Noelia Silva-Pilipich

Recently graduated from doctoral studies and with good research, technical and problem-solving skills. I am enthusiastic, energetic, and detail-oriented, with a strong understanding of cancer biology and immunotherapy, and eager to delve into new concepts and skills. I am looking for an opportunity that offers growth and development, and willing to work independently or as part of a team.

Location: Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki (Helsinki, Finland)

Supervisor: Prof. Vincenzo Cerullo

Start date: 13/04/2022 – Finish date: 15/07/2022 (Duration: 3 months)

Funding entities: University of Navarra and Fundación La Caixa (Pamplona, Spain)

Location: CIMA-University of Navarra (Pamplona, Spain)

Supervisor: Dr. Cristian Smerdou

Start date: 05/10/2016 – Finish date: 04/11/2016 (Duration: 1 month)

Start date: 07/03/2017 – Finish date: 20/09/2017 (Duration: 6 months)

Funding entity: Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación (Montevideo, Uruguay)

Patent: Nanobodies for cancer therapy.

Inventors: Silva-Pilipich N, Vanrell L, Smerdou C, González-Sapienza, G.

Publication date: October 20th, 2022

Applicant: Fundación para la Investigación Médica Aplicada (FIMA), Pamplona, Spain, and Universidad de la República (UdelaR), Montevideo, Uruguay.

• Ballesteros-Briones MC, Martisova E, Casales E, Silva-Pilipich N, Buñuales M, Galindo J, Mancheño U, Gorraiz M, Lasarte JJ, Kochan G, Escors D, Sanchez-Paulete AR, Melero I, Prieto J, Hernandez-Alcoceba R, Hervas-Stubbs S, Smerdou C. Short-Term Local Expression of a PD-L1 Blocking Antibody from a Self-Replicating RNA Vector Induces Potent Antitumor Responses. Molecular Therapy 2019, 27(11):1892-1905.
• Silva-Pilipich N, Martisova E, Ballesteros-Briones MC, Hervas-Stubbs S, Casares N, González-Sapienza G, Smerdou C, Vanrell L. Long-Term Systemic Expression of a Novel PD-1 Blocking Nanobody from an AAV Vector Provides Antitumor Activity without Toxicity. Biomedicines 2020, 8(12):562.
• Ballesteros-Briones MC*, Silva-Pilipich N*, Herrador-Cañete G, Vanrell L, Smerdou C. A new generation of vaccines based on alphavirus self-amplifying RNA. Current Opinion in Virology 2020, 44:145-153 (Review). *Equal contribution
• Silva-Pilipich N, Smerdou C, Vanrell L. A Small Virus to Deliver Small Antibodies: New Targeted Therapies Based on AAV Delivery of Nanobodies. Microorganisms 2021, 9(9):1956 (Review).
• Casales E, Martisova E, Villanueva H, de Cerio ALD, Inoges S, Silva-Pilipich N, Ballesteros-Briones MC, Aranda A, Bezunartea J, Bendandi M, Pastor F, Smerdou C. Idiotype vaccines produced with a non-cytopathic alphavirus self-amplifying RNA vector induce antitumor responses in a murine model of B-cell lymphoma. Scientific Reports 2021, 11(1):21427.
• Herrador-Cañete G, Zalacain M, Labiano S, Laspidea V, Puigdelloses M, Marrodan L, Garcia-Moure M, Gonzalez-Huarriz M, Marco-Sanz J, Ausejo-Mauleon I, de la Nava D, Hernández-Osuna R, Martinez-García J, Silva-Pilipich N, Guruceaga E, Patiño-García A, Hernández-Alcoceba R, Smerdou C*, Alonso MM*. Galectin-3 inhibition boosts the therapeutic efficacy of Semliki Forest virus in pediatric osteosarcoma. Molecular Therapy-Oncolytics 2022, 26:246-264.
• Silva-Pilipich N*, Lasarte-Cía A*, Lozano T, Martín-Otal C, Lasarte JJ, Smerdou C. Intratumoral electroporation of a self-amplifying RNA expressing interleukin-12 induces antitumor effects in mouse models of cancer. Molecular Therapy-Nucleic Acids2022, 29:387-399. *Equal contribution
• Silva-Pilipich N, Blanco E, Lozano T, Martisova E, Herrador-Cañete G, Ballesteros-Briones MC, Igea A, Gorraiz M, González-Sapienza G, Lasarte JJ, Vanrell L, Smerdou C. Local delivery of optimized nanobodies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis with a self-amplifying RNA viral vector induces potent antitumor responses. Cancer letters 2023, 561:216139.
• Silva-Pilipich N, Covo-Vergara Á, Smerdou C. Local Delivery of Immunomodulatory Antibodies for Gastrointestinal Tumors. Cancers 2023, 15, 2352 (Review).
• Silva-Pilipich N, Covo-Vergara Á, Vanrell L, Smerdou C. Checkpoint blockade meets gene therapy: Opportunities to improve response and reduce toxicity. International Review of Cell and Molecular Biology 2023, 379:43-86 (Review).
• Blanco E, Silva-Pilipich N, Bocanegra A, Chocarro L, Procopio A, Ausín K, Fernandez-Irigoyen J, Fernández L, Razquin N, Igea A, Garnica M, Echaide M, Arasanz H, Vera R, Escors D, Smerdou C, Kochan G. Oleuropein-driven reprogramming of the myeloid cell compartment to sensitise tumours to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade strategies. British Journal of Cancer 2024, 130(5):869-879.
• Silva-Pilipich N, Beloki U, Salaberry L, Smerdou C. Self-Amplifying RNA: A Second Revolution of mRNA Vaccines against COVID-19. Vaccines 2024, 12(3):318 (Review).

