Rubén Vicente

Group website


Research Outline

The main interest is understanding the role of ion fluxes and membrane composition regulation in the physiology of immune cells, having a special interest in calcium signalling, zinc fluxes and de novo ceramide synthesis. 

 

Research Lines

Zinc signaling in immune cells

Zinc is a trace element essential for human health. Zinc deficiency causes immune dysfunction leading to an increased risk of inflammatory and infectious diseases. However, the specific role of zinc in the physiology of T-cells is still poorly characterized. We aim to have a better knowledge of the signalling events that modulate zinc in T to understand the benefits and risks of a zinc-based nutritional immunity.

Calcium signaling and ORMDL3 pathophysiology

ORMDL3 protein has been shown to negatively regulate sphingolipid synthesis and to alter calcium homeostasis. Our team is focused on studying the mechanistic insights of ORMDL3 cellular function.

NanoTarg: a nanotechnological platform to treat cancer

Our team, together with the Nanomedicine lab led by Dr Pilar Rivera, is involved in the development of NanoTarg, a novel nanotechnological platform to improve diagnosis and treatment of cancer. 

 

Team during 2019-20

PhD students: Marina Vogel Gonzalez, Ana Roca-Umbert

 

Selected publications 

  • Colomar N, Meseguer A, Company I, Jutz S, Olvera A, Kiefer K, Brander C, Herrera-Fernández V, Steinberger P and Vicente R. (2019) Zip6 transporter is an essential component of the lymphocyte activationmachinery. J. Immunol 2019 Jan 15;202(2):441-450. doi:10.4049/jimmunol.1800689 PMID: 30552163.
  • Kiefer K, Casas J, García-López R, Vicente R. Ceramide Imbalance and Impaired TLR4-Mediated Autophagy in BMDM of an ORMDL3-Overexpressing Mouse Model (2019) Int J Mol Sci; Mar 20;20(6). doi:10.3390/ijms20061391. PMID: 30897694.
  • Carreras-Sureda A, Jaña F, Ramos-Fernández E, Urra H, van Vliet AR, Durand S, Mortenson D, Pihan, P, Gonzalez-Quiroz M, Vicente R, Inestrosa N, Wiseman L, Agostinis P, Bultynck G, Court F, Kroemer G, Cárdenas JC and Hetz C. (2019) Non-canonical function of the unfolded protein response sensor IRE1α as a structural determinant of mitochondrial-associated ER membranes Nat Cell Biol; Jun;21(6):755-767. doi: 10.1038/s41556-019-0329-y. PMID: 31110288.
  • Picón-Pagès P, Bonet J, García-García J, Garcia-Buendia J, Gutierrez D, Valle J, Gómez-Casuso CES, Sidelkivska V, Alvarez A, Perálvarez-Marín A, Suades A, Fernàndez-Busquets X, Andreu D, Vicente R, Oliva B, Muñoz FJ. (2019) Human Albumin Impairs Amyloid β-peptide Fibrillation Through its C-terminus: From docking Modeling to Protection Against Neurotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease. Comput Struct Biotechnol J; Jun 26;17:963-971. doi: 10.1016/j.csbj.2019.06.017. PMID: 31360335.
  • Mercadal B, Vicente R, Ivorra A. Pulsed radiofrequency for chronic pain: In vitro evidence of an electroporation mediated calcium uptake. (2020) Bioelectrochemistry; Dec;136:107624. doi: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2020.107624. PMID: 32784104.
 

Other relevant information

-European Patent Application. Ref number.: 903 789

Treatment and/or Diagnosis of a cancer type characterize by expressing zinc transporter Zip4

Applicant: Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Investigators: Pilar Rivera Gial, Rubén Vicente García, Ruixue Xu

Priority Date: 10/03/2020

 

-11/12/2019 Invited speaker to give a talk in the seminar series of the Institute of Physiology in Aachen. "Deciphering the role of zinc transporters in T-lymphocyte physiology"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zinc influx during immune synapses. Human Jurkat T lymphocytes contact Raw 264 mouse macrophages and initiate the activation program. Strong zinc influx in the lymphocyte is monitored using the zinc sensor Zinquin. In red, lymphocyte loaded with the zinc sensor Zinquin. In green, plasma membrane of macrophages stained with Orange Mask.