All Stories

  1. Natural Fatty Acids as Dual ACE2-Inflammatory Modulators: Integrated Computational Framework for Pandemic Preparedness

    Article • International Journal of Molecular Sciences, December 2025, MDPI AG

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  2. Preliminary Study on PCC-Chitosan’s Ability to Enhance Microplastic Excretion in Human Stools from Healthy Volunteers

    Article • Foods, June 2025, MDPI AG

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  3. Enhanced Oil Binding Potential of Procambarus clarkii Chitosan (PCC): A Study with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Sunflower Oil Under Simulated Gastric Conditions

    Article • Polymers, May 2025, MDPI AG

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  4. Plastic Smell: A Review of the Hidden Threat of Airborne Micro and Nanoplastics to Human Health and the Environment

    Article • Toxics, May 2025, MDPI AG

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  5. Genotoxic and neurotoxic potential of intracellular nanoplastics: A review

    Article • Journal of Applied Toxicology, March 2024, Wiley

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  6. Molecular Docking Analysis at the Human α7-nAChR and Proliferative and Evoked-Calcium Changes in SH-SY5Y Cells by Imidacloprid and Acetamiprid Insecticides

    Article • Neurotoxicity Research, February 2024, Springer Science + Business Media

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  7. Evaluation of the red blood cell distribution width-to-lymphocyte ratio (RLR) and red blood cell distribution width-to-platelet ratio (RPR) as predictors of COVID-19 in-hospital mortality

    Article • Anaesthesia Critical Care & Pain Medicine, October 2023, Elsevier

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  8. Neurocytotoxicity of imidacloprid- and acetamiprid-based comercial insecticides over the differentiation of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells

    Article • Heliyon, May 2023, Elsevier

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  9. Analysis of Socio-demographic, Economic and Individual Reasons for COVID-19 Vaccination Hesitancy in Ecuador: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study

    Article • Journal of Community Health, January 2023, Springer Science + Business Media

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  10. Anti-Inflammatory Therapy as a Promising Target in Neuropsychiatric Disorders

    Article • January 2023, Springer Science + Business Media

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  11. Scientific pertinence of developing machine learning technologies for the triage of COVID-19 patients: A bibliometric analysis via Scopus

    Article • Informatics in Medicine Unlocked, January 2023, Elsevier

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  12. Mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC): a new biomarker for high-altitude pulmonary edema in the Ecuadorian Andes

    Article • Scientific Reports, December 2022, Springer Science + Business Media

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  13. Haematological indicators of mortality in people with community-acquired pneumonia living at high altitude

    Article • The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, June 2022, International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  14. Sex-Dependent Performance of the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte, Monocyte-to-Lymphocyte, Platelet-to-Lymphocyte and Mean Platelet Volume-to-Platelet Ratios in Discriminating COVID-19 Severity

    Article • Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, April 2022, Frontiers

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  15. Biomarkers of severe COVID-19 pneumonia on admission using data-mining powered by common laboratory blood tests-datasets

    Article • Computers in Biology and Medicine, September 2021, Elsevier

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  16. Does endogenous cholecystokinin modulate alcohol intake?

    Article • Neuropharmacology, August 2021, Elsevier

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  17. Cholecystokinin-Mediated Neuromodulation of Anxiety and Schizophrenia: A “Dimmer-Switch” Hypothesis

    Article • Current Neuropharmacology, June 2021, Bentham Science Publishers

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  18. Comparison between RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2 and expanded triage in sputum of symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 subjects in Ecuador

    Article • BMC Infectious Diseases, June 2021, Springer Science + Business Media

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  19. Common laboratory tests as indicators of COVID-19 severity on admission at high altitude: a single-center retrospective study in Quito (ECUADOR)

    Article • Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM), March 2021, De Gruyter

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  20. Might a high hemoglobin mass be involved in non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema? The case of the chronic maladaptation to high-altitude in the Andes

    Article • Medical Hypotheses, January 2021, Elsevier

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  21. The Role of Brain Cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) Beyond Neuroinflammation: Neuronal Homeostasis in Memory and Anxiety

    Article • Molecular Neurobiology, August 2020, Springer Science + Business Media

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  22. Overexpression of alpha-synuclein promotes both cell proliferation and cell toxicity in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells

    Article • Journal of Advanced Research, May 2020, Elsevier

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  23. Blockade of the cholecystokinin CCK-2 receptor prevents the normalization of anxiety levels in the rat

    Article • Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, January 2020, Elsevier

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  24. Neurobiology of vitamin C: Expanding the focus from antioxidant to endogenous neuromodulator

    Article • Pharmacological Research, August 2019, Elsevier

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  25. The unappreciated roles of the cholecystokinin receptor CCK(1) in brain functioning

    Article • Reviews in the Neurosciences, January 2017, De Gruyter

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  26. Interaction between cholecystokinin and the fibroblast growth factor system in the ventral tegmental area of selectively bred high- and low-responder rats

    Article • Neuroscience, December 2013, Elsevier

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  27. Ascorbate prevents cell death from prolonged exposure to glutamate in an in vitro model of human dopaminergic neurons

    Article • Journal of Neuroscience Research, August 2013, Wiley

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  28. Striatal interaction among dopamine, glutamate and ascorbate

    Article • Neuropharmacology, December 2012, Elsevier

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  29. Differential novelty detection in rats selectively bred for novelty-seeking behavior

    Article • Neuroscience Letters, September 2009, Elsevier

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  30. The CCK-system underpins novelty-seeking behavior in the rat: Gene expression and pharmacological analyses

    Article • Neuropeptides, June 2008, Elsevier

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  31. The CCK-system mediates adaptation to novelty-induced stress in the rat: A pharmacological evidence

    Article • Neuroscience Letters, November 2007, Elsevier

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  32. The 5-HT7 receptor: Role in novel object discrimination and relation to novelty-seeking behavior

    Article • Neuroscience, October 2007, Elsevier

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  33. Analysis of 5-HT6 and 5-HT7 receptor gene expression in rats showing differences in novelty-seeking behavior

    Article • Neuroscience, June 2007, Elsevier

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  34. Previous experience affects subsequent anxiety-like responses in rats bred for novelty seeking.

    Article • Behavioral Neuroscience, January 2007, American Psychological Association (APA)

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  35. The Potential Contributions of Chronic Inflammation to Lung Carcinogenesis

    Article • Clinical Lung Cancer, July 2003, Elsevier

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  36. Synthesis and Molecular Modeling of New 1-Aryl-3-[4-arylpiperazin-1-yl]-1-propane Derivatives with High Affinity at the Serotonin Transporter and at 5-HT1AReceptors

    Article • Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, September 2002, American Chemical Society (ACS)

    Professor Silvia Pérez-Silanes, Professor Santiago Ballaz

  37. Facilitation by 8-OH-DPAT of passive avoidance performance in rats after inactivation of 5-HT1Areceptors

    Article • British Journal of Pharmacology, December 1999, Wiley

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  38. 5-(Tryptophyl)amino-1,3-dioxoperhydropyrido[1,2-c]pyrimidine-Based Potent and Selective CCK1Receptor Antagonists:  Structural Modifications at the Tryptophan Domain

    Article • Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, November 1999, American Chemical Society (ACS)

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  39. MDMA (`Ecstasy') enhances 5-HT1A receptor density and 8-OH-DPAT-induced hypothermia: blockade by drugs preventing 5-hydroxytryptamine depletion

    Article • European Journal of Pharmacology, April 1998, Elsevier

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  40. 2-Oxopyrrolidines and 6-Oxoperhydropyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazines as Templates in the Search for Nonpeptide Cholecystokinin Ligands.

    Article • Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, January 1998, Pharmaceutical Society of Japan

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  41. Synthesis and Stereochemical Structure−Activity Relationships of 1,3-Dioxoperhydropyrido[1,2-c]pyrimidine Derivatives:  Potent and Selective Cholecystokinin-A Receptor Antagonists

    Article • Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, October 1997, American Chemical Society (ACS)

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  42. Pharmacological evaluation of IQM-95,333, a highly selective CCKAreceptor antagonist with anxiolytic-like activity in animal models

    Article • British Journal of Pharmacology, June 1997, Wiley

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  43. Pseudopeptide CCK-4 analogues incorporating the Ψ[CH(CN)NH] peptide bond surrogate

    Article • Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, January 1997, Elsevier

    Professor Santiago Ballaz

  44. CCK-4 restricted analogues containing a 3-oxoindolizidine skeleton

    Article • Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, April 1996, Elsevier

    Professor Santiago Ballaz