• Silva-Pilipich N, Martisova E, Ballesteros-Briones MC, Smerdou C, Vanrell L. Long-term systemic expression of a new PD-1 blocking antibody from an AAV vector provides antitumor activity without toxicity (poster). European Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (ESGCT) 27th annual congress (October 22nd-25th, 2019, Barcelona, Spain).
• Ballesteros-Briones MC,Martisova E, Casales E, Silva-Pilipich N, Buñuales M, Galindo J, Mancheño U, Gorraiz M, Lasarte JJ, Kochan G, Escors D, Sanchez-Paulete AR, Melero I, Prieto J, Hernandez-Alcoceba R, Hervas-Stubbs S, Smerdou C. Local Expression of a PD-L1 Blocking Antibody from a Self-replicating RNA Vector Induces Potent Antitumor Responses (oral). ESGCT 27thannual congress (October 22nd-25th, 2019, Barcelona, Spain).
• Silva-Pilipich N, Lasarte-Cía A, Lasarte JJ, Smerdou C. Intratumoral delivery of a self-amplifying RNA expressing interleukin-12 by electroporation induces antitumor effects in a mouse colorectal cancer model (poster). Cancer Immunotherapy (CIMT) 18th annual meeting (May 10th-12th, 2021, online).
• Lasarte-Cía A, Silva-Pilipich N, Smerdou C, Lasarte JJ. Antitumor effect of a self-amplifying RNA expressing interleukin-12 in combination with in vivo electroporation (poster). ESGCT 28th annual congress (October 19th-22nd, 2021, online).
• Silva-Pilipich N, Lasarte-Cía A, Lozano T, Lasarte JJ, Smerdou C. Intratumoral electroporation of a self-amplifying RNA expressing interleukin-12 induces antitumor effects in mouse models of cancer (poster). Spanish Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (SETGyC) 11th Biennial Congress (May 30th-June 1st, 2022, Sevilla, Spain).
• Blanco E, Silva-Pilipich N, Chocarro L, Arasanz H, Bocanegra A, Fernández L, Ausín K, Fernandez J, Santamaría E, Echaide M, Piñeiro S, Garnica M, Ramos P, Vera R, Smerdou C, Escors D, Kochan G. Gene therapy with a viral vector expressing an anti-PD-1 antibody can be improved by reprogramming tumor associated myeloid populations (Best poster award). SETGyC 11th Biennial Congress (May 30th-June 1st, 2022, Sevilla, Spain).
• Gonzalez de Zárate A, Covo-Vergara A, Igea-Sucunza A, Silva-Pilipich N, Cuenca S, Blanco E, Herrador-Cañete G, Martínez-García J, Smerdou C. Development of a self-amplifying RNA vector expressing a high affinity PD-1 domain for cancer therapy (poster). ESGCT 29th annual congress (October 11th-14th, 2022, Edinburgh, UK).
• Blanco E, Silva-Pilipich N, Chocarro L, Arasanz H, Bocanegra A, Fernández L, Ausín K, Fernandez J, Santamaría E, Garnica M, Piñeiro S, Echaide M, Ramos P, Vera R, Escors D, Smerdou C, Kochan G. Immunotherapy with an anti-PD-1 antibody expressed by a viral vector improves with agents reprogramming tumor associated myeloid cells (poster). ESGCT 29th annual congress (October 11th-14th, 2022, Edinburgh, UK).
• Silva-Pilipich N, Blanco E, Lozano T, Martisova E, Herrador-Cañete G, Ballesteros-Briones MC, Igea A, Gorraiz M, González-Sapienza G, Lasarte JJ, Vanrell L, Smerdou C. A Self-Amplifying RNA Vector Expressing Nanobodies Against Immune Checkpoints Induces Potent Antitumor Responses (poster). American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 26th annual congress (May 16th-20th, 2023, Los Angeles, California).
• Silva-Pilipich N, Blanco E, Lozano T, Martisova E, Herrador-Cañete G, Ballesteros-Briones MC, Igea A, Gorraiz M, González-Sapienza G, Lasarte JJ, Vanrell L, Smerdou C. Targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway with nanobodies encoded in self-amplifying RNA vectors induce potent antitumor responses (oral). SETGyC 12thbiennial congress (June 19th-20th, 2023, Pamplona, Spain).
• Silva-Pilipich N, Blanco E, Igea A, Lozano T, Martisova E, Herrador-Cañete G, Ballesteros-Briones MC, Gorraiz M, Sarrion P, Lasarte JJ, Smerdou C, Vanrell L. Self-amplifying RNA vectors encoding PD-1/PD-L1 blocking nanobodies or immunocytokines induce potent antitumor responses (oral). 3rdSingle-Domain Antibodies conference (September 18th-20th, 2023, Paris, France).
• Silva-Pilipich N, Blanco E, Igea A, Vanrell L, Smerdou C. Local delivery of interleukin-12 armed with PD-1/PD-L1 blocking nanobodies using a self-amplifying RNA vector enhances antitumor responses (poster). 7thCancer Immunotherapy Conference (CICON, September 20th-23rd, 2023, Milan, Italy). Fondazione Focacci travel grant.
• Silva-Pilipich N, Blanco E, Igea A, Vanrell L, Smerdou C. Self-amplifying RNA vectors encoding interleukin-12 armed with PD-1/PD-L1 blocking nanobodies induce potent antitumor responses (oral). ESGCT 30th annual congress (October 24th-27th, 2023, Brussels, Belgium).

