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Francisco Martín-Molina

Pfizer-University of Granada-Junta de Andalucía Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research Spain

Dr Martin Molina is the Principal investigator of the Gene and Cell Therapy group at the department of human variability in the Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO). He is PhD in Biology (extraordinary Price) by the CSIC-University of Granada in 1995. He worked in London from 1997 to 2003, first at the ICR Chester Beaty and then at the Windeyer Institute of Medical Sciences (UCL) where he worked on retroviral vectors targeting to tumor cells for cancer immunotherapy. From 2003 to 2009 Dr Martin Molina consolidates his own research group thanks to a Miguel Servet and a Ramon y Cajal contracts. From 2009 he is Principal Investigator from the Fundación Progreso y Sadud, first at the Andalusian Stem Cell Bank (BACM) and then at GENYO. His group main interest is the development of safer and more efficient gene delivery tools for the treatment of immune-related diseases: Immunodeficiencies (Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome) and autoimmune diseases (Multiple sclerosis). He has published over 35 international publications in high impact journals. His publications have been cited over 710 times and have an accumulate impact factor of 202.

1books edited

3chapters authored

Latest work with IntechOpen by Francisco Martín-Molina

The Gene Therapy field is living exciting times after more than 20 years of poor results. Scientist and clinicians working in the gene therapy field have encountered many problems in the past that are now starting to be solved. The development of safer and more efficient gene transfer vectors and the advances on the cell therapy field have open new opportunities to tackle different diseases. The aim of this book is to bring together information about the different gene therapy tools, the clinical successes of gene therapy and the future applications.

Gene Therapy

Gene Therapy

Edited by Francisco Martín-Molina

Chapters authored

Gene Therapy for Primary Immunodeficiencies

By Francisco Martin, Alejandra Gutierrez-Guerrero and Karim Benabdellah

Part of the book: Gene Therapy

Gene Delivery Technologies for Efficient Genome Editing: Applications in Gene Therapy

By Francisco Martin, Sabina Sánchez-Hernández, Alejandra Gutierrez- Guerrero and Karim Benabdellah

Specific nucleases (SNs), including ZFNs, TALENs, and CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats), are powerful tools for genome editing (GE). These tools have achieved efficient gene repair and gene disruption of human primary cells. However, their efficiency and safety must be improved before translation into clinic. In particular, one of the main hurdles of GE technology is the delivery of the different components into the nucleus of target cells. Successful gene editing must be able to deliver the SNs and/or the donor DNA into a large number of target cells in order to have a therapeutic benefit. In addition, the delivery must be nontoxic and the SNs must be innocuous to the target cells. In this chapter, we will summarize the different ways to deliver SNs and donor DNA.

Part of the book: Modern Tools for Genetic Engineering

Stem Cells for Modeling Human Disease

By Martín F, Sánchez‐Gilabert A, Tristán‐Manzano M and Benabdellah K

Human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) in the form of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are capable of growing indefinitely in vitro, maintaining their capacity to differentiate into the three primary germ layers: mesoderm, endoderm and ectoderm. Different protocols have been developed to differentiate PSCs into almost any cellular type with different degree of success. This technology has allowed scientists to use patient‐derived iPSCs to study the physiopathology of the disease by analyzing the phenotype of the cells derived from these iPSCs. However, control iPSCs obtained from healthy individuals will always have different genomic environment than patient's iPSCs, making it difficult the interpretation of the cells phenotype. The recent appearance of specific nucleases [zinc‐finger nucleases (ZFNs), the transcription activator‐like effector nucleases (TALENs) and the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)] has made it possible to edit the genome of PSCs. We can now generate syngeneic hESCs or iPSCs harboring the desired mutation and comparing the emerging cells with those derived from genetically identical PSCs that will differ only in the mutated gene. In this chapter, we summarize the progress made in this field and discuss the different approaches that have been used recently for the generation of syngeneic human pluripotent cellular models for different pathologies.

Part of the book: Pluripotent Stem Cells

Related collaborators

David Escors

University College London , United Kingdom

Therese Liechtenstein

Ines Dufait

Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Belgium

Grazyna Kochan

University of Oxford , United Kingdom

Karine Breckpot

Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Belgium

Roberta Laranga

Antonella Padella

Christopher Bricogne

University College London , United Kingdom

Frederick Arce

University College London , United Kingdom

Alessio Lanna

University College London , United Kingdom