Ander de Blas Martín
Ander de Blas Martín
DOCTORAL CANDIDATE
AECC Predoctoral Felow
AECC Predoctoral Felow
Cancer Glycoimmunology Lab
Email: ablas@cicbiogune.es
Phone: 4227 / 944 061 300
Address: Bizkaia Science and Technology Park, building 801A, Derio (Bizkaia)

It is well recognised that the clinical response of immunotherapies depends on the ability of T-cells to mount an effective effector response, persist in treated patients and avoid exhaustion and toxicities. Several approaches to immunotherapy have shown promise in clinical trials, especially the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors and, more recently, autologous adoptive T-cell therapies. However, current state-of-the-art immunotherapies are only effective in a small fraction of patients, offering a medical need to be addressed in several cancer types.

Importantly, the tumor microenvironment has specific features that impact the immune response, including decreased oxygenation, aberrant vascularization and altered nutrient availability; all these influence the success of immunotherapies.

Our research is focused on elucidating the role of the oxygen sensing machinery in T cell function, and the link of hypoxia-driven metabolism and epigenetic modifications with T cell differentiation into effector and memory T cells within the context of cancer immunotherapy. Our current aims are to exploit these findings with a multi-disciplinary strategy, to deliver several early-stage drug discovery outputs. Our main objectives are:

1. Development of novel small molecule inhibitors to modulate the hypoxic response in T cells.
2. Therapeutic target discovery in T cells, focused on hypoxia-driven epigenetic modifications.
3. Development of hypoxia-responsive approaches for adoptive T cell therapy.

Successful completion of these aims will allow us to further innovate, harness this pathway for therapeutic potential and explore potential combinatorial approaches.

Latest Publications

Unraveling Molecular Recognition of Glycan Ligands by Siglec-9 via NMR Spectroscopy and Molecular Dynamics Modeling

Atxabal, U; Nycholat, C; Pröpster, JM; Fernández, A; Oyenarte, I; Lenza, MP; Franconetti, A; Soares, CO; Coelho, H; Marcelo, F; Schubert, M; Paulson, JC; Jiménez-Barbero, J; Ereño-Orbea, J;

ACS CHEMICAL BIOLOGY

2024-02-16

Targeting the Spike: Repurposing Mithramycin and Dihydroergotamine to Block SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Stagnoli, S; Macari, G; Corsi, P; Capone, B; Vidaurrazaga, A; Ereño-Orbea, J; Ardá, A; Polticelli, F; Jiménez-Barbero, J; Abrescia, NGA; Coluzza, I;

ACS OMEGA

2023-11-13

Long-COVID cognitive impairments and reproductive hormone deficits in men may stem from GnRH neuronal death

Sauve, F; Nampoothiri, S; Clarke, SA; Fernandois, D; Coêlho, CFF; Dewisme, J; Mills, EG; Ternier, G; Cotellessa, L; Iglesias-Garcia, C; Mueller-Fielitz, H; Lebouvier, T; Perbet, R; Florent, ...

EBIOMEDICINE

2023-10-01

Structural insights into Siglec-15 reveal glycosylation dependency for its interaction with T cells through integrin CD11b

Lenza, MP; Egia-Mendikute, L; Antoñana-Vildosola, A; Soares, CO; Coelho, H; Corzana, F; Bosch, A; Manisha, P; Quintana, JI; Oyenarte, I; Unione, L; Moure, MJ; Azkargorta, M; Atxabal, U; Sobczak, ...

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS

2023-06-13

Structures of the Inhibitory Receptor Siglec-8 in Complex with a High-Affinity Sialoside Analogue and a Therapeutic Antibody

Lenza, MP; Atxabal, U; Nycholat, C; Oyenarte, I; Franconetti, A; Quintana, JI; Delgado, S; Núñez-Franco, R; Marroquin, CTG; Coelho, H; Unione, L; Jiménez-Oses, G; Marcelo, F; Schubert, M; Paulson, ...

JACS AU

2022-12-23

The spike of SARS-CoV-2 promotes metabolic rewiring in hepatocytes

Mercado-Gómez, M; Prieto-Fernández, E; Goikoetxea-Usandizaga, N; Vila-Vecilla, L; Azkargorta, M; Bravo, M; Serrano-Maciá, M; Egia-Mendikute, L; Rodríguez-Agudo, R; Lachiondo-Ortega, S; Lee, ...

COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY

2022-08-17

Assessing the Mobility of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 Spike Protein Glycans by Structural and Computational Methods

Stagnoli, S; Peccati, F; Connell, SR; Martinez-Castillo, A; Charro, D; Millet, O; Bruzzone, C; Palazon, A; Arda, A; Jimenez-Barbero, J; Ereno-Orbea, J; Abrescia, NGA; Jimenez-Oses, G;

FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY

2022-04-15

The SARS-CoV-2 Spike Glycoprotein Directly Binds Exogeneous Sialic Acids: A NMR View

Unione, L; Moure, MJ; Lenza, MP; Oyenarte, I; Ereño-Orbea, J; Ardá, