Publications

2024

Palominos C, Fuentes-Retamal S, Salazar JP, Guzmán-Rivera D, Correa P, Mellado M, Araya-Maturana R, Urra FA. Mitochondrial bioenergetics as a cell fate rheostat for responsive to Bcl-2 drugs: New cues for cancer chemotherapy. Cancer Lett. 2024, 594:216965. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216965.

Arauna D, Araya-Maturana R, Urra FA, García Á, Palomo I, Fuentes E. Altered dynamics of calcium fluxes and mitochondrial metabolism in platelet activation-related disease and aging. Life Sci. 2024;351:122846. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2024.122846.

Vera MJ, Ponce I, Almarza C, Ramirez G, Guajardo F, Dubois-Camacho K, Tobar N, Urra FA, Martinez J. CCL2 and Lactate from Chemotherapeutics-Treated Fibroblasts Drive Malignant Traits by Metabolic Rewiring in Low-Migrating Breast Cancer Cell Lines. Antioxidants (Basel). 2024;13(7):801. doi: 10.3390/antiox13070801.

Monroy-Cárdenas M, Almarza C, Valenzuela-Hormazábal P, Ramírez D, Urra FA, Martínez-Cifuentes M, Araya-Maturana R. Identification of Antioxidant Methyl Derivatives of Ortho-Carbonyl Hydroquinones That Reduce Caco-2 Cell Energetic Metabolism and Alpha-Glucosidase Activity. Int J Mol Sci. 2024;25(15):8334. doi: 10.3390/ijms25158334.

2023

Monroy-Cárdenas, M.; Andrades, V.; Almarza, C.; Vera, M.J.; Martínez, J.; Pulgar, R.; Amalraj, J.; Araya-Maturana, R.; Urra, F.A. A New Quinone-Based Inhibitor of Mitochondrial Complex I in D-Conformation, Producing Invasion Reduction and Sensitization to Venetoclax in Breast Cancer Cells. Antioxidants 2023, 12, 1597. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12081597

Assessing mitochondria-targeted acyl hydroquinones on the mitochondrial platelet function and cytotoxic activity: Role of the linker length. Montecino-Garrido H, Sepúlveda M, Méndez D, Monroy-Cárdenas M, Alfaro S, González-Avendaño M, Caballero J, Urra FA, Araya-Maturana R, Fuentes E. Free Radic Biol Med. 2023;208:26-36. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2023.07.030.

TNF-Alpha Promotes an Inflammatory Mammary Microenvironment That Favors Macrophage and Epithelial Migration in a CCL2- and Mitochondrial-ROS-Dependent Manner. Vera MJ, Guajardo F, Urra FA, Tobar N, Martínez J. Antioxidants. 2023; 12(4):813. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12040813

Pictolysin-III, a Hemorrhagic Type-III Metalloproteinase Isolated from Bothrops pictus (Serpentes: Viperidae) Venom, Reduces Mitochondrial Respiration and Induces Cytokine Secretion in Epithelial and Stromal Cell Lines. Vivas-Ruiz DE, Rosas P, Proleón A, Torrejón D, Lazo F, Tenorio-Ricca AB, Guajardo F, Almarza C, Andrades V, Astorga J, Oropesa D, Toledo J, Vera MJ, Martínez J, Araya-Maturana R, Dubois-Camacho K, Hermoso MA, Alvarenga VG, Sanchez EF, Yarlequé A, Oliveira LS, Urra FA. Pharmaceutics. 2023;15(5):1533. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15051533.

Torrejón D, Cárdenas J, Juárez D, Espinoza J, Proleón A, Agurto-Arteaga A, Lazo F, Leguía M, Urra F.A, Sánchez E.F, Vivas-Ruiz D, Yarlequé A. Comparison of Four Methods of RNA Extraction and cDNA Synthesis from The Venom of Peruvian Snakes of the Genus Bothrops of Clinical Importance. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 11161. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241311161

Simultaneous identification of three clinically relevant Peruvian pit vipers by multiplex loop-mediated isothermal amplification (mLAMP). Agurto-Arteaga A, Vivas-Ruiz DE, Lazo F, Proleón Á, Torrejón D, Electo J, Cayo C, Urra FA, Chávez-Olórtegui C, Sánchez EF, Yarlequé A. Toxicon. 2023;223:107022. doi: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2023.107022.

