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TRANSCRIPT
Dear all HOT members,
First, our thoughts and prayers for safety
and recovery go out to our colleagues and
their families impacted by the recent
hurricanes and Mexico earthquake. Also, by
the time this issue is released National
Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to
October 15 in the U.S.) will have passed
and hopefully you were able to participate in
an event to celebrate your heritage and
culture and for those around us to recognize
the vast contributions made by “Hispanic’s”.
As members of HOT and your contributions
to science, you are having a profound and
positive influence on our future and
demonstrating the value of diversity.
So, what has the HOT Executive Committee
(EC) been up to these past months? We are
engaged in planning for the upcoming 2018
SOT Annual Meeting and HOT events in
San Antonio, Texas. On behalf of the HOT
EC, I am pleased to announce that HOT will
offer a Special Travel Award on Zika virus
research, in addition to the traditional HOT
Travel Awards in 2 different categories:
• Travel Awards for undergraduate,
graduate or postdoctoral fellows.
• Distinguished Toxicologist Award
The opportunity to offer this Special Zika
Award and a platform/poster session
describing the various toxicological aspects
of Zika virus research is due to the
successful efforts of our HOT Past
President’s Dr. Pedro DelValle and Dr.
Ofelia Olivero to establish an SOT Special
Program on Zika virus research. This
session(s) will complement a planned
symposium on neuronal/developmental
toxicity, infertility, therapeutics, and vector
control, and will provide greater visibility to
this significant global public health concern.
Information on how to apply to any of the
HOT Travel Awards is found on our website,
in Toxenlaces issues, on our Social Media,
and in HOT Member emails, so please don’t
forget to apply to either the HOT
Student/Postdoc Travel Awards, the
Distinguished Toxicologist Award, or the
Special Zika virus Travel Award. The
deadlines for application are typically in the
January/February timeframe.
Finally, our membership continues to grow,
our financial ledger remains healthy, and
our Global Outreach and Sister
Organizations efforts continue to produce
outstanding results. As I have previously
noted, there are many ways to support (and
be involved in) HOT and its initiatives and
activities, and all members are encouraged
to share your ideas and needs with any
member of the HOT EC.
The year is off to a great start in
accomplishing HOT and SOT objectives,
and I encourage all to keep abreast of HOT
activities through our Social Media channels
and our newsletter, Toxenlaces.
Warmest regards,
The Hispanic Organization of Toxicologists (HOT) is a Special Interest Group
of the Society of Toxicology
ISSUE
August-September
2017
48 Toxenlaces
HOT Officers Contact
Robert P. Casillas, PhD, ATS
President
Silvia Berlanga de Moraes Barros, PhD
Vice President
Ranulfo Lemus Olalde, ScD, DABT
Vice President-Elect
Teresa de Jesús Palacios, PhD
Secretary
Nilsa Rivera-Del Valle, PhD
Treasurer
Mariana Cardenas-Gonzales, PhD
Councilor
Aline de Conti, PhD
Councilor
Verónica Ramírez-Alcántara, Ph.D
Councilor
Rene Viñas, PhD
Councilor
Julieta Martino, PhD
Postdoctoral Representative
Teresa Anguiano, MSc
Graduate Student Representative
Elena Hernández Ramón, MD, PhD
Past President
José F. Delgado, BS
Toxenlaces Editor-in-chief
Alejandro Ramírez-Lee, PhD
Toxenlaces Assistant-Editor and
Graphic designer
Message from the President
Robert P. Casillas, PhD HOT President
Building Bridges
Through Toxicology
P.1 Message from the President
P.2-3 Updates in Toxicology Webinar Series
P.4 SOT 57th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, San Antonio, TX
P.5 LinkedIn Profile Tips
P.6-7 Nanomaterials for Food Production:
The Next Green Revolution or Silent Spring
Chemical and Physical Properties to Consider when
Designing Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications P.8-9
HOT Trainee Section P.10
HOT Travel Awards: Zika Virus P.11-13
Sponsors and Sister Organizations P. 14
1
2
HOT
Updates in Toxicology
“Characterization of a Sulindac Derivative in
Human Lung Cancer Cells and an Orthotopic
Mouse Model of Lung Cancer”
Dr. Verónica Ramírez-Alcántara Assistant Professor
University of South Alabama Mitchell
Cancer Institute, USA
October 26th, 2017
12:00 PM (Eastern Time)
11:00 AM (Central Time & Mexico City)
The conference will be held in Spanish Registration Link
Webinar series
by
3
About the speaker
Dr. Ramírez came from Puebla City, Mexico, and performed
her BS in Chemistry and Pharmacology at Benémerita
Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Dr. Ramirez also hold a
M.S. and a PhD in Pharmacology from Centro de
Investigación y Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico
Nacional.
