EXTRAORDINARY IBMB SEMINAR, Monday, December 2nd 14:30 PM | Dr Maria Bernabeu

Date: Monday, December 2nd | Felix Serratosa room | 02|12|2024

Time: 14:30 PM

Speaker: Dr Maria Bernabeu
Group Leader at EMBL Barcelona

Title: “Building (and breaking) barriers: 3D-BBB models for cerebral malaria research“

Seminar Room: Fèlix Serratosa

Host Researcher: Esteban Hoijman

Abstract

Cerebral malaria is a highly lethal complication of Plasmodium falciparum infection, primarily driven by blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption. Current animal models fail to fully recapitulate the human BBB, hindering our understanding of the disease. Using bioengineered 3D human BBB models, we demonstrate that P. falciparum infection triggers a robust inflammatory response and increased antigen presentation in all BBB cell types, accompanied by a significant downregulation and disruption of endothelial junctional markers. At the cytoskeletal level, the infection induces detachment of focal adhesions, promoting actin stress fiber followed by destabilization of endothelial junctions. We also observe striking differences at the endothelial apical side, with the emergence of transmigratory-cup-like structures on the endothelial luminal membrane, facilitating parasitic interactions. These findings underscore the potential of advanced BBB models to uncover new therapeutic targets for this devastating disease.

Biosketch

Maria Bernabeu obtained her PhD at ISGlobal in 2013. Then she conducted postdoctoral research at the Seattle Children’s Research Institute. In 2019 she became a Group Leader of EMBL Barcelona. From 2022 she is also co-chair of EMBL Infection Biology Transversal theme. She obtained an ERC starting grant in 2021.