2022

The role of cholesterol and mitochondrial bioenergetics in activation of the inflammasome in IBD. Astorga J, Gasaly N, Dubois-Camacho K, De la Fuente M, Landskron G, Faber KN, Urra FA, Hermoso MA. Front Immunol. 2022;13:1028953. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1028953.

Shedding Light on the Dentition and Venom Delivery System of the Rear-Fanged Snake, Galvarinus chilensis chilensis (Serpentes: Dipsadidae: Tachymenini) from Chile. Herrera Y, Fuentes-Retamal S, Kemmerling U, Peichoto ME, Ortiz JC, Urra FA. Biology (Basel). 2022;11(12):1788. doi: 10.3390/biology11121788.

An Emergent Role for Mitochondrial Bioenergetics in the Action of Snake Venom Toxins on Cancer Cells. Urra FA, Vivas-Ruiz DE, Sanchez EF, Araya-Maturana R. Front Oncol. 2022;12:938749. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.938749.

Description of the antipredatory head-wobble behaviour in Chilean rear-fanged snakes Tachymenis peruviana Wiegmann, 1835 and Tachymenis chilensis coronellina Werner, 1898 (Serpentes, Dipsadidae). Reyes-Olivares C, Vera-Quispe A, Zúñiga A, Urra FA. Herpetozoa. 2022; 35: 155-158. https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.35.e84842

A paraguayan toad Rhinella schneideri preparation based on Mbya tradition increases mitochondrial bioenergetics with migrastatic effects dependent on AMPK in breast cancer cells. Schmeda-Hirschmann G, Burgos-Edwards A, Rojas de Arias A, López-Torres C, Palominos C, Fuentes-Retamal S, Herrera Y, Dubois-Camacho K, Urra FA. J Ethnopharmacol. 2022;294:115344. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2022.115344.

Functional, immunological characterization, and anticancer activity of BaMtx: A new Lys49- PLA2 homologue isolated from the venom of Peruvian Bothrops atrox snake (Serpentes: Viperidae). Proleón A, Torrejón D, Urra FA, Lazo F, López-Torres C, Fuentes-Retamal S, Quispe E, Bautista L, Agurto A, Gavilan RG, Sandoval GA, Rodríguez E, Sánchez EF, Yarlequé A, Vivas-Ruiz DE. Int J Biol Macromol. 2022;206:990-1002.

Putting the brakes on tumorigenesis with snake venom toxins: New molecular insights for cancer drug discovery. Urra FA, Araya-Maturana R. Semin Cancer Biol. 2022;80:195-204.

2021

Extracellular matrix signals as drivers of mitochondrial bioenergetics and metabolic plasticity of cancer cells during metastasis. Urra FA, Fuentes-Retamal S, Palominos C, Rodríguez-Lucart YA, López-Torres C, Araya-Maturana R. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021;9:751301. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2021.751301.

FRI-1 is an anti-cancer isoquinolinequinone that inhibits the mitochondrial bioenergetics and blocks metabolic shifts by redox disruption in breast cancer cells. Córdova-Delgado M, Fuentes-Retamal S, Palominos C, López-Torres C, Guzmán-Rivera D, Ramírez-Rodríguez O, Araya-Maturana R, Urra FA. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021 Oct 14;10(10):1618. doi: 10.3390/antiox10101618.

First reports of envenoming by South American water snakes Helicops angulatus and Hydrops triangularis from Bolivian Amazon: A one-year prospective study of non-front-fanged colubroid snakebites. Villca-Corani H, Nieto-Ariza B, León R, Rocabado JA, Chippaux JP, Urra FA. Toxicon. 2021;202:53-59. doi: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2021.09.003.