Since her childhood, Dr. Ramírez has been interested to
know how the human body works and how drugs act once
they are ingested.
Dr. Ramírez has studied the toxic effect in different types of
pharmacological formulations in the gastrointestinal tract and
has evaluated experimental cancer drugs.
HOT
II Toxicology Meeting Conferences/ Symposiums/ Posters November 8-10, 2017
More information:
http://sotox.cl/ii-congreso-de-toxicologia/
4
Preparing
Proposals
Submitting
Proposals
After
Submission
(Scientific
Sessions)
After
Submission
(Continuing
Education)
LinkedIn is one of the most popular networking sites
for professionals and a great virtual space to
showcase you and your work, build connections and
find new opportunities. Your LinkedIn profile is like a
dynamic resume that you can use to your advantage
to grow your career. However, a strong profile is key
to making the best use of the LinkedIn interface.
Below are some tips that you should consider when
using this platform:
1.- Include a professional picture.
2.- Make sure you add your contact information
such as emails, blogs or links to other professional
personal pages, if applicable.
3.- Fill out the headline section, which is the first
impression of you. It is a brief description of who you
are and what you do. Be short and direct and use
keywords that will help recruiters find you.
4.- Elaborate a summary of yourself which should
include your background, your expertise and your
overall professional interests. Be smart with your buzz
words and make sure you are not overusing them or
that you do not use highly overused words (a list can
be found here:
https://blog.linkedin.com/2017/january/25/better-than-
buzzwords-2017-is-the-year-to-start-showing-it-
linkedin).
5.- Add your education and work experience,
including your current position. In this section you
can also add specific achievements for each and
describe your roles and expertise.
6.- Include your publication list, as well as
certifications and languages.
7.- Share your honors and awards. You have earned
them after all!
8.- Highlight your skills. LinkedIn also allows for
your contacts to endorse you on different skills.
Sometimes people endorse you for all sorts of skills.
Make sure you accept endorsements that are true to
your expertise and arrange them so that the most
relevant and strong appear on top.
9.- Ask for LinkedIn recommendations. Make sure
that the person that does this knows you and your
work well and that they will write a positive
recommendation.
10.- Showcase your volunteer work and causes you
care about.
11.- Be smart about who you connect with. LinkedIn is
a professional platform and as such, should only
include your professional connections. Leave your
friends and family for other social media platforms.
12.- Join and follow groups that you are interested
in, belong to, or have been part of.
13.- Poor grammar, typos, and misspellings are a
no-no. Avoid them at all costs.
14.- Keep your profile updated.
References
https://blog.linkedin.com/
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/271919#
https://www.thebalance.com/tips-to-make-a-better-linkedin-profile-
2062332
http://time.com/4403286/linkedin-tips/
https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-10-most-overused-linkedin-
buzzwords-of-the-year
LinkedIn Profile Tips By Julieta Martino, [email protected]
5
HOT
Sustainable production of food for an increasing
population is of global concern. To further alleviate
hunger and poverty, sustainable food production
needs to be increased while taking care of
resources such as water, energy, nutrients and land.
However, intensifying agriculture led to negative
effects on essential natural resources such as water
and biodiversity as well as soil and its associated
ecosystem services. Therefore, assessing the
benefits and risks of a new technology prior to being
applied to agriculture is a priority task to avoid
adverse effects on human health and the
environment.
The use of nanomaterials have emerged in the last
two decades as a technology capable to reaching
and improve all human activities including
applications such as water treatment (1), soil
amendment/restoration (2) and, recently, food
production intensification (3). However, absorption,
translocation, accumulation and biotransformation of
engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in food crops
remains mostly unknown and its benefits and/or
harmful effects to final consumers remains as
pending topic (4).
To determine whether or not a specific ENM may
pose a threat, rigorous physical and chemical
characterization is needed as well as an accurate
understanding of its biological activity. Plenty of
reports exist related with the negative impacts of
ENMs to plants; soil or the final consumers (5) and,
at the same time, on the positive achievement of its
use for a wide variety of improvements in the agri-
food industry (6). In light of these controversial
results, it is clear that a scientific gap exist in
understanding the behavior, effects and its relation
with the properties of ENMs that deserves
immediate attention considering the potential risk
related. Also, only limited information exist about the
amount used and exposure of ENMs in food and
food-related products.