Note: Presenting author is underlined.

Project. Development of new immunotherapeutic strategies for the treatment of colorectal cancer using vectors based on self-amplifying RNA.

Principal investigator: Cristian Smerdou

Funding entity: Instituto de Salud Carlos III

Duration: 01/01/2018-31/12/2020

Project. Self-amplifying RNA armed with immunostimulatory nanobodies for the treatment of colorectal cancer.

Principal investigator: Cristian Smerdou

Funding entity: Gobierno de Navarra

Duration: 31/12/2018-30/12/2021

Project. Gene therapy of colorectal cancer using a self-replicating RNA vector expressing inhibitors of tumor cell adhesion and migration in combination with immunostimulatory antibodies.

Principal investigator: Cristian Smerdou

Funding entity: Instituto de Salud Carlos III

Duration: 01/01/2021-31/12/2023

Project. Identification of immune targets for the treatment of colon cancer with self-amplifying RNA.

Principal investigator: Cristian Smerdou

Funding entity: Gobierno de Navarra, Health Department

Reference: GN2022/21

Duration: 16-12-2022/15-12-2025

• Assistant in practical lessons for undergraduate students in the Department of Biochemistry of the University of Navarra (60 hours/year from 2018-2021), under the supervision of Prof. Eduardo Ansorena (eansorena@unav.es) and Dr. Silvia Cenoz (scenoz@unav.es).
• Assistant in practical lessons during the course “Therapeutic antibodies and other immunotherapeutic strategies” (2016 edition) held at the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of the Republic (Montevideo, Uruguay), under the supervision of Prof. Gualberto González (ggonzal@fq.edu.uy) and Dr. Lucía Vanrell.
• Volunteer in Science workshops for children organized by the association “Apadrina la Ciencia” (www.apadrinalaciencia.org) in Pamplona (April 14th 2019, and March 18th-19th2023).
• Member of the organizing committee of the first two editions of the “PhD Day” event held at CIMA-University of Navarra (October 21st 2022, and October 6th 2023).
• Guest teacher in the 2024 edition of the course “Viral vectors: from biology to potential application”, held at the University of the Republic (Montevideo, Uruguay) and organized by Prof. Mabel Berois (mabber@fcien.edu.uy) and Dr. Natalia Olivero.

Dr. Cristian Smerdou (CIMA-University of Navarra): csmerdou@unav.es

Prof. Juan José Lasarte (CIMA-University of Navarra): jjlasarte@unav.es

Prof. Vincenzo Cerullo (University of Helsinki): vincenzo.cerullo@helsinki.fi

Dr. Lucía Vanrell (Nanogrow Biotech): lvanrell@nanogrowbiotech.com