Recent advances in molecular mechanisms of anticancer natural products that target mitochondrial bioenergetics, Urra, F. A., Fuentes-Retamal, S., Palominos, C., and Araya-Maturana, R. In Studies in Natural Products Chemistry, ed. A. Atta-ur-Rahman (Amsterdam: Elsevier), 2021, 1–41.

Leucism and albinism in the rear-fanged snakes Tachymenis chilensis chilensis (Schlegel, 1837) and Tachymenis chilensis coronellina Werner, 1898 (Serpentes, Dipsadidae). Urra FA, Zúñiga A, Melero N, Reyes N, Herrera Y, Miranda-Calle AB, Ortiz JC. Herpetozoa 2021, 34: 125-129. https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.34.e63423

Zañartu N, Urra FA. Nocturnal activity of a rear-fanged Chilean snake, Tachymenis chilensis coronellina (Serpentes: Dipsadidae). Herpetology Notes 14: 1365-1366.

2020

  • Cancer cells with defective oxidative phosphorylation require endoplasmic reticulum-to-mitochondria Ca 2+ transfer for survival. Cardenas C, Lovy A, Silva-Pavez E, Urra F, Mizzoni C, Ahumada-Castro U, Bustos G, Jaňa F, Cruz P, Farias P, Mendoza E, Huerta H, Murgas P, Hunter M, Rios M, Cerda O, Georgakoudi I, Zakarian A, Molgó J, Foskett JK. Sci Signal. 2020 Jul 14;13(640):eaay1212.
  • An acylhydroquinone derivative produces OXPHOS uncoupling and sensitization to BH3 mimetic ABT-199 (Venetoclax) in human promyelocytic leukemia cells. Donoso-Bustamante, V., Borrego, E.A., Schiaffino-Bustamante, Y., Gutiérrez, D.A., Millas-Vargas, J. P., Fuentes-Retamal, S., Correa, P., Carrillo, I., Aguilera, R.J., Miranda, D., Chávez-Báez, I., Pulgar, R., Urra, F.A., Varela-Ramírez, A., & Araya-Maturana, R.Bioorganic chemistry, 100, 103935. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.103935
  • Fibrinogen-clotting enzyme, pictobin, from Bothrops pictus snake venom. Structural and functional characterization. International journal of biological macromolecules, 153, 779–795. Vivas-Ruiz, D.E., Sandoval, G.A., Gonzalez-Kozlova, E., Zarria-Romero, J., Lazo, F., Rodríguez, E., Magalhães, H., Chávez-Olortegui, C., Oliveira, L.S., Alvarenga, V.G., Urra, F.A., Toledo, J., Yarlequé, A., Eble, J.A., & Sanchez, E.F.
  • Synthesis of antiplatelet ortho-carbonyl hydroquinones with differential action on platelet aggregation stimulated by collagen or TRAP-6. European journal of medicinal chemistry, 192, 112187. Méndez, D., Urra, F.A., Millas-Vargas, J.P., Alarcón, M., Rodríguez-Lavado, J., Palomo, I., Trostchansky, A., Araya-Maturana, R., & Fuentes, E.
  • Complex Mitochondrial Dysfunction Induced by TPP+-Gentisic Acid and Mitochondrial Translation Inhibition by Doxycycline Evokes Synergistic Lethality in Breast Cancer Cells. Fuentes-Retamal, S., Sandoval-Acuña, C., Peredo-Silva, L., Guzmán-Rivera, D., Pavani, M., Torrealba, N., Truksa, J., Castro-Castillo, V., Catalán, M., Kemmerling, U., Urra, F.A., & Ferreira, J. (2020). Cells, 9(2), 407. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells9020407
  • The Parotoid Gland Secretion from Peruvian Toad Rhinella horribilis (Wiegmann, 1833): Chemical Composition and Effect on the Proliferation and Migration of Lung Cancer Cells. Schmeda-Hirschmann G, de Andrade JP, Soto-Vasquez MR, Alvarado-García PAA, Palominos C, Fuentes-Retamal S, Mellado M, Correa P, Urra FA. Toxins (Basel). 2020, 22;12(9):608. doi: 10.3390/toxins12090608.
  • Urra FA, Zúñiga A, Miranda-Calle AB, Melero N. First record of the invasive Gecko, Lepidodactylus lugubris Duméril & Bibron 1836 (Squamata, Gekkonidae), in mainland Chile. Herpetozoa. 2020 (33):125-129.