ENM toxicology is a particularly complex task
because the wide variety of core types, surface
chemistry, agglomeration trends, and electronic
properties shown by these materials which affect
their reactivity and biological interactions along with
their different uses, disposal, fate, transport and
bioavailability (7). Nevertheless, the proper
characterization of ENMs toxic responses from
plants, microorganisms and animals is of major
interest, mainly considering the lack of quantitative
techniques to monitor its emission, and
concentration in the environment or their fate once
entered into food products (8).
As the trend for in purpose usage of ENMs in
agricultural practices increases by the promise of
improvement in current practices through the
enhancement of management and conservation of
inputs in crops, animal production and fisheries (9),
the need of a careful analysis on the real
advantages and threats generated by these
products should get the highest priority among the
scientific community, despite the emerging of novel
so-called greener procedures for ENMs synthesis
(10) or the argues claiming that naturally produced
nanomaterials have interact with plants and animals
since the primitive times on Earth.
From the past, we have learned that lacking of
knowledge on the consequences of man-made
products led to significantly regrettable results and
we still are struggling with the aftermath of, for
example, the use (and abuse) of agrochemicals
(synthetic fertilizers, chlorinated pesticides). The
potential benefits related for the use of
nanotechnology in agriculture are tempting, just as
chlorinated pesticides were at some moment around
mid XX Century. There is a growing body of studies
on the toxicity of ENMs to soil bacteria and their
impact on other environmentally significant
processes and properties, however in many of the
cases the reports are not conclusive or even
contradictory (5).
6
Nanomaterials for food production: The next green
revolution or silent spring?
By Erick R. Bandala, Division of Hydrologic Sciences. Desert Research Institute. 755 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas,
NV 89119-7363 USA. E-mail: [email protected]; Phone: 702 862 5395.
HOT Article
7
HOT Article (continued)
Nanotechnology has been reported capable of
producing the expected outcomes in increasing
productivity of crops to meet the challenges in food
security (9), however its massive use is expected to
face constrains related with regulations, and intellectual
properties rights, among several others, and limited food
productivity is not enough justification for unsecure use
of ENMs. Ethical implications and public acceptation of
use of ENMs in farmland and/or food production is
another significant limitation. In the past, some ethic
principles have been proposed suggesting systematic
ways to enhance nanotechnology advantages and
minimizing risks, regrettably multiple toxicological
studies lacking of scientific rigor have generated
questionable results that demerit the current efforts and
bias the public opinion. It is worth noting that we, the
scientific community, have to embrace the ethical duty
of doing pragmatic research and scrupulously report our
findings. History will judge whether we are in the preface
of the real green revolution or just in the starting point of
the next silent spring.
References
1. Rodriguez-Narvaez O.M., Peralta-Hernandez J.M., Goonetilleke A.,
Bandala. 2017. Treatment technologies for emerging contaminants in
water: A review. Chemical Engineering Journal 323, 361-380.
2. Sharma V.K., Filip J., Zboril R., Varma R.S. 2015. Natural inorganic
nanoparticles -formation, fate and toxicity in the environment.
Chemical Society Reviews 44, 8410-8423.
3. Liu R., Lal R. 2015. Potentials of engineered nanoparticles as
fertilizers for increasing agronomic productions. Science of the Total
Environment 514, 131-139.
4. Gardea-Torresdey J.L., Rico C.M., White J.C. 2014. Trophic
transfer, transformation, and impacts of engineered nanomaterials in
terrestrial environments. Environmental Science and Technology 48,
2526-2540.
5. Handford C.E., Dean M., Henchion M., Spence M., Elliot C.T.,
Campbell K. 2014. Implications of nanotechnology for the agr-food
industry: Opportunitites, benefits and risks. Trends in Food Science
and Technology 40, 226-241.
6. Mukhopadhyay S.S. 2014. Nanotechnology in agriculture:
Prospects and constrains. Nanotechnology, Science and Applications
7, 63-71.
7. Holden P.A., Gardea-Torresdey J.L., Klaessig F., Turco R.F., et al.,
2016. Considerations of environmentally relevant test conditions for
improved evaluation of ecological hazards of engineered
nanomaterials. Environmental Science and Technology 50, 6124-
6145.
8. Gottschalk F., Nowack B. 2011. The release of engineered
nanomaterials to the environment. Journal of Environmental
Monitoring 13, 1145-1155.
9. Sekhon B.S. 2014. Nanotechnology in agri-food production: An
overview. Nanotechnology, Science and Applications 7, 31-53.
