Andrés Caicedo Lab

The unbearable presence of senescent cells in ageing | Nature Reviews Genetics nature.com/articles/s4157…

🚀 ¡Nivel desbloqueado! 🔬 Hace 10 años veía muy lejano poder alcanzar la categoría más alta de investigadores en Ecuador. Hoy, después de mucho trabajo en equipo, artículos, proyectos, retos, maestrías y doctorados acompañados, recibo este logro con enorme gratitud. Gracias, @EduSuperiorEc @SerBachillerEc 🙏✨ Mi gran gratitud a cada colega, amigo y colaborador que me dio la mano para seguir adelante y construir ciencia desde Ecuador con ambición, rigor y corazón. 💡🤝 Gracias a mis chicos, porque compartir este camino con ustedes ha sido una de las partes más valiosas de todo este proceso. Verlos crecer, cuestionar, investigar y soñar juntos nos recuerda que la ciencia se construye en comunidad. 🧬👩‍🔬👨‍🔬 Al final, cada paso, cada reto y cada aprendizaje construyen el camino, incluso más allá de cumplir una meta.🚀 Gracias, equipo. Gracias, @USFQ_Ecuador . Gracias a Dios por este gran logro. 🙏🔬🇪🇨✨ lnkd.in/etwAiaJK

We're sending a back-up copy of all known DNA to the moon! The Lunar Genome Project and BioVault has officially started. Thanks to @Spaceomix and Space Applications Services: spaceapplications.com/news/from-malt…

nature.com/articles/s4158… Age distinguishes selection from causation in cancer genomes

Human mitochondrial transfer modeling reveals biased delivery from mesenchymal-to-hematopoietic stem cells; “Using primary MSCs with genetically labelled mitochondria we confirmed a transfer to all CD34+ populations, albeit occurring at a lower frequency than with the iMSOD-mito (3.38%). By engineering 3D bone marrow niches in perfusion bioreactor, this transfer rate could be significantly increased, while the biased towards HSC as receiver was maintained.” biorxiv.org/content/10.110…

🩺 Success Through Mentorship and Student Collaboration! 🩺 I am pleased to share our recent publication: “MSC-derived exosomes for hemorrhagic stroke: preclinical evidence and translational challenges” This Perspective article in @FrontNeurol was developed with the contribution of our medical students and collaborators: Ivonne Salinas, Laura Vela Duque, Shabnam Santos, Ariel Moncayo Saona, Kevin Moreno Montenegro, Auki Guaillas Japon, Ramiro Díaz, and myself. In this work, we review the emerging preclinical evidence supporting mesenchymal stem/stromal cell-derived exosomes as a promising cell-free therapeutic strategy for hemorrhagic stroke. We discuss their potential to modulate key mechanisms of secondary brain injury, including neuroinflammation, apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and impaired tissue repair. Beyond the scientific contribution, this publication is also a reminder of the importance of working closely with our students: sharing experiences, learning from mistakes, building ideas together, and supporting each other in the growth of science and academia. Mentoring young scientists in the exciting field of cell therapy is one of the most meaningful parts of our work ISCT, International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy. I am especially proud that some of these outstanding students have recently matched into top institutions in the United States, reflecting not only their talent and dedication but also the value of collaborative academic environments that encourage curiosity, discipline, and scientific ambition. The article also highlights important translational challenges that must be addressed before these approaches can move closer to clinical application, including optimal dosing, therapeutic timing, vesicle heterogeneity, in vivo tracking, and mechanistic characterization. This publication reflects the commitment of our team at @USFQ_Ecuador, the School of Medicine, the School of Veterinary Medicine, and iBiomed to advancing biomedical research and contributing to the development of innovative therapeutic strategies for neurological diseases. Congratulations to all the authors for their dedication, perseverance, and excellent work. Read the full article here: frontiersin.org/journals/neuro…

Today in The Science and Experience of Energy we explore our energetic origins. We cover a special issue of papers on the evolution of the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA), explaining what made all of multicellular life possible. We come from a bacterial evolutionary merger—pretty humbling. martinpicard.substack.com/p/the-rise-of-…

🩺 Hola, comunidad de Terapia Celular y Génica 🧬 Nos entusiasma invitarles a nuestro #SCARegionalTownHall ISCT, International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy, que se realizará este miércoles 15 de abril. 🧬 Será un espacio para encontrarnos con #profesionales, #médicos y #estudiantes interesados en una de las fronteras más prometedoras de la medicina actual. 🌎 Junto con Tatiana Maron-Gutierrez, Chair del evento, Virginia Picanço-Castro, Samuel Couto y Lilia Carolina Leon-Moreno, compartiremos el plan de trabajo regional para este año, así como webinars, iniciativas estratégicas y temas clave para seguir fortaleciendo el ecosistema de las terapias celulares y génicas en Sudamérica y Centroamérica. 📌 Entre los temas destacados abordaremos: 🔹 Navigating the Regulatory Sandbox in SCA 🔹 Strengthening the Manufacturing of CGTs for SCA 🔹 Mitochondrial Transfer II: The Revenge of the Symbiosis 🎥 Además, junto con Samuel hemos preparado este video de invitación, y será un gusto el contar con ustedes en este encuentro regional. 🕔 17h00 ECT | 18h00 CLT | 19h00 BRT 🔗 Registro: isctglobal.org/town-hall/sca-… @ISCT_ESP @ISCTglobal