2019

  • Philodryas (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) Envenomation, a Neglected Issue in Chile. Toxins, 11(12), 697. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins11120697. Urra, F.A., Miranda-Calle, A. B., & Araya-Maturana, R.
  • Complex I and II are required for normal mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis. Mitochondrion, 49, 73–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mito.2019.07.004. Jaña, F., Bustos, G., Rivas, J., Cruz, P., Urra, F., Basualto-Alarcón, C., Sagredo, E., Ríos, M., Lovy, A., Dong, Z., Cerda, O., Madesh, M., & Cárdenas, C.
  • Regulation of mitochondrial function as a promising target in platelet activation-related diseases. Free Radic Biol Med. 2019. 136:172-182. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2019.01.007. Fuentes E, Araya-Maturana R, Urra FA.
  • Cañas, J & Urra, FA; 2019. Philodryas chamissonis (Chilean Green Racer) Nocturnal activity. Herpetological Review 50 (3): 600.
  • Cabeza O, Vargas E, Ibarra C, Urra F. 2019. Observations on reproduction in captivity of the endemic long-tailed snake Philodryas chamissonis (Wiegmann, 1835) (Reptilia, Squamata, Dipsadidae) from Chile. Herpetozoa 32: 203-209
  • Contreras, José M.; Felix A. Urra, Nicolás A. Rojas-Porras 2019. First record of Pompilocalus sp. ROIG ALSINA, 1989 (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) preying on Tachymenis chilensis coronellina (WERNER, 1898)(Serpentes: Dipsadidae) from Central Chile. Herpetology Notes 12: 931-932

2018

  • Urra FA, Muñoz F, Córdova-Delgado M, Ramírez MP, Peña-Ahumada B, Rios M, Cruz P, Ahumada-Castro U, Bustos G, Silva-Pavez E, Pulgar R, Morales D, Varela D, Millas-Vargas JP, Retamal E, Ramírez-Rodríguez O, Pessoa-Mahana H, Pavani M, Ferreira J, Cárdenas C, Araya-Maturana RFR58P1a; a new uncoupler of OXPHOS that inhibits migration in triple-negative breast cancer cells via Sirt1/AMPK/β1-integrin pathway. Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):13190.
  • Troncoso-Palacios J, Esquerré D, Urra FA, Díaz HA, Castro-Pastene C and Ruiz MS. The True Identity of the New World Iguanid Lizard Liolaemus chillanensis Müller and Hellmich 1932 (Iguania: Liolaemidae) and Description of a New Species in the Liolaemus elongatus Group. Zoological Studies 57: 21 (2018). doi:10.6620/ZS.2018.57-21.

2017

  • Urra F, Muñoz F, Lovy A, Cárdenas C. The mitochondrial complex(I)ty of cancer. Front. Oncol. 2017; 7: 118. doi 10.3389/fonc.2017.00118.
  • Urra F, Diaz HA, Werning H, Eisenberg T, Troncoso-Palacios J. Phymaturus vociferator Pincheira-Donoso, 2004 (Squamata: Liolaemidae): distribution extension and geographic distribution map. Checklist Journal. 2017; 13 (3):2137.
  • Schmeda-Hirschmann G, Gomez CV, Rojas de Arias A, Burgos-Edwards A, Alfonso J, Rolon M, Brusquetti F, Netto F, Urra FA, Cárdenas C. The Paraguayan Rhinella toad venom: Implications in the traditional medicine and proliferation of breast cancer cells. J Ethnopharmacol. 2017; 199:106-118. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2017.01.047.
  • Urra FA, Araya-Maturana R. Targeting Metastasis with Snake Toxins: Molecular Mechanisms. Toxins (Basel). 2017, 9(12). pii: E390. doi: 10.3390/toxins9120390