10. Villasenor D., Pedavoah M.M., Bandala E.R. 2018. Plant
materials for the synthesis of nanomaterials: Greener Sources. In:
Kharissova O., Kharissov B. Martinez L. [Eds.] Handbook of
Ecomaterials. Spinger, Berlin.
About the HOT Article
authors:
Dr. Bandala performs research in
water quality, water treatment and site
restoration. His major experience is in
developing countries on the generation
and adaptation of technology for the
generation of safe drinking water and
proper sanitation.
Development and implementation of cutting-edge analytical
approach to chemical and microbiological water quality is also
within his areas of expertise. He holds a PH.D. degree in
Engineering, M.Sc. degree in Organic Chemistry and B.Eng.
degree in Chemical Engineering. Dr. Bandala is author or co-
author of over 100 publications including 68 peer-reviewed papers
(average impact factor 2.7, >1530 citations, h-index 22); 5 books,
28 book chapters and 60 works published in proceedings of
international conferences. He also possess wide experience
working as consultant working with different companies along
North and South America.
Biographical sketch taken from:
http://www.dri.edu/directory/5205-erick-bandala
Fernando Arteaga-Cardona obtained
his B.S. in Nanotechnology and
Molecular Engineering from Universidad
de las Américas Puebla, Puebla,
México. His research interest is to
design new magnetic nanomaterials for
theranostics. He is currently a graduate
student at Benemérita Universidad
Autónoma de Puebla and is actively
looking for Ph.D. opportunities in the US.
Jose F. Delgado is the current editor-
in-chief of Toxenlaces. He holds a B.S.
in Nanotechnology and Molecular
Engineering at Universidad de las
Américas Puebla, Puebla, México. His
research interest is the design of
nanoparticle-based technologies for
cancer diagnosis and therapy. José is
currently a postbaccalaureate fellow at
the National Institutes of Health. On fall
2018, he will attend his Ph.D. studies in
Bioengineering.
Magnetic nanomaterials (< 100 nm; diameter) are
gaining a lot of interest in the biomedical field due to
their potential use as MRI contrast agents, heat
generators for hyperthermia, drug carriers, among
others [1]. Despite these promissory applications,
there is a considerable concern due to the toxicity of
these nanomaterials. Some of the physical and
chemical properties that contribute to toxicity when
using magnetic nanoparticles are formation of
aggregates, ion release of nanoparticles and shape.
Herein, we will discuss some of the factors to consider
when designing safe magnetic nanoparticles for
biomedicine.
Agglomerates
When a group of sub-micrometric magnetic particles
are exposed to their own magnetic field, they tend to
attract themselves causing large clusters or
agglomerates. The sizes that can reach these
aggregates can be up to microns or even millimeters.
The agglomerates can be large enough to form clots
in arteries or veins [2]. In addition, aggregates might
induce immunogenicity after administration leading to
their rapid excretion and thus decreasing their
intended effect for diagnosis and therapy [3].
One way to overcome the aforementioned effects
produced by agglomeration in magnetic nanomaterials
is using superparamagnetic nanoparticles [4].
Superparamagnetic nanoparticles are promissory for
biomedical applications because they have a
negligible remanent magnetization and coercivity.
Meaning that the interaction of nanoparticles when are
magnetized each other will be insignificant. However,
when an external magnetic field is on, the particles will
behave like a normal magnetic material, as needed for
hyperthermia or drug carrying.
A magnetic material can enter the superparamagnetic
state when the thermal energy, expressed as ET =
KBT (KB, Boltzmann’s constant; T, Temperature), is
larger than the energy barrier of the material
expressed as EB = KV (K, anisotropy energy; V,
average volume of the nanoparticles). This means that
when the energy from the temperature is higher than
the energy of the material that maintain the spins in a
preferred direction, the magnetic spin would be able to
move freely. From the energy barrier formula it can be
deduced that smaller nanoparticles will have higher
chance to be in the superparamagnetic state, thus,
nanoparticles with < 50 nm diameter size are
preferred to avoid magnetic aggregation [5].
Toxicity by elemental composition and surface
Most of the magnetic materials that are known,
contain some elements (e.g. holmium, nickel,
neodymium, samarium, etc.) that, at relatively low
concentrations, cause adverse effects such as ROS
production, tissue-specific bioaccumulation decrease
on the antioxidant capacity, among others [6]. This
limits the types of magnetic materials that could be
used for the applications discussed earlier, as the
material might release small quantities of those
elements.
