Laboratory of Experimental Parasitology and Mycology

Mycology Section

We study the tissue-specific immune response against infections by human pathogenic fungi. By using experimental models in mice that recapitulate clinical features of human mycoses, we sought to understand the pathophysiology of skin infections by dermatophyte fungi and pulmonary immunity during Cryptococcus neoformans mycosis. In the skin, we investigate how IL-17 receptor A (IL-17RA) signaling controls fungal invasion and regulates homeostatic inflammation in dermatophytosis. In the lung, we study the in vivo role of dendritic cell populations in susceptibility to experimental Cryptococcosis.

Furthermore, we carry out translational research projects in close collaborations with hospitals and laboratories of clinical biochemistry. Our goal is to standardize molecular biology methods to improve the diagnosis and to study the epidemiology of Microsporidia infections, one of the diseases included in the strategic research topics of the National Ministry of Health from Argentina. Finally, we are beginning studies of intestinal mycobiota in healthy individuals and patients with a variety of pathologies, in order to understand how states of fungal dysbiosis impact on human health in our region.

Laura Chiapello

Adjunt Researcher

PhD.

Laura Chiapello is Biochemist and PhD in Chemical Sciences graduated from the Faculty of Chemical Sciences (FCQ), National University of Córdoba (UNC), Argentina. She completed her PhD Thesis and Postdoctoral studies at the CIBICI (CONICET)-Departament of Clinical Biochemistry (FCQ, UNC) under the mentorship of Dr. Diana T. Masih. Her PhD Thesis and Postdoctoral training was focused on go insight into the immunosuppressive mechanisms induced by the capsular polysaccharide of the human pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans.

In 2012, she started a new line of basic research aimed to study the skin specific immunity against dermatophyte infections. In 2017, she also began translational research projects focused on the application of molecular biology tools for diagnosis of human microsporidiosis and for studying human mycobiota.

In 2022, she did a Research Fulbright-CONICET fellowship at the Laboratory of Dr. Michail Lionakis, Fungal Pathogenesis Section (FPS), Laboratory of Clinical Immunology & Microbiology (LCIM), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA.

She is Adjunct Researcher at CONICET and Adjunct Professor (by National contest) in the Department of Clinical Biochemistry, FCQ, UNC.

Verónica Burstein

Posdoctoral Scholarship Fellow

Verónica Burstein is Biochemist, graduated from the Faculty of Chemical Sciences, Catholic University of Córdoba, Argentina, and PhD in Chemical Sciences from the Faculty of Chemical Sciences, National University of Córdoba, Argentina. She did her PhD thesis (2012-2017) and postdoctoral training (2018-2022) with CONICET fellowships, under Dr. Laura Chiapello supervision. During her PhD thesis she set up an experimental mouse model of cutaneous dermatophytosis with the human pathogen Microsporum canis. In this model, she demonstrated the main role of type-17 immune response in the control of dermatophytosis and in the regulation of skin inflammation. Her current research aims to understand the antifungal mechanisms mediated by antimicrobial peptides and the human adaptive immunity that predominate against dermatophyte fungi.

She is currently a postdoctoral fellow of the National Agency for the Promotion of Research (ANPCyT-FONCyT) in the CIBICI (CONICET)- Department of Clinical Biochemistry (FCQ, UNC) and Assistant Professor (by national contest) in the Department of Clinical Biochemistry, FCQ, UNC.

Cristian Mena

Doctoral Scholarship Fellow

Cristian Mena is Biochemist with a post-graduate degree (Specialist) in Clinical Parasitology, graduated from the FCQ, UNC. During his postgraduate training (2016-2020), he set up techniques for diagnosis of microsporidiosis in patients with HIV at the Rawson Hospital in Córdoba (Argentina) with a Socio-productive Technological Innovation Fellowship (BITS) from the Secretary of Science and Technology (SECyT) of the UNC, under Dr. Laura Chiapello supervision.

He is currently fellow of CONICET in the CIBICI (CONICET)-Department of Clinical Biochemistry (FCQ, UNC) and PhD student in Health Sciences at the Faculty of Medical Sciences (UNC) under Dr. Laura Chiapello supervision. His research aims in the application of molecular biology for diagnosis and epidemiology of microsporidiosis and for studying the intestinal mycobiota in immunocompromised patients. He is Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Biochemistry, FCQ, UNC.

Ignacio Beccacece

Assistant Professor

PhD.

Ignacio Beccacece is Biochemist, graduated from the FCQ, UNC. In 2017, he started his PhD Thesis with a CONICET fellowship under Dr. Laura Chiapello supervision. His research work aims to study the phenotype and function of IL-17A-producing skin immune cells in experimental dermatophytosis caused by Nannizia gypsea and the role of these cells in maintaining the cutaneous homeostatic immune response.

