Dr. Carmina Montoliu Félix

Principal Investigator
Research Group on Neurological Impairment

Presentation

PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Valencia. Professor of the Department of Pathology of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Valencia. She carries out his research activity at the Neurological Impairment Laboratory of the University of Valencia/INCLIVA Health Research Institute.

She coordinates the Transversal Program for Neurological Deterioration, with the participation of clinical research groups and basic research groups. She is a Member of the Training and Mobility Selection Commission, the Research Commission and the Innovation Commission of the Internal Scientific Committee of FIHCUV-INCLIVA-University of Valencia. In addition, the Euro-Mediterranean Master’s Degree in Neurosciences and Biotechnology from the University of Valencia.

Dr. Montoliu’s research activity has produced more than 120 articles published in international journals and various international patents.

We have been carrying out Basic and Translational Research with international relevance for years and we participate in the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Aging (EIP-AHA) of the European Commission, as a collaborating member.

The Neurological Impairment research group has been researching for many years mainly in the field of early detection and prevention of cognitive and functional impairment in the pathology of patients with liver disease who present minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE), that is, cognitive impairment and mild functional. Chronic liver disease progresses in different phases, including alcoholic or nonalcoholic liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) that can lead to fibrosis and cirrhosis.

Our research aims to better characterize the alterations in EHM and the mechanisms that produce them, evaluating new diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The studies are unique because they will make it possible to detect changes that are taking place in the immune system and at the brain level in patients in the earliest stages of mild cognitive and functional impairment. They will make it possible to identify brain signals or blood markers that give us information about what is happening in the brain.

Our group has been the first to find the first diagnostic marker in minimal hepatic encephalopathy and to identify a biomarker for early detection of cognitive impairment in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Early detection and treatment and prevention of cognitive and functional impairment would improve the quality of life, survival and vitality of patients with chronic liver diseases and would reduce hospitalizations and the demand for resources on the health system, improving its sustainability.

The studies of our research group will make it possible to detect changes in the process of cognitive deterioration associated with the development of pathologies such as chronic liver disease and that the results achieved contribute to improving the medical care that our health system offers to the patient. Looking for new therapeutic tools that can reverse or control the progress of cognitive and functional deterioration.

Dra. Carmina Montoliu Félix
Principal
Investigator
Dr. Carmina Montoliu Félix

cmontoliu@incliva.es; carmina.montoliu@uv.es

Publications
Improved cognition after rifaximin treatment is associated with changes in intra- and inter-brain network functional connectivity. Casanova-Ferrer F, Gallego J, Fiorillo A, Urios A, Rios M, Leon J, Ballester M, Escudero-Garcia D, Kosenko E, Belloch V, Montoliu C. Journal of Translational Medicine. 2024 Jan 12;22(1):49. doi: 10.1186/s12967-023-04844-7. PMID: 38217008

Automatic video-oculography system for detection of minimal hepatic encephalopathy using machine learning tools. Calvo Cordoba A, Garcia Cena C, Montoliu C. Sensors. 2023 Sep 25;23(19):8073. doi: 10.3390/s23198073. PMID: 37836903

Corrigendum to Development and validation of the AMMON-OHE model to predict risk of overt hepatic encephalopathy occurrence in outpatients with cirrhosis [J Hepatol 79(4) (2023 Oct) 967-976]. Ballester MP, Tranah TH, Balcar L, Fiorillo A, Ampuero J, Kerbert AJC, Thomsen KL, Escudero MD, Mandorfer M, Reiberger T, Shawcross DL, Romero-Gómez M, Montoliu C, Carbonell-Asins JA, Jalan R. Journal of Hepatology. 2023 Dec;79(6):1571. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2023.10.013. PMID: 37919110