🔴 Ya iniciamos #AFondo. Hoy, 13 de abril de 2026:​ ✅ Dr. Andrés Caicedo (@CaicedoLab), @USFQ_Ecuador ✅ @rsalazarmedina, Dir. Centro Estudios Asia - América Latina ✅ @LeonardoTipanV, Abogado penalista ✅ Dr. Wilfrido Campaña, Medicina @lacentralec twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

Approaching the near side of the Moon. The Artemis II astronauts have surpassed the record for the distance from Earth at 1:56 ET (1756 UTC). This record was previously set during the Apollo 13 mission when the astronauts traveled 248,655 miles from Earth. The Moon continues to grow larger and larger in the windows of the Orion spacecraft as the Artemis II mission gears up to observe the far side. The astronauts are predicted to make their closest approach of the Moon around 7:02pm ET (2302 UTC).

✅#Artemis II update: Day 4, Orion is moving at 3535 km/h, 289 239 km from Earth and 162 699 km from the Moon. Spacecraft 'selfie' taken by a camera on one of the solar arrays, from left: European Service Module, Adapter Module and Crew Module (pic: NASA). See nasa.gov/missions/artem…

OK this is cool. The first time humans have seen the whole Mare Orientale on the far side of the Moon with their own eyes. Usually hidden from our view on Earth, even Apollo astronauts didn't see it completely because of their orbit and illumination conditions (Apollo 17 caught a partial glimpse lit by 'Earthshine'). See  flic.kr/p/2s5HA2X

A proud moment to see you reach this important Match achievement ✨ I am incredibly proud of each one of you and of how hard you have worked to move your careers forward at our @USFQ_Ecuador School of Medicine and in our lab 🔬🏫 Seeing your effort, discipline, and commitment lead to these outstanding residency placements is deeply rewarding 🙌🚀 From the time we shared in the classroom 📚, to joining forces through ISCT to promote science 🌎🧬, and to the meaningful articles we worked on together 📄, it has been a privilege not only to support your journey, but also to learn alongside you 🤝✨ Congratulations to all of you on this extraordinary achievement and on the exciting road ahead 🎉🇺🇸 Kevin Zambrano — @LehighU Valley, Anesthesiology 🫀 Ivonne Salinas — @Staten Island University, Neurology 🧠 Cami Esquetini — @utmbhealth , General Surgery ⚕️ Shab Santos — McNeal Hospital Loyola, Internal Medicine 🩺 Ariel Moncayo — @McNeal @LoyolaChicago, Internal Medicine 🩺 Wishing you all the very best as you begin this new chapter in the United States 🇺🇸 Keep growing, keep shining, and keep making us proud 🌟🚀 #Match2026 #USFQ #ProudMentor #FuturePhysicians #MedicalEducation

🚀 ¡Ecuador y la USFQ entran de lleno en la era del New Space! 🌎✨ Hoy el sector espacial se mueve en un ecosistema donde la agilidad empresarial, el capital privado 💼 y la disrupción tecnológica ⚡ se han convertido en los principales motores de innovación. Vivimos un momento histórico en el que nuestro país debe plantearse con claridad el objetivo de ser parte activa de esta gran transformación tecnológica, social y biomédica. En la @USFQ_Ecuador tuvimos la oportunidad de compartir una jornada extraordinaria durante un gran #SpaceDay TEDx🚀, con charlas de enorme valor para nuestro ecosistema espacial naciente y de rápida maduración. Fue además un privilegio conversar con Juan Salinas, futuro astronauta ecuatoriano que volará con @blueorigin 👨‍🚀🌌, y reflexionar juntos sobre las oportunidades que el movimiento #NewSpace abre para #Ecuador y para nuestra región. Nuestro país tiene un potencial único. La #megadiversidad del Ecuador 🌿🧬 ofrece oportunidades extraordinarias para descubrir nuevos compuestos y soluciones biológicas que podrían ayudar a enfrentar algunos de los grandes desafíos de los vuelos espaciales, como el estrés oxidativo y los efectos del entorno espacial en la fisiología humana. Desde nuestro laboratorio en la Escuela de Med-USFQ 🔬🧫 estamos explorando conceptos avanzados de Evolución Celular y adaptación, buscando generar conocimiento y posibles factores que contribuyan a proteger la salud de los astronautas en ambientes extremos. Creo sinceramente que estamos en un momento excepcional. El diálogo entre ciencia, tecnología, industria y sociedad 🤝 dentro del movimiento New Space permitirá impulsar desarrollos que beneficien a todo el planeta. Y qué mejor hacerlo desde Ecuador, el país más cercano a las estrellas ✨. Gracias a la USFQ y a este gran grupo de colegas y amigos que compartieron conocimiento, ideas y reflexiones profundas con un impacto real en nuestro futuro 🙌 #NewSpace #SpaceScience #USFQ #SpaceFront #Ecuador #SpaceInnovation @EcuadorSpace @el_telegrafo @DragonBioMed @usfq