One of the most employed family of magnetic
materials used for biomedical applications are ferrites,
which has a chemical formula of MFe2O4, where M is
a cation with a 2+ valence like Fe2+, Zn2+, Mn2+. Due
to the ferrites composition, the toxicity risk decreases
considerably, although they aren`t completely safe.
Our research group has found that ferrites mainly
affect cell`s viability in hemocytes, which agrees with
other studies of different cells [7], and the magnetic
properties of ferrites (magnetic saturation) are not as
good as other magnetic nanoparticles. However, they
are still less toxic in comparison with rare-earth-
containing nanoparticles [8].
8
Chemical and physical properties to consider when designing
magnetic nanomaterials for biomedical applications.
By Fernando Arteaga-Cardonaa and José F. Delgado-Jiménezb a Instituto de Física, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Apdo. Postal J-48, Puebla, Pue. 72570, México.
Email: [email protected] b National Heart, Lung and, Blood Institute. 50 South Drive, Bethesda, MD. 20814, United States. E-mail:
HOT Article (continued)
There are two main strategies to reduce toxicity in
magnetic nanomaterials, the first is to use
biocompatible-polymeric coatings or another non-toxic
shell to cover the nanoparticles, and the second is to
enhance the magnetic properties of a low-toxic
material like ferrites. Coating the magnetic
nanoparticles with a biopolymer decreases toxicity
and allow functionalization with biomolecules for
specific cell targeting. The downside of using
biopolymer-coatings is that the material can be
degraded by pH changes, and the extra layer
decreases the magnetic properties of the material.
Some of the best coatings that reduce toxicity are
chitosan, dextran, and gold [9].
Enhancing the magnetic properties is not an easy
task, neodymium or chromium ions need to be
inserted into the material structure. These impurities
are harmful at high concentrations, nevertheless,
toxicity could be substantially decreased by lowering
the amount of neodymium or chromium ions. Recent
studies are using this strategy to enhance the
magnetic properties while reducing toxicity [10].
Shape
The most common shapes that magnetic
nanoparticles are synthesized are spheres, cubes,
and rods. The sphere shape is reported to be the one
which causes less damage to cells. Despite that, the
sphere shape is the one with lower magnetic
properties in comparison with other morphologies.
Rods are the shapes with better magnetic properties,
but it is reported that rods act like spears piercing the
cell membrane. Magnetic cubes, especially with round
edges, are found to be the preferable shape that
nanoparticles should have since it has better magnetic
properties, and do not damage the cell membrane as
much as the rods [11].
Studying the physical and chemical properties of
magnetic nanomaterials is crucial to understand and
evaluate their toxicity effects when tried to be used in
biomedicine. From the mentioned factors, it was
discussed how agglomeration, elemental composition,
surface and shape challenge the use of magnetic
nanomaterials in the biomedical field. From this, it is of
paramount importance to converge areas like
materials science and biology with an interdisciplinary
team to find biocompatible magnetic nanomaterials
that satisfy their application as diagnostic and
therapeutic agents.
References
[1] F. Arteaga-Cardona, E. Gutiérrez-García, S. Hidalgo-Tobón, C.
López-Vasquez, Y.A. Brito-Barrera, J. Flores-Tochihuitl, A. Angulo-
Molina, J.R. Reyes-Leyva, R. González-Rodríguez, J.L. Coffer, U.
Pal, M.P.-P. Diaz-Conti, D. Platas-Neri, P. Dies-Suarez, R.S.
Fonseca, O. Arias-Carrión, M.A. Méndez-Rojas. Cell viability and
MRI performance of highly efficient polyol-coated magnetic
nanoparticles, J. Nanoparticle Res. 18 (2016). doi:10.1007/s11051-
016-3646-0.
[2] A.K. Gupta, M. Gupta, Synthesis and surface engineering of
iron oxide nanoparticles for biomedical applications, Biomaterials.
26 (2005) 3995–4021. doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2004.10.012.
[3] R. Di Corato, A. Espinosa, L. Lartigue, M. Tharaud, S. Chat, T.
Pellegrino, C. Ménager, F. Gazeau, C. Wilhelm, Magnetic
hyperthermia efficiency in the cellular environment for different
nanoparticle designs, Biomaterials. 35 (2014) 6400–6411.
doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2014.04.036.
[4] F. Arteaga-Cardona, E. Santillán-Urquiza, U. Pal, M.E.
Méndoza-Álvarez, C. Torres-Duarte, G.N. Cherr, P. de la Presa, M.
Méndez-Rojas, Unusual variation of blocking temperature in bi-
magnetic nanoparticles, J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 441 (2017) 417–
423. doi:10.1016/j.jmmm.2017.06.024.