Development and validation of the AMMON-OHE model to predict risk of overt hepatic encephalopathy occurrence in outpatients with cirrhosis. Ballester M, Tranah T, Balcar L, Fiorillo A, Ampuero J, Kerbert A, Thomsen K, Escudero M, Mandorfer M, Reiberger T, Shawcross D, Romero-Gomez M, Montoliu C, Carbonell-Asins J, Jalan R. Journal of Hepatology. 2023 Oct;79(4):967-976. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2023.05.022. PMID: 37277075

Erythrocytes functionality in SARS-CoV-2 infection: potential link with Alzheimer’s disease. Kosenko E, Tikhonova L, Alilova G, Montoliu C. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2023 Mar 17;24(6):5739. doi: 10.3390/ijms24065739. PMID: 36982809

Mild cognitive impairment is associated with enhanced activation of Th17 lymphocytes in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Fiorillo A, Gallego J, Casanova-Ferrer F, Gimenez-Garzo C, Urios A, Ballester M, Durban L, Rios M, Megias J, San Miguel T, Kosenko E, Escudero-Garcia D, Benlloch S, Felipo V, Montoliu C. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2023 Jun 20;24(12):10407. doi: 10.3390/ijms241210407. PMID: 37373554

Neurofilament light chain protein in plasma and extracellular vesicles is associated with minimal hepatic encephalopathy and responses to rifaximin treatment in cirrhotic patients. Fiorillo A, Gallego J, Casanova-Ferrer F, Urios A, Ballester M, San Miguel T, Megias J, Kosenko E, Tosca J, Rios M, Escudero-Garcia D, Montoliu C. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2023 Sep 29;24(19):14727. doi: 10.3390/ijms241914727. PMID: 37834174

Patients died with steatohepatitis or liver cirrhosis show neuroinflammation and neuronal loss in hippocampus. Leone P, Arenas Y, Balzano T, Mincheva G, Martinez-Garcia M, Montoliu C, Llansola M, Felipo V. European Journal of Neurology. 2023 Oct;30(10):3032-3046. doi: 10.1111/ene.15935. PMID: 37340928

Is NMDA-receptor-mediated oxidative stress in mitochondria of peripheral tissues the essential factor in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy?. Kosenko E, Tikhonova L, Alilova G, Montoliu C. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2022 Feb 4;11(3):827. doi: 10.3390/jcm11030827. PMID: 35160278

Matched paired primary and recurrent meningiomas points to cell-death program contributions to genomic and epigenomic instability along tumor progression. San-Miguel T, Megias J, Monleon D, Navarro L, Munoz-Hidalgo L, Montoliu C, Meri M, Roldan P, Cerda-Nicolas M, Lopez-Gines C. Cancers. 2022 Aug 19;14(16):4008. doi: 10.3390/cancers14164008. PMID: 36011000

Metabolic syndrome is associated with poor response to rifaximin in minimal hepatic encephalopathy. Ballester M, Gallego J, Fiorillo A, Casanova-Ferrer F, Gimenez-Garzo C, Escudero-Garcia D, Tosca J, Rios M, Monton C, Durban L, Ballester J, Benlloch S, Urios A, San-Miguel T, Kosenko E, Serra M, Felipo V, Montoliu C. Scientific Reports. 2022 Feb 14;12(1):2463. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-06416-z. PMID: 35165326

Minimal hepatic encephalopathy is associated to alterations in eye movements. Casanova-Ferrer F, Garcia-Cena CE, Gallego JJ, Fiorillo A, Urios A, Calvo-Cordoba A, Ballester MP, Rios MP, Durban L, Hidalgo MR, Garcia F, Felipo V, Montoliu C. Scientific Reports. 2022 Oct 7;12(1):16837. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-21230-3. PMID: 36207472

Plasma ammonia levels predict hospitalisation with liver-related complications and mortality in clinically stable outpatients with cirrhosis. Tranah T, Ballester M, Carbonell-Asins J, Ampuero J, Alexandrino G, Caracostea A, Sanchez-Torrijos Y, Thomsen K, Kerbert A, Capilla-Lozano M, Romero-Gomez M, Escudero-Garcia D, Montoliu C, Jalan R, Shawcross D. Journal of Hepatology. 2022 Dec;77(6):1554-1563. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2022.07.014. PMID: 35872326

