Ivana Paola Vera

Ms. Ivana Paola Vera

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

6Years (2021-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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19 June 2022 in Pharmaceutics
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Carla NavarroCarla Navarro
Carla Navarro
AOAngel Ortega
Angel Ortega
Raquel Gabriela SantelizRaquel Gabriela Santeliz
Raquel Gabriela Santeliz
Bermary GarridoBermary Garrido
Bermary Garrido
MCMaricarmen Chacin
Maricarmen Chacin
VBValmore Bermudez
Valmore Bermudez
The constant changes in cancer cell bioenergetics are widely known as metabolic reprogramming. Reprogramming is a process mediated by multiple factors, including oncogenes, growth factors, hypoxia-induced factors, and the loss of suppressor gene function, which support malignant transformation and tumor development in addition to cell heterogeneity. Consequently, this hallmark promotes resistance to conventional anti-tumor therapies by adapting to the drastic changes in the nutrient microenvironment that these therapies entail. Therefore, it represents a revolutionary landscape during cancer progression that could be useful for developing new and improved therapeutic strategies targeting alterations in cancer cell metabolism, such as the deregulated mTOR and PI3K pathways. Understanding the complex interactions of the underlying mechanisms of metabolic reprogramming during cancer initiation and progression is an active study field. Recently, novel approaches are being used to effectively battle and eliminate malignant cells. These include biguanides, mTOR inhibitors, glutaminase inhibition, and ion channels as drug targets. This review aims to provide a general overview of metabolic reprogramming, summarise recent progress in this field, and emphasize its use as an effective therapeutic target against cancer.

Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
GBGabriela Barros
Gabriela Barros
PDPablo Duran
Pablo Duran
IVIvana Paola Vera
Ivana Paola Vera
VBValmore Bermudez
Valmore Bermudez
Obesity is a major public health issue worldwide since it is associated with the development of chronic comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemias, atherosclerosis, some cancer forms and skin diseases, including psoriasis. Scientific evidence has indicated that the possible link between obesity and psoriasis may be multifactorial, highlighting dietary habits, lifestyle, certain genetic factors and the microbiome as leading factors in the progress of both pathologies because they are associated with a chronic pro-inflammatory state. Thus, inflammation management in obesity is a plausible target for psoriasis, not only because of the sick adipose tissue secretome profile but also due to the relationship of obesity with the rest of the immune derangements associated with psoriasis initiation and maintenance. Hence, this review will provide a general and molecular overview of the relationship between both pathologies and present recent therapeutic advances in treating this problem.

Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
AOAngel Ortega
Angel Ortega
IVIvana Paola Vera
Ivana Paola Vera
MDMaria Paula Diaz
Maria Paula Diaz
Carla NavarroCarla Navarro
Carla Navarro
MRMilagros Rojas
Milagros Rojas
VBValmore Bermudez
Valmore Bermudez
The yes-associated protein (YAP) and the transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) are transcriptional coactivators, members of the Hippo signaling pathway, which play a critical role in cell growth regulation, embryonic development, regeneration, proliferation, and cancer origin and progression. The mechanism involves the nuclear binding of the un-phosphorylated YAP/TAZ complex to release the transcriptional enhanced associate domain (TEAD) from its repressors. The active ternary complex is responsible for the aforementioned biological effects. Overexpression of YAP/TAZ has been reported in cancer stem cells and tumor resistance. The resistance involves chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. This review provides an overview of YAP/TAZ pathways’ role in carcinogenesis and tumor microenvironment. Potential therapeutic alternatives are also discussed.

18 July 2023 in Heliyon
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
Carla NavarroCarla Navarro
Carla Navarro
JSJuan Salazar
Juan Salazar
MDMaría P. Díaz
María P. Díaz
MCMaricarmen Chacin
Maricarmen Chacin
Raquel Gabriela SantelizRaquel Gabriela Santeliz
Raquel Gabriela Santeliz
VBValmore Bermudez
Valmore Bermudez
Longevity has been a topic of interest since the beginnings of humanity, yet its aetiology and precise mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Aging is currently viewed as a physiological phenomenon characterized by the gradual degeneration of organic physiology and morphology due to the passage of time where both external and internal stimuli intervene. The influence of intrinsic factors, such as progressive telomere shortening, genome instability due to mutation buildup, the direct or indirect actions of age-related genes, and marked changes in epigenetic, metabolic, and mitochondrial patterns constitute a big part of its underlying endogenous mechanisms. On the other hand, several psychosocial and demographic factors, such as diet, physical activity, smoking, and drinking habits, may have an even more significant impact on shaping the aging process. Consequentially, implementing dietary and exercise patterns has been proposed as the most viable alternative strategy for attenuating the most typical degenerative aging changes, thus increasing the likelihood of prolonging lifespan and achieving successful aging.