[5] S. Mørup, M.F. Hansen, C. Frandsen, Magnetic interactions
between nanoparticles, Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 1 (2010) 182–
190. doi:10.3762/bjnano.1.22.
[6] G. Pagano, M. Guida, F. Tommasi, R. Oral, Health effects and
toxicity mechanisms of rare earth elements-Knowledge gaps and
research prospects, Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. 115 (2015) 40–48.
doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2015.01.030.
[7] L.H. Reddy, J.L. Arias, J. Nicolas, P. Couvreur, Magnetic
nanoparticles: Design and characterization, toxicity and
biocompatibility, pharmaceutical and biomedical applications,
Chem. Rev. 112 (2012) 5818–5878. doi:10.1021/cr300068p.
[8] F. Arteaga-Cardona, E. Santillán-Urquiza, P. de la Presa, S.
Hidalgo-Tobón, U. Pal, P. Horta-Fraijo, M.J. Yacaman, J.D. Lozada
Ramírez, R. Ivkov, A. Angulo-Molina, M.A. Méndez-Rojas.
Enhanced magnetic properties and MRI performance of bi-
magnetic core–shell nanoparticles, RSC Adv. 6 (2016) 77558–
77568. doi:10.1039/C6RA14265F.
[9] Y.-C. Ho, F.-M. Huang, Y.-C. Chang, Cytotoxicity of
formaldehyde on human osteoblastic cells is related to intracellular
glutathione levels., J. Biomed. Mater. Res. B. Appl. Biomater. 83
(2007) 340–344. doi:10.1002/jbmb.
[10] F. Arteaga-Cardona, S. Hidalgo-Tobón, U. Pal, M.A. Méndez-
Rojas. Ferrites as magnetic fluids for hyperthermia and MRI
contrast agents, AIP Conf. Proc., (2016). doi:10.1063/1.4954118.
[11] A.G. Kolhatkar, A.C. Jamison, D. Litvinov, R.C. Willson, T.R.
Lee, Tuning the magnetic properties of nanoparticles, Int. J. Mol.
Sci. 14 (2013) 15977–16009. doi:10.3390/ijms140815977.
Disclosure
The ideas expressed in this article are exclusively from the authors
and do not represent ideas reflected from the National Heart, Lung
and, Blood Institute and Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de
Puebla.
9
HOT Article (continued)
HOT Trainee wall:
Montserrat Rojo
de la Vega
What is going on?
Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the
sun and tanning beds is associated to premature
aging and skin cancer (1). UV causes direct and
indirect damage to DNA, proteins, and lipids by
the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS)
(2). While excessive exposure to UV can be
prevented or reduced with physical or chemical
shields, enhancing cellular protective
mechanisms with chemopreventive compounds
is a feasible strategy to protect the skin.
Chemopreventive compounds, such as those
found in dietary sources, constitute a safe and
effective approach to activate the antioxidant
protein NRF2 (3). NRF2 is a transcription factor
responsive to ROS and other environmental
stresses that activates the expression of
antioxidant enzymes and proteins that remove
damaged cellular components (4).Our lab has
identified that a compound from the achiote
(annatto) spice effectively activates NRF2 and
protects against acute UV exposure in a mouse
model (5). Our current efforts are focused in
establishing preclinical models of NRF2-based
UV skin protection.
References
Chen H, Weng QY, Fisher, DE. UV signaling
pathways within the skin. J Invest Dermatol 2014
134:2080-2085.
Bosch R, Philips N, Suárez-Pérez JA, Juarranz
A, Devmurari A, Chalensouk-Khaosaat J,
González S. Mechanisms of photoaging and
cutaneous photocarcinogenesis, and
photoprotective strategies with phytochemicals.
Antioxidants (Basel) 2015 4:248-68.
Wondrak GT. Let the sun shine in: mechanisms
and potential for therapeutics in skin
photodamage. Curr Opin Investig Drugs 2007
8:390-400.
Tebay, LE, Robertson, H, Durant ST, Vitale SR,
Penning TM, Dinkova-Kostova AT, Hayes JD.
Mechanisms of activation of the transcription
factor Nrf2 by redox stressors, nutrient cues, and
energy status and the pathways through which it
attenuates degenerative disease. Free Radic
Biol Med 2015 88:108-146.
Tao S, Park SL, Rojo de la Vega M, Zhang DD,
Wondrak GT. Systemic administration of the
apocarotenoid bixin protects skin against solar
UV-induced damage through activation of NRF2.
Free Radic Biol Med 2015 89:690-700.