The Bioq. Beccacece is Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Biochemistry, FCQ, UNC.

Mariel Almeida

Doctoral Scholarship Fellow

Mariel Almeida is Biochemist, graduated from the FCQ, UNC. In 2022, she started her PhD Thesis with a fellowship from the National Agency for the Promotion of Research (ANPCyT-FONCyT), under Dr. Laura Chiapello supervision. Her PhD thesis project focusses on studying the mechanisms of fungal recognition in the skin and the function of myeloid cells during experimental dermatophytosis with Nannizia gypsea.

Collaborators and Partners

Dr. Immo Prinz. Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH) Institute of Systems Immunology.. Bilateral Cooperation Program CONICET-German Research Society (DGF) 2020 (RESOL-2020-672-APN-DIR#CONICET). Research Project: Study of Tγδ cells in skin homeostasis and protective immunity during experimental dermatophytosis.

Dra. Anete Lallo. Graduate Program of Environmental and Experimental Pathology of the Paulista University, São Paulo, Brazil. Scientific-academic collaboration for the study of genera and species of Microsporidia with an impact on human health.

Dra. Susana Pesoa. Department of Molecular Diagnostics, LACE Laboratories, Córdoba, Argentina. Scientific collaboration for human mycobiota studies.

Dr. Gonzalo M. Castro. Molecular Biology Area, Central Laboratory Department, Ministry of Health of Córdoba, Argentina. Scientific collaboration for the identification of Enterocytozoon bieneusi genotypes.

Md. Infect. Andres Barnes. Parasitology Section in the Microbiology Division of the Rawson Hospital, Córdoba, Argentina. Scientific collaboration in the project: «Application of molecular tools for the diagnosis of Microsporidiosis and investigation of the intestinal mycobiota in patients with HIV-AIDS disease»

Selected Publications

Guasconi L, Beccacece I, Volpini X, Burstein VL, Mena CJ, Silvane L, Almeida MA, Musri MM, Cervi L, Chiapello LS. Pulmonary conventional type 1 Langerin-expressing dendritic cells play a role in impairing early protective immune response against Cryptococcus neoformans infection in mice. Journal of Fungi (Basel). 2022 Jul 28;8(8):792. doi: 10.3390/jof8080792. PMID: 36012781; PMCID: PMC9410147.

Mena CJ, Barnes A, Castro G, Guasconi L, Burstein VL, Beccacece I, Paulin PC, Arneodo J, Carnevale S, Astudillo G, Cervi L, Theumer MG, Chiapello LS. Microscopic and PCR-based detection of microsporidia spores in human stool samples. Revista Argentina de Microbiología. 2021 Apr-Jun;53(2):124-128. doi: 10.1016/j.ram.2020.04.005. Epub 2020 Jun 25. PMID: 32595002.

Burstein VL, Beccacece I, Guasconi L, Mena CJ, Cervi L, Chiapello LS. Skin immunity to dermatophytes: from experimental infection models to human disease. Frontiers in Immunology. 2020 Dec 2;11:605644. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.605644. PMID: 33343578; PMCID: PMC7738607.

Burstein VL, Guasconi L, Beccacece I, Theumer MG, Mena C, Prinz I, Cervi L, Herrero M, Masih DT, Chiapello LS. IL-17-mediated immunity controls skin infection and T helper 1 response during experimental Microsporum canis dermatophytosis. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 2018 Aug;138(8):1744-1753. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2018.02.042. Epub 2018 Mar 20. PMID: 29571944.

Firacative, C., Lizarazo, J., Illnait-Zaragozí, M.T., Castañeda, E., Arechavala, A., Córdoba, S., Mazza, M., Taverna, C., Isla, G., Chiapello, L., Vergara, M.L.S., Melhem, M.S.C., Szeszs, M.W., Martins, M.A., Bonfietti, L.X., de Oliveira, R.A., de Oliveira, L., Santos, D.C.S., Lazera, M.S., Wanke, B., Díaz, M.C., Escandón, P., Noguera, M.C., Andreu, C.M.F., CastrilLón, L., Bustamante, B., Dolande, M., Ferrara, G., Latin American Cryptococcal Study Group. The status of cryptococcosis in Latin America. Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Vol. 113(7): e170554.. DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760170554. 2018

Chiapello LS, Baronetti JL, Garro AP, Spesso MF, Masih DT. Cryptococcus neoformans glucuronoxylomannan induces macrophage apoptosis mediated by nitric oxide in a caspase-independent pathway. Int Immunol. 2008 Dec;20(12):1527-41. doi: 10.1093/intimm/dxn112. Epub 2008 Oct 16. PMID: 18927317