empresa.
Group insighs in Asthma
The group has supervised 73 doctoral theses. PhD candidates have followed very different career paths.
Last publications
The research team has extensive experience in basic, preclinical and translational research of respiratory diseases, particularly in PHCLD such as ASTHMA, pulmonary fibrosis and COPD, PAH, as well as in molecular, cellular and the search for new therapeutic targets. The research group has recent relevant publications in the research topic of this project, such as: Mol Ther. 2020 Feb 5; 28 (2): 394-410; Thorax 2020 Feb; 75 (2): 132-142; Cardiovasc Res. 2019 Sep 1 doi: 10.1093 / cvr / cvz244; Thorax 2018 Jun; 73 (6): 519-529; Respir Res. 2018 Feb 6; 19 (1): 24; PLoS One. 2018 Jan 24; 13 (1): e0191239; Eur Respir J. 2016 Jun; 47 (6): 1737-49; PLoS One. 2015 Jul 20; 10 (7): e0133453; Thorax 2013 Oct; 68 (10): 938-48; Thorax 2013 May; 68 (5): 410-20; Eur Respir J. 2013 Jun; 41 (6): 1264-74; among other publications, where the members of the team of this research project have collaborated.
