Karla Tovar

Dr. Karla Tovar

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Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

7Years (2020-Present)

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

Representative Publications

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1 January 2020 in BioMed Research International
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KVKaren Zulema Meza Valle
Karen Zulema Meza Valle
RSRosa Saucedo
Rosa Saucedo
JAJudith V Ríos Arana
Judith V Ríos Arana
NLNaun Lobo
Naun Lobo
CRCarlos Rodriguez
Carlos Rodriguez
KTKarla Tovar
Karla Tovar
Introduction. In our days, several approaches reported the use of natural compounds in medical applications. Among them, pectin and allantoin are nontoxic, biocompatible, and biodegradable; however, its use for possible wound healing therapeutics is still limited. Pectin and allantoin have been applied in pharmaceutical industry and beauty cosmetic and could be also applied as scaffolds for tissue regeneration, wound healing, and so on. The aim of this study was to combine by the first time two natural ingredients to develop a new biomaterial to treat skin injuries in a rat model. Methods. For the hydrogel development, new synthesis parameters were established for the obtaining of the film such as temperature, mixing velocity and time, and drying temperatures as well. To enrich the film, the allantoin concentrations were set at 90 wt% and 100 wt% of pectin used. By in vivo assay, films were tested in wound healing in female Wistar rats, 190 ± 10 g in weight and 2 months aged. Results. The obtained films comprise 2 well‐differentiated layers, one layer rich in allantoin, which will be the regenerative layer, and one rich in pectin, which will work as an antimicrobial and protective layer to the wound. These were characterized by swelling kinetics, Fourier transform of the infrared spectrum of absorption (FTIR) spectroscopy, and contact angle. The morphology and topography were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). In vivo assay showed remarkable reduce in a time period in a wound healing process when the film was used. The results show that the use of PA (Pectin‐Allantoin) hydrogel reduces the total healing time by 25% approximately. Conclusions. Pectin‐Allantoin (PA) film has potential use in medical applications as wound healing material promoting healthy tissue renewal.

16 November 2021 in Polymers
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KMKaren Zulema Meza-Valle
Karen Zulema Meza-Valle
RSRosa Saucedo
Rosa Saucedo
KTKarla Tovar
Karla Tovar
JJuan Carlos Cuevas-González
Juan Carlos Cuevas-González
ECErasto Armando Zaragoza Contreras
Erasto Armando Zaragoza Contreras
JMJuana Melgoza-Lozano
Juana Melgoza-Lozano
Wound healing is fundamental to restore the tissue integrity. A topical study of the influence of Aloe vera hydrogel, formulated with 1,2-propanediol (propanediol) and triethanolamine (TEA), on the skin wound-healing process was investigated in female Wistar rats. FTIR spectroscopy confirms the presence of carboxylic acid and methyl ester carboxylate groups related with important compounds that confer the hydrogel a good interaction with proteins and growth factors. SEM images show a microstructure and micro-roughness that promote a good adhesion to the wound. Therefore, the swelling kinetics and the contact angle response contribute to the understanding of the in vivo results of the animal test. The results indicated that the Aloe vera hydrogel, prepared with propanediol and TEA, together with its superficial characteristics, improve its rapid penetration without drying out the treated tissue. This produced a positive influence on inflammation, angiogenesis, and wound contraction, reducing 29% the total healing time, reaching the total closure of the wound in 15 days.

16 December 2022 in Medicine
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MCMaría Verónica Cuevas-Gonzalez
María Verónica Cuevas-Gonzalez
GMGabriela Anaid Dds Mungarro-Cornejo
Gabriela Anaid Dds Mungarro-Cornejo
León Francisco Espinosa-CristobalLeón Francisco Espinosa-Cristobal
León Francisco Espinosa-Cristobal
Alejandro DonohueAlejandro Donohue
Alejandro Donohue
KTKarla Tovar
Karla Tovar
JJuan Carlos Cuevas-González
Juan Carlos Cuevas-González
Background: It is estimated that up to 90% of head and neck infections have an odontogenic origin, which are considered among the most common in the oral cavity and maxillofacial region. Bacterial resistance has been 1 of the main problems related to the treatment of this type of infection in recent years. The frequency of this resistance is increasing, which is mainly due to patient self-medication and the mutations that bacteria present. Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyze the antimicrobial resistance of antibiotics commonly administered for the treatment of odontogenic infections. Method: To carry out the study, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus databases were reviewed using the keywords “odontogenic infection”, “pharmacological treatment”, and “microbial resistance. Studies whose main objective was the pharmacological treatment of odontogenic infections were selected. Exclusions were review-type studies, systematic reviews, or in vitro or animal model studies. For the analysis of risk of bias, the Checklist for Analytical Cross-Sectional Studies of the Joanna Briggs Institute was used. The search and analysis of the studies was carried out by 2 researchers independently. Results: A total of 13 studies were included in this review. The mean age was 39.6 years; the location of the infection in the study subjects was in the submandibular and vestibular spaces; there were periodontal, periapical, and dentoalveolar lesions; the main microorganisms identified were Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Prevotella, Peptostreptococcus, Clostridium, and Klebsiella; and finally, the main microorganisms identified for bacterial resistance were penicillin, clindamycin and amoxicillin. Conclusion: The health professional is obliged to update their knowledge to avoid such antibiotic resistance and thus provide better patient care.