10
HOT Trainee Section
My name is Montserrat Rojo de
la Vega, I am originally from
Mexico City, where I got my BS in
Biology and my MSc in Molecular
Oncology at National
Autonomous University of
Mexico.
In 2012, I joined the lab of Dr. Donna Zhang at the
University of Arizona, Tucson, where I am a PhD
candidate in Cancer Biology. I study cellular stress
responses and I have been developing cancer
chemoprevention strategies using natural compounds.
The next 2018 SOT meeting will have a platform/poster session on various toxicological
aspects of Zika virus research. This session(s) will complement a planned symposium
organized by HOT on neuronal/developmental toxicity, infertility, therapeutics, and vector
control, and will provide greater visibility to this significant global public health concern.
For the 2018 SOT Annual Meeting, in addition to the HOT Travel
Awards and Distinguished Toxicologist Award, HOT is proud to
offer the
Special Travel Award on Zika Virus Research.
The Special Travel Award will consist of monetary funds to help with the associated costs
of presenting their research and attending the SOT Annual Meeting and a beautiful plaque
for your lab or office space.
Who may apply? To apply for the HOT Travel Award, candidates must comply with the
following requirements:
1) Applicant must be a HOT member of Hispanic/Latino origin at the time of
nomination.
2) Applicant must be first author of an abstract submitted and accepted for the
upcoming SOT Annual Meeting.
3) The awardees must attend the HOT Travel Award Ceremony in order to be officially
recognized as the recipients and get the financial award and plaque.
Applicable Documents: Applicant must submit a copy of the complete abstract
accepted by SOT and a letter of recommendation (not to exceed one page). The letter
must be written in English.
All documents are to be emailed to both: Aline de Conti, HOT Awards Committee
Chair; José Francisco Delgado Jiménez, Co-Chair.
Note: the deadline for all submission materials is
January 12, 2018, 11:59 PM EST.
HOT
11
Special Award Zika
Virus Research
Award Description: The Hispanic Organization of Toxicologists (HOT) has provided
Travel Awards since 2005 to outstanding students and postdoctoral trainees of
Hispanic/Latino origin working in the area of toxicology research. The HOT Travel Award
consists of monetary funds to help with the associated costs of presenting their research and
attending the SOT Annual Meeting and a beautiful plaque for your lab or office space. The
HOT Travel Awards are provided by funds of HOT sponsors. HOT will give preference to
first-time applicants with a high quality research background. Previous recipients may apply
with the understanding that the likelihood of winning a second award may be linked to
funding availability after all first-time applicant recipients have been selected.
Who may apply? To apply for the HOT Travel Award, candidates must comply with the
following requirements:
1) Applicant must be an undergraduate, graduate or postdoctoral fellow.
2) Applicant must be a HOT member of Hispanic/Latino origin at the time of nomination.
3) Applicant must be first author of an abstract submitted and accepted for the upcoming
SOT Annual Meeting.
4) The awardees must attend the HOT Award Ceremony, or have a representative, in order
to be officially recognized as the winners and get the financial award and plaque.
Applicable Documents: Applicant must submit a copy of the complete abstract accepted by
SOT and a letter of recommendation from a mentor (not to exceed one page). The letter
must be written in English.
All documents are to be emailed to both: Aline de Conti, HOT Awards Committee
Chair; José Francisco Delgado Jiménez, Co-Chair.
Deadline: Documents must be received on or before
January 12, 2018, 11:59 PM EST.
Student Travel Award
12
HOT
The Distinguished Toxicologist Award is given each year to a toxicologist of Hispanic origin whose work
exemplifies the mission of the HOT-SIG by contributing to the advancement of the field of toxicology. Scientific
and/or regulatory accomplishments and/or community services will be considered during the review. The HOT
Distinguished Toxicologist Award consists of a beautiful recognition plaque for your lab or office space.
Who may apply? To apply for the HOT Travel Award, candidates must comply with the following requirements:
Nominator – The nominator for the HOT Distinguished Toxicologist Award Candidate shall be a member of
SOT and/or a member of HOT at the time of nomination.
Nominee – Nominee shall be a member of HOT at the time of nomination. * self-nominations will not be
accepted.
The application will be reviewed according to one or more of the following criteria:
1) Nominee’s scientific achievements in toxicology have had major impact on the field and stimulated new
directions in their area of expertise.
2) Nominee’s contribution to the scientific progress of toxicology by their participation in the creation and/or
implementation of regulations.
3) Nominee’s contribution to promoting their institution’s mission.
