My research focuses on solving cell dynamics, such as pathways involved in endocytosis, recycling and intracellular trafficking of different models such as receptors, spores, and nanoparticles in different cell lines. Furthermore, using delivery systems encapsulating certain peptides in nanoparticles we are investigating how the innate immune system can be stimulated. Moreover, another research area is focused on the search of anti-inflammatory effects of various extracts of Chilean native plants.

1. Theoretical and experimental characterization of a novel pyridine benzimidazole: Suitability for fluorescence staining in cells and antimicrobial properties. Alexander Carreño, Manuel Gacitúa, Juan A. Fuentes, Dayán Paez-Hernandez, Carmen Araneda, Ivonne Chávez, Marco Soto-Arriaza, Juan M. Manriquez, Rubén Polanco, Guido C. Mora, Carolina Otero, Wesley B. Swords and Ramiro Arratia-Perez. 2016. New Journal of Chemistry. DOI: 10.1039/C5NJ02772A
2. Effect of terminal groups of dendrimers in the complexation with antisense oligonucleotides and cell uptake. Valeria Márquez-Miranda, Juan Pablo Peñaloza, Ingrid Araya-Durán, Rodrigo Reyes-Ramírez, Soledad Vidaurre, Valentina Romero, Juan A Fuentes, Francisco Ceric, Luis A Velásquez, Fernando Danilo Gonzalez-Nilo and Carolina Otero. 2015. Nanoscale Research Letters. DOI: 10.1186/s11671-016-1260-9
3. Advances in nanomedicine towards clinical application in oncology and immunology. Eduardo Herreros, Sebastián Morales, Cristian Cortés, Mauricio Cabañas, Juan Pablo Peñaloza, Daniela Geraldo, Carolina Otero and Ricardo Fernández-Ramires. 2014. Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. PMID: 25213311
4. Carolina Otero, Juan Pablo Peñaloza, Ricardo Fernández-Ramires and Paula I. Rodas. Role of phosphodiesterases: spatio-temporal cAMP regulation in health and disease. 2014. Fundamental & Clinical Pharmacology. DOI: 10.1111/fcp.12080
5. Carolina Otero, Max Linke, Alfonso González and Iwan A.T. Schaap. Propranolol restricts the mobility of single EGF-receptors on the cell surface. 2013. PLoS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083086
6. Karin Schaeuble, Mark A. Hauser, Alexandra V. Rippl, Carolina Otero, Marcus Groettrup and Daniel F. Legler. Ubiquitylation of the Chemokine Receptor CCR7 Enables Efficient Receptor Recycling and Cell Migration. 2012. Journal of Cell Science, 125:(19) 4463-74
7. Viviana Valdés, José Ignacio Valenzuela, Daniela A. Salas, Matías Jaureguiberry-Bravo, Carolina Otero, Christina Thiede, Christoph F Schmidt and Andrés Couve. Endoplasmic Reticulum Sorting and the Kinesin Kif5 Command the Targeting of Axonal GABAB Receptors. 2012. PLoS ONE, 7(8): e44168. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0044168
8. Andrés Norambuena, Claudia Metz, Juan E. Jung, Antonia Silva, Carolina Otero, Jorge Cancino, Claudio Retamal, Juan Carlos Valenzuela, Andrea Soza and Alfonso González. Phosphatidic Acid Induces Ligand-independent EGFR Endocytic Traffic Through PDE4 Activation. 2010. Molecular Cell Biology, 21:2916-2929
9. Carolina Otero, Petra Eisele, Karin Schauble, Marcus Groettrup, and Daniel F. Legler. Distinct motifs in the chemokine receptor CCR7 regulate signal transduction, receptor trafficking and chemotaxis. 2008. Journal of Cell Science, 121: 2759-2767
10. Eva Schlosser*, Carolina Otero*, Christine Wuensch, Benedikt Kessler, Mariola Edelmann, René Brunisholz, Ingo Drexler, Daniel F Legler & Marcus Groettrup * Both are considered first authors A novel cytosolic class I antigen-processing pathway for endoplasmic-reticulum-targeted proteins. 2007. EMBO reports, 10: 945–951
11. Carolina Otero, Marcus Groettrup and Daniel F. Legler Opposite Fate of Endocytosed CCR7 and Its Ligands: Recycling versus Degradation. 2006. The Journal of Immunology, 177: 2314–2323