Juana Díez Antón

Group website

Research Outline

Positive-strand RNA ((+)RNA) viruses are a major threat to human health. Because of their simplicity, they completely depend on the infected cell to multiply. The main research interest of my group is (i) to decipher key aspects of this intimate interaction in infections caused by emerging and pandemic viruses such as Dengue virus and SARS-CoV-2 virus and (ii) to identify novel broad-spectrum antiviral strategies by interfering with them.

 

Current Projects 

  •  Translational control in viral infections 

Viruses completely depend on the host translational machinery to express their proteins. How emerging and pandemic (+)RNA viruses manage to express their genomes to such high levels remains a fundamental question. To address it, we combine cellular, molecular biology and -omic approaches. 

  •  Development of broad-spectrum antivirals

To efficiently respond to novel viral outbreaks before they become pandemic, we need to count on (i) broad-spectrum antivirals that can be used as a first barrier and (ii) therapeutic platforms that allow to rapidly generate efficient antiviral molecules. We are addressing these two needs with a novel RNA-based approach.

 

Team during 2019-20

PhD students: Leire de Campos Mata, Florencia Alonso, Mireia Puig i Torrents

 

Postdocs: René Böttcher, Andrew MacRae, Maria Eugenia Gas, Belinda Baquero Pérez, Marc Talló Parra, Cristina Corral Ramos

 

Technicians: Gemma Vilaró Pérez

 

Selected publications 

Blasco-Moreno B, de Campos-Mata L, Böttcher R, García-Martínez J, Jungfleisch J, Nedialkova DD, Chattopadhyay S, Gas ME, Oliva B, Pérez-Ortín JE, Leidel SA, Choder M, Díez J (2019) The exonuclease Xrn1 activates transcription and translation of mRNAs encoding membrane proteins. Nat Commun.10(1):1298. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-09199-6.PMID: 30899024 

 

Blevins WR, Tavella T, Moro SG, Blasco-Moreno B, Closa-Mosquera A, Díez J, Carey LB, Albà MM (2019) Extensive post-transcriptional buffering of gene expression in the response to severe oxidative stress in baker's yeast. Sci Rep. 9(1):11005. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-47424-w.PMID: 31358845 

 

Doñate-Macian P, Duarte Y, Rubio-Moscardo F, Pérez-Vilaró G, Canan J, Díez J, González-Nilo F, Valverde MA (2020) Structural determinants of TRPV4 inhibition and identification of new antagonists with antiviral activity. Br J Pharmacol. doi: 10.1111/bph.15267. PMID: 32959389

 

Chen TC, Tallo-Parra M, Cao QM, Kadener S, Böttcher R, Pérez-Vilaró G, Boonchuen P, Somboonwiwat K, Díez J*, Sarnow P* (2020) Host-derived circular RNAs display proviral activities in Hepatitis C virus-infected cells. PLoS Pathog. 16(8):e1008346. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008346. eCollection 2020 Aug.PMID: 32764824

 

 

Other relevant information 

External contracts:

Antiviral activity of 2OHOA against SARS-CoV-2. Laminar Pharmaceuticals SL (Spain). Principal Investigator: J. Díez (2020)

 

Prizes: 

Technology transfer award, University Pompeu Fabra (2019)

 

Patent

Artificial circular RNAs for treating viral infections (European patent application 20 382 569.0). J Diez, I Dotu, M Talló. Titular Entity: Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Priority country: Spain. Priority date: 31/12/19.