4) Nominee has been actively involved in SOT and/or HOT leadership.
5) Nominee has served in mentoring, community service, and/or at a national or international level with decision-
making and/or advisory activities.
6) Nominee’s activities have had major contributions and impact on the application of toxicological sciences and
on the protection and promotion of public health.
Nomination package:
1) The nominee’s Curriculum Vitae in English (PDF format), including a complete list of nominee’s publications.
2) One letter of nomination that must include a detailed description of how the nominee has fulfilled or is fulfilling
one or more of the criteria stipulated above. The letter should be addressed to the HOT Distinguished
Toxicologist Award Committee. The letter must be written in English.
To nominate a colleague for this award, please submit a complete nomination package to Aline de Conti,
HOT Awards Committee Chair; and José Francisco Delgado Jiménez, Co-Chair.
Deadline: Documents must be received on or before
January 12, 2018, 11:59 PM EST.
Distinguished
Toxicologist Award
13
HOT
Sister Organizations
Asociación Española de Toxicología http://www.aetox.es/
Asociación Latinoamericana de Toxicología http://www.alatox.org/
Asociación Toxicológica Argentina http://www.ataonline.org.ar
Asociación Venezolana de Toxicología Médica https://www.facebook.com/groups/1
76740585757320/?ref=br
Center of Environmental and Toxicological
Research –University of Puerto Rico
http://cetr.rcm.upr.edu
Escuela Académico-Profesional de Toxicología de
la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos http://farmacia.unmsm.edu.pe/pregr
ado/toxicologia.html
PLAGBOL – Salud, Agricultura y Medio Ambiente http://plagbol.org.bo/
Red Iberoamericana de Toxicología y Seguridad
Química
http://www.ritsq.org
Sociedade Brasileira de Toxicologia http://www.sbtox.org.br/
Sociedad Cubana de Toxicología http://www.sld.cu/sitios/toxicologia/
Sociedad Mexicana de Toxicología http://www.somtox.com.mx/
Society for Risk Analysis Latin America http://www.srala.org/
Toxicología Acuática Ambiental, Medicina
Veterinaria-Universidad Nacional de Colombia
http://www.docentes.unal.edu.co/jfg
onzalezma
Universidad de Cartagena http://reactivos.com
If your Hispanic Organization is planning a Toxicology meeting or if you are organizing a
Toxicology event intended for a primarily Hispanic audience, and want to promote it, send an
email to María Cárdenas González (Councilor for Sister Organizations) at
[email protected] for more information for its inclusion in
upcoming Toxenlaces issues. 14
Special thanks to our sponsors
HOT Sponsors and sister organizations
• Toxenlaces is the newsletter that informs Hispanic toxicologists in the United States and
the international Spanish and Portuguese-speaking scientific communities about important
toxicological events and issues occurring in our countries. It is electronically published and
distributed to our membership and Sister Organizations in Ibero-America. Toxenlaces
disseminates critical dates for events, health perspectives, and funding and training
opportunities. It serves as a toxicology forum for our members and other partner organizations,
engages in educational outreach to the Hispanic communities and provides the essential
elements to support networking among Hispanic toxicologists. Toxenlaces is open to receive
collaborations from HOT and SOT members, and Sister Organizations. You can collaborate with
short scientific articles, news or notes related with toxicology. Other ways to collaborate is by
nominating your peers or yourself for the sections Trainee Section and When I Grow Up. For
more information about collaborating with Toxenlaces send an email to Jose Delgado
(Toxenlaces Editor) at [email protected] with copy to Alejandro Ramírez-Lee
(Toxenlaces Assistant-Editor and Graphic designer) at [email protected]
Follow us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/hispanicorganizationoftoxicologists
Don’t forget to visit also the SOT Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Society-of-Toxicology-SOT/163627880427831?fref=ts
HOT wants you to be part of the organization! To make it available to everyone, HOT accepts
applications from non-SOT members to become HOT members. Yes, that is right!! You only
have to have the desire to collaborate with and be part of our great organization.
Your HOT membership provides you with valuable resources throughout your scientific career as
for networking through the largest Hispanic toxicologist community, giving you opportunity for
Travel Awards or serving as a mentor to the young Hispanic toxicologists; besides you receive
the Toxenlaces newsletter every two months.
Application and more information can be found at Non-SOT Member Application.
So, what are you waiting for? We are looking forward to receiving your application today!!
The views expressed in this Toxenlaces issue do not necessarily represent those of the
Hispanic Organization of Toxicologists (HOT) or Society of Toxicology (SOT). 15
Announcements