24 September 2026 in Biomedicines
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
MCMaricarmen Chacin
Maricarmen Chacin
IVIvana Paola Vera
Ivana Paola Vera
PDPablo Duran
Pablo Duran
VValentina Edimar Gutiérrez Martínez
Valentina Edimar Gutiérrez Martínez
ASAmurabit Edixon Santos
Amurabit Edixon Santos
VBValmore Bermudez
Valmore Bermudez
High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) has emerged as a revolutionary non-invasive technology in aesthetic medicine, enabling targeted tissue remodelling and skin rejuvenation through precise thermal and mechanical effects. This narrative review provides a comprehensive examination of the physical foundations of HIFU, including acoustic wave propagation, piezoelectric energy conversion, and transducer design. It also explores its biological mechanisms, including collagen denaturation, neocollagenesis, fibroblast activation, and extracellular matrix remodelling. Clinically, HIFU has shown significant efficacy in improving skin laxity, reducing wrinkles, and enhancing facial and neck contours, with a favourable safety profile supported by multiple studies. The review also examines the limitations of conventional HIFU devices and describes the newest emerging multi-transducer platform with multi-depth cartridges and dynamic applicators. Key gaps in the literature include the scarcity of randomised controlled trials, limited data on higher Fitzpatrick skin phototypes, and the lack of standardised treatment protocols. By synthesising current evidence, this work positions HIFU as an established modality in aesthetic dermatology. A multi-transducer HIFU platform is discussed as a technically interesting emerging platform whose proposed advantages in precision, homogeneity, and comfort remain to be confirmed by independent comparative and randomised studies.

24 February 2026 in Healthcare
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
PDPablo Duran
Pablo Duran
AOAngel Ortega
Angel Ortega
NPNestor Andres Galban Perez
Nestor Andres Galban Perez
IVIvana Paola Vera
Ivana Paola Vera
ADAndrea Díaz
Andrea Díaz
Diego Rivera-PorrasDiego Rivera-Porras
Diego Rivera-Porras
Background: Anxiety symptoms among medical students often emerge at the intersection of sustained academic pressure, anticipatory uncertainty and early professional socialisation, complicating their distinction from transient stress responses. Instruments employed in this context are therefore expected to operate consistently across subgroups while preserving conceptual clarity under non-clinical conditions. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), widely adopted as a brief screening measure, has shown variable factorial behaviour across populations, particularly when applied to student cohorts. Materials and methods: Using confirmatory factor analysis with robust weighted least squares estimation, the latent structure of a culturally adapted Spanish version of the GAD-7 was examined in a sample of medical students enrolled across all academic years at a public university. Model performance was evaluated through multiple fit indices suited for ordinal data, alongside estimates of convergent validity based on average variance extracted and reliability assessed via both Cronbach’s α and McDonald’s ω. Measurement invariance across sex was explored through a sequence of increasingly constrained multi-group models. Results: The unidimensional configuration originally proposed for the scale remained statistically coherent, despite minor tensions between absolute and incremental fit indicators commonly reported in comparable university-based samples. Convergent validity estimates suggested that the latent construct accounted for a substantial proportion of item variance, while reliability coefficients fell within the upper range observed internationally. Invariance testing supported comparability at the configurational and scalar levels, although full metric equivalence was less stable. Conclusions: Rather than resolving ongoing debates regarding the internal structure of the GAD-7, these findings situate its psychometric behaviour within the specific demands of medical education, where anxiety-related symptoms may fluctuate between normative adaptation and clinically relevant distress. This positioning invites further examination of how screening instruments perform when anxiety is shaped as much by institutional context as by individual psychopathology.