https://hdl.handle.net/10481/47773 Mon, 06 Apr 2026 07:56:40 GMT 2026-04-06T07:56:40Z https://hdl.handle.net/10481/110977 Nanotechnology-based approaches in glioblastoma treatment: How can the dual blood-brain/tumor barriers be overcome? Moschetta, Matteo; Trevisani, Martina; Castagnola, Valentina Glioblastoma (GB) is one of the most common and aggressive tumors of the central nervous system, with an annual incidence of 3.2 every 100,000 persons. Successful GB treatment remains challenging despite a tremendous research effort, presenting a high recurrence ratio and a median survival rate of about 15 months after diagnosis. This chapter provides an overall description of the current GB treatments, including a brief description of the classical radio-chemotherapy approaches. The issue of blood-brain barrier translocation, one of the most challenging limitations for pharmacological treatment of brain cancers, is also treated, exploring how nanotechnology can be a real game changer in this area. The main body of the chapter focuses on describing a plethora of nanoformulations (synthetic, biological, and hybrid) as innovative and salient theranostic tools to actively cross the blood-brain and blood tumor barriers, target the GB, and deliver therapeutics. Finally, we draw some considerations on the future of these promising nanotechnology-based therapeutic approaches for the effective treatment of GB. https://hdl.handle.net/10481/110977 https://hdl.handle.net/10481/110832 Role of Poly (ADP-Ribose) in catalyzing starvation-induced autophagy Rodríguez-Vargas, José Manuel; Oliver, Francisco Javier Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation) is a reversible posttranslational modification of proteins mediated by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARP proteins, 17 members). Most of the studies developed over the last decades have essentially focused on the biochemical, physiological, and pathological properties of the founding members of the PARP family, PARP-1, PARP-2, and PARP-3. PARylation is carried out by the balance of poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) synthesis enzymes (PARPs) and PAR decomposing enzymes such as PAR glycohydrolase (PARG) and ADP-ribosyl hydrolase 3 (ARH3). Reversible PARylation is a pleiotropic regulator of various cellular functions (transcription regulation, replication, organization of chromatin domains, genome stability, cell cycle progression, differentiation, and metabolism and cell survival pathways) but uncontrolled PARP activation (overproduction of PAR) may also lead to cell death. PARylation has been implicated in apoptosis, necroptosis, and autophagic cell death (or type II programmed cell death). Macroautophagy (hereafter called autophagy) is an evolutionarily conserved pathway of lysosomes-mediated cellular self-digestion involving the formation of a double-membrane vesicle, the autophagosome, which engulfs cytoplasmic components and delivers them to the lysosomes for degradation. Starvation alarms eukaryotic cells to adjust metabolism to survive. PARP-1 activation is involved in amplifying autophagy by feeding back reactive species of oxygen production/DNA damage/NAD+ consumption axis, leading to AMPK activation/mTORC1 inhibition and subsequently opening autophagy. In the current review we focus on the contribution of PARP and PARylation, as a cellular process involved in cell’s energy homeostasis and posttranslational protein modification, as modulator of autophagy after nutrient deprivation. JMRV has been in part funded by ASTF 32-2014 (Short-Term Fellowships EMBO Program 2014). This work was supported by Junta de Andalucía, project of Excellence from Junta de Andalucía P07-CTS-0239, P10-CTS-0662, Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness SAF2009-13281-C02-01, SAF2012-40011-C02-01, to JMRV and RTICC RD12/0036/0026. https://hdl.handle.net/10481/110832 https://hdl.handle.net/10481/99333 New vectors for stable and safe gene modification Benabdellah, Karim; Cobo, Marien; Muñoz Fernández, Pilar; Anderson, Per Olof; Toscano, Miguel G; Martín Molina, Francisco https://hdl.handle.net/10481/99333 https://hdl.handle.net/10481/98850 Innovative Protein Sources in Aquafeeds García-Barroso, Fernando; Trenzado Romero, Cristina Elena; Pérez Jiménez, Amalia; Rufino Palomares, Eva; Fabrikov, Dimitri; Sánchez-Muros, María José One of the most important goals of aquaculture nutrition research is to find a protein source with adequate nutritive properties to replace fishmeal in aquafeed. Nevertheless, nowadays innovative protein sources involve new protein sources, which is a holistic concept of protein that includes nutritional quality, availability, price, food safety, human competition, and sustainability to allow the protein source to form part of a circular economy. In this chapter, six promising innovative protein sources are studied for nutritive value, constraints, advantages of the environment, production, and experiences in aquaculture. Krill, with an estimated biomass of around 500 million tons, is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (FA), natural carotenoid pigments, nucleotides, and organic acids, and has good prospects as a fishmeal (FM) substitute. Insect breeding shows several environmental benefits, and is one of the most promising protein sources for feed production with markedly increased production in recent years. Yeasts are potential sustainable ingredients in aquafeeds given the ability to convert low-value lignocellulosic biomass into high-value feed with limited dependence on land, water, and climate conditions, and with a similar essential amino acid profile to FM. Bioflocs are heterogeneous aggregates with variable protein levels ranging from 7.7% to 50%, and with lipid levels between less than 0.1 and 9.9 on a dry matter basis. Microalgae algal biomass is a rich source of nutrients, such as proteins, n-3 FA, and carbohydrates, and of vitamins, minerals, and other bioactive compounds like antioxidants. The vegetable protein sources have been widely studied and countless of them have been proposed as fish meal substitutes. This chapter focuses on sources with nutritive quality, that are available all year, at low cost and with minimal handling, transport, and processing. https://hdl.handle.net/10481/98850 https://hdl.handle.net/10481/98421 Microglial Phagocytosis During Embryonic and Postnatal Development Marín Teva, José Luis; Sepúlveda Justo, María Del Rosario; Neubrand, Veronika Elisabeth; Cuadros Ojeda, Miguel Ángel Microglia play decisive roles during the development of the central nervous system (CNS). Phagocytosis is one of the classical functions attributed to microglia, being involved in nearly all phases of the embryonic and postnatal development of the brain, such as rapid clearance of cell debris to avoid an inflammatory response, controlling the number of neuronal and glial cells or their precursors, contribution to axon guidance and to refinement of synaptic connections. To carry out all these tasks, microglial cells are equipped with a panoply of receptors, that convert microglia to the "professional phagocytes" of the nervous parenchyma. These receptors are modulated by spatiotemporal cues that adapt the properties of microglia to the needs of the developing CNS. Thus, in this chapter, we will discuss the role of microglial phagocytosis in all the aforementioned processes. First, we will explain the general phagocytic process, to describe afterward the performance of microglial cells in detail. https://hdl.handle.net/10481/98421