Plasma extracellular vesicles play a role in immune system modulation in minimal hepatic encephalopathy. Gallego J, Fiorillo A, Casanova-Ferrer F, Urios A, Ballester M, Durban L, Megias J, Rubio T, Cabrera-Pastor A, Escudero-Garcia D, Felipo V, Montoliu C. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2022 Oct 15;23(20):12335. doi: 10.3390/ijms232012335. PMID: 36293192

Multi-omic analysis unveils biological pathways in peripheral immune system associated to minimal hepatic encephalopathy appearance in cirrhotic patients. Rubio T, Felipo V, Tarazona S, Pastorelli R, Escudero-Garcia D, Tosca J, Urios A, Conesa A, Montoliu C. Scientific Reports. 2021 Jan 21;11(1):1907. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-80941-7. PMID: 33479266

Patients with Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy Show Altered Thermal Sensitivity and Autonomic Function. Rega D, Aiko M, Penaranda N, Urios A, Gallego J, Gimenez-Garzo C, Casanova F, Fiorillo A, Cabrera-Pastor A, San-Miguel T, Ipiens C, Escudero-Garcia D, Tosca J, Monton C, Ballester M, Ballester J, Aparicio L, Rios M, Durban L, Mir A, Kosenko E, Cases P, Felipo V, Montoliu C. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2021 Jan 11;10(2):E239. doi: 10.3390/jcm10020239. PMID: 33440769

Projects
Reference: PI18/00150
Title: Caracterización de las alteraciones neurológicas y cerebrales en pacientes con encefalopatía hepática mínima. Contribucu¡ión de la Inflamación. Implicaciones diagnósticas y terapéuticas
Funding body: Instituto de Salud Carlos III – Cofinanciado FEDER
Principal Investigator: Carmina Montoliu Félix
Duration: 2019 – 2021
Total budget: 171.820 €
Reference: PROMETEO/2018/051
Title: Mecanismos moleculares y cerebrales de las alteraciones cognitivas y motoras en hiperamonemia y encefalopatía hepática. lmplicaciones terapéuticas y diagnósticas
Funding body: Conselleria de Educación, Cultura y Deporte
Principal Investigator: Vicente Felipo Orts
Duration: 2018 – 2021
Total budget: 289.194,57
+ Info
Title: Caracterización de los cambios en el inmunofenotipo asociados a la aparición del deterioro cognitivo leve en pacientes con enfermedad de hígado graso no alcohólico
Doctoral candidate: Fiorillo, Alesandra
Director(s): Montoliu Felix, Carmina; San Miguel Díaz, Teresa
Date of the defense: 01/11/2023
University: University de Valencia

Title: Caracterización de las alteraciones en el inmunofenotipo asociadas a la aparición de la encefalopatía hepática mínima en pacientes cirróticos. Implicación de las vesículas extracelulares
Doctoral candidate: Gallego Roig, Juan José
Director(s): Montoliu Felix, Carmina; Megías Vericat, Javier
Date of the defense: 01/11/2023
University: University de Valencia

Title: Characterization and evaluation of alterations in sensitivity and autonomic function in patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy
Doctoral candidate: Rega Caballero, Dalia
Director(s): Montoliu Felix, Carmina; Uriós Lluch, Amparo; Cases Bergón, Paula
Date of the defense: 05/12/2022
University: Universitat Politècnica de València

Title: Caracterización del deterioro neurológico y la respuesta al tratamiento con rifaximina en pacientes con encefalopatía hepática mínima
Doctoral candidate: Ballester Ferré, Maria Pilar
Director(s): Montoliu Félix, Carmina; Escudero García, Desamparados; Serra Desfílis Miguel Ángel
Date of the defense: 08/01/2021
University: Universitat de València