20 January 2021 in BioMed Research International
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MCMaría Verónica Cuevas-González
María Verónica Cuevas-González
FOFernando Suaste Olmos
Fernando Suaste Olmos
AGAlma Graciela García-Calderón
Alma Graciela García-Calderón
KTKarla Tovar
Karla Tovar
León Francisco Espinosa-CristobalLeón Francisco Espinosa-Cristobal
León Francisco Espinosa-Cristobal
Alejandro DonohueAlejandro Donohue
Alejandro Donohue
Introduction. Periodontal disease (PD) is a chronic inflammation of the soft tissues that support the structure of the tooth, and miRNAs are highly dynamic molecules that participate in the regulation of gene expression interfering with multiple genetic targets. The dysregulation of the expression of miRNAs has been associated with different types of pathologies; therefore, they are excellent molecules to be studied as biomarkers. Material and Methods. A search was made in the electronic databases of PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct. The following key words were used: “microRNAs,” “miRNAs,” “periodontal disease,” “periodontitis,” and “biomarker”; employee independent search strategies with the Boolean operators “OR” and “AND”; a further search of the references of the selected studies was performed to detect potential studies that met the selection criteria. The data recollected from each article were author, country, year of publication, sample size, type of sample used to identify miRNAs, methodology used to identify miRNAs, type of periodontal disease, and miRNAs identified. Results. Of the 13 selected studies, 6 used gingival tissue as a sample for the identification of miRNAs, 3 used gingival fluid, 2 used saliva, 1 used serum, and another used periodontal tissue. Chronic periodontitis was the most studied periodontal disease in 9 of the 13 selected articles; 7 used microarrays as the main technique for the identification of miRNAs. qRT‐PCR was the assay choice to validate the identified miRNAs. Conclusion. The main type of periodontal disease on which most studies are focused is chronic periodontitis, with the main miRNAs being hsa‐miR‐146a, hsa‐miR‐146b, hsa‐miR‐155, and hsa‐miR‐200. This systematic review is one of the first to carry out an analysis of the current role of miRNAs in PD as biomarkers.

1 January 2024 in BioMed Research International
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MCMaría Verónica Cuevas-González
María Verónica Cuevas-González
JJuan Carlos Cuevas-González
Juan Carlos Cuevas-González
León Francisco Espinosa-CristobalLeón Francisco Espinosa-Cristobal
León Francisco Espinosa-Cristobal
KTKarla Tovar
Karla Tovar
RSRosa Alicia Saucedo-Acuña
Rosa Alicia Saucedo-Acuña
GZGraciela Zambrano-Galvan
Graciela Zambrano-Galvan
A biomarker is defined as a characteristic that is measured as an indicator of a normal biological or pathological process, a response to an exposure or intervention. Biomarkers with a diagnostic approach must identify not only the presence but also the absence of the disease with high precision, so having the biological source of the said marker is of vital importance to ensure precision and accuracy; the aim was to carry out a review of its diagnostic potential. The search strategy was carried out in three databases: PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. The keywords that were used were as follows: “gingival crevicular fluid”, “Biomarker”, and “Diagnosis”, using the Boolean operator “AND”. The filter was used at 10 years. Within the type of molecules most studied, the cytokine family was the most abundant with 25.42% of the studies, followed by metalloproteinases and proteins with 16.9% each one. Studies that included RNA‐type genetic material were less frequently found. As has been demonstrated, the use of GCF as a source of biomolecules for diagnostic use has been increasing, both for oral diseases, which reflects the local conditions of the disease; it also has the ability to reflect the development of distant diseases; and this is because GCF is a blood ultrafiltrate.

26 June 2025 in Pharmaceutics
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MPMariana Goretti Pérez-Sáenz
Mariana Goretti Pérez-Sáenz
RMRita Elizabeth Martínez-Martínez
Rita Elizabeth Martínez-Martínez
ECErasto Armando Zaragoza Contreras
Erasto Armando Zaragoza Contreras
Rubén Abraham Domínguez-PérezRubén Abraham Domínguez-Pérez
Rubén Abraham Domínguez-Pérez
Simón Yobanny Reyes-LópezSimón Yobanny Reyes-López
Simón Yobanny Reyes-López
León Francisco Espinosa-CristobalLeón Francisco Espinosa-Cristobal
León Francisco Espinosa-Cristobal
Background/Objectives: Root canal infections represent a serious challenge to the success of endodontic treatment. The most commonly used antimicrobial irrigants, such as sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), have certain limitations, while endodontic biofilms pose a significant microbiological complexity in the endodontic field. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have emerged as a promising irrigant option in root canal treatments; however, few studies are focusing on endodontic biofilms. This work aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial and anti-adherence properties of AgNPs against clinically isolated bacteria taken directly from patients with various pulp and periapical diseases. Methods: AgNPs of two sizes were synthesized and characterized. The bactericidal and anti-adherence activities of AgNPs were evaluated through microbiological assays using experimental in vitro and ex vivo tests on oral biofilms taken from patients with symptomatic apical periodontitis (AAP) and pulp necrosis (PN). NaOCl solution was used as the gold standard. Results: The size of AgNPs was uniformly distributed (13.2 ± 0.4 and 62.6 ± 14.9 nm, respectively) with a spherical shape. Both types of nanoparticles exhibited good antimicrobial and anti-adherence activities in all microbiological assays, with a significant difference from NaOCl for in vitro and ex vivo models (p < 0.05). The inhibitory activity of AgNPs is mainly related to the type of microbiological sample and the exposure time. The antibacterial substantivity of both nanoparticle sizes was time-dependent. Conclusions: AgNPs may represent a promising antimicrobial option as an endodontic irrigant during conventional root canal treatments to prevent and control endodontic infections.