2016

  • Schmeda-Hirschmann G, Quispe C, Arana GV, Theoduloz C, Urra FA, Cárdenas C. Antiproliferative activity and chemical composition of the venom from the Amazonian toad Rhinella marina (Anura: Bufonidae). Toxicon. 2016. 121:119-129. doi: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2016.09.004.
  • Urra FA, Weiss-López B, Araya-Maturana R. Determinants of Anti-Cancer Effect of Mitochondrial Electron Transport Chain Inhibitors: Bioenergetic Profile and Metabolic Flexibility of Cancer Cells. Curr Pharm Des. 2016;22(39):5998-6008.
  • Urra FA, Córdova-Delgado M, Lapier M, Orellana-Manzano A, Acevedo-Arévalo L, Pessoa-Mahana H, González-Vivanco JM, Martínez-Cifuentes M, Ramírez-Rodríguez O, Millas-Vargas JP, Weiss-López B, Pavani M, Ferreira J, Araya-Maturana R. Small structural changes on a hydroquinone scaffold determine the complex  I inhibition or uncoupling of tumoral oxidative phosphorylation. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2016;291:46-57.
  • Cárdenas C, Müller M, McNeal , Lovy , Jaňa F, Bustos , Urra F, Smith N, Molgó J, Diehl JA, Ridky TW, Foskett JK. Selective Vulnerability of Cancer Cells by Inhibition of Ca(2+) Transfer from Endoplasmic Reticulum to Mitochondria. Cell Rep. 2016;14(10):2313-24.

2015

  • Schmeda-Hirschmann G, Quispe C, Arana GV, Theoduloz C, Urra FA, Cárdenas C. Antiproliferative activity and chemical composition of the venom from the Amazonian toad Rhinella marina (Anura: Bufonidae). Toxicon. 2016. 121:119-129. doi: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2016.09.004.
  • Urra FA, Weiss-López B, Araya-Maturana R. Determinants of Anti-Cancer Effect of Mitochondrial Electron Transport Chain Inhibitors: Bioenergetic Profile and Metabolic Flexibility of Cancer Cells. Curr Pharm Des. 2016;22(39):5998-6008.
  • Urra FA, Córdova-Delgado M, Lapier M, Orellana-Manzano A, Acevedo-Arévalo L, Pessoa-Mahana H, González-Vivanco JM, Martínez-Cifuentes M, Ramírez-Rodríguez O, Millas-Vargas JP, Weiss-López B, Pavani M, Ferreira J, Araya-Maturana R. Small structural changes on a hydroquinone scaffold determine the complex  I inhibition or uncoupling of tumoral oxidative phosphorylation. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2016;291:46-57.
  • Cárdenas C, Müller M, McNeal , Lovy , Jaňa F, Bustos , Urra F, Smith N, Molgó J, Diehl JA, Ridky TW, Foskett JK. Selective Vulnerability of Cancer Cells by Inhibition of Ca(2+) Transfer from Endoplasmic Reticulum to Mitochondria. Cell Rep. 2016;14(10):2313-24.

2013

  • F.A. Urra, M. Martínez-Cifuentes, H. Pessoa-Mahana, M. Pavani, J. Ferreira and R. Araya-Maturana. Ortho-carbonyl substituted hydroquinone is an anticancer agent that acts through the inhibition of mitochondrial bioenergetics and induces G2/M- phase arrest in mouse mammary adenocarcinoma TA3 Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 2013;267(3):218-27
  • F.A. Urra, M. Córdova-Delgado, H. Pessoa-Mahana, O. Ramírez-Rodríguez, B. Weiss-López, J. Ferreira, and R. Araya-Maturana. Mitochondria: A Promising Target for Anticancer Alkaloids. Curr Top Med Chem. 2013;13(17):2171-83.