🔬 Exciting collaborations and advances in mitochondrial transfer and cancer biology. Work from the Simon Grelet Lab at the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute using the #MitoTRACER system shows that cancer-associated neurons can transfer mitochondria to tumor cells, enhancing their metabolic plasticity and revealing new aspects of tumor innervation. This discovery opens new paths to understand mitochondrial transfer in health and disease, with implications for tumor immunity, cancer progression, and regenerative medicine. 🌎 Teams from Chile, the United States, and Ecuador are now working together to expand this research. Our recent visit to the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute, together with @Estefany Nova (Universidad de Concepción), @JonBrestoff (WASHU) strengthened our collaboration and ongoing projects. Proud that our team at the @USFQ_Ecuador School of Medicine is helping move this research forward in Ecuador. 🙏 Thanks to Simon Grelet and his team, @RoosterBio, Jon Rowley, and the @ISCTglobal @ISCT_ESP for supporting the collaborations that make this science possible. #Mitochondria #CancerResearch #MitochondrialTransfer #ISCT #CellTherapy

We all know Muse Cells (Multilineage-Differentiating Stress-Enduring Cells). Interestingly, they suggest that inducing specific types of stress may drive cellular changes that could lead to improved regenerative behaviors — although much remains to be understood. I am particularly intrigued by the idea that certain factors might enhance mitochondrial transfer and even influence the functional state of the transferred mitochondria themselves 🧬🔁. These are areas where much is still to be discovered! After several years of work, we are now pleased to share a milestone from our team 🚀: Our invention, “In Vitro Method to Generate Cells with High Capacity for Mitochondrial Transfer,” has officially entered the International Patent Application (PCT) stage 📝🌍. This platform enhances our ability to study and modulate mitochondrial transfer in vitro, opening opportunities for new lines of inquiry and the exploration of possible applications in advanced cell therapies, tissue repair strategies, and regenerative biotechnology 🧫🧩. We are now engaging with partners and collaborators interested in learning more, discussing use-cases, or co-developing translational directions for this emerging cellular platform 🤝💡. Thanks to the @USFQ_Ecuador Tech Transfer Team, @CEDIAec , and to all of our colleagues, students, and supporters in Ecuador and abroad — advances in science are built collectively 🙌🔬. @USFQ_COCIBA

Metabolic dysregulation is a driving force of aging. Enzymes from lower organisms—such as bacteria and yeast—may be able to reverse age-associated metabolic changes in humans, a study from earlier this year finds. scim.ag/4i31Lrr

🚀 La colaboración interinstitucional para el desarrollo aeroespacial es clave para el Ecuador. Desde campos estratégicos como la medicina espacial, el space weather, los satélites y programas como Copernicus, la @USFQ_Ecuador, a través de su Instituto Espacial – SpaceFront USFQ, está impulsando esfuerzos concretos para fortalecer capacidades científicas, tecnológicas y de innovación, con impacto real y en articulación con aliados estratégicos como la Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana (FAE) 🤝 En este contexto, aliados clave como el Instituto Geográfico Militar Ecuador (IGM), @CEDIAec, la @EcuadorSpace, junto con universidades y centros de investigación, están generando una dinámica colaborativa que fortalece el ecosistema nacional y contribuye al posicionamiento del Ecuador en el ámbito aeroespacial regional e internacional. Este trabajo conjunto no sólo abre nuevas oportunidades para la investigación y la formación de talento, sino que también sienta las bases para aplicaciones en salud, observación de la Tierra, gestión de riesgos y desarrollo sostenible 🌍🛰️ Seguimos avanzando, convencidos de que la cooperación es el motor del progreso aeroespacial en el país. @LeviathanSpace @AFOSR

Neurons with mtDNA mutations are hypermetabolic: they burn ~35% more energy than cells with normal mitochondria. Mitochondrial defects decrease cellular energy efficiency, increasing the cost of living. Beautiful new paper by @HTyynismaa and team. nature.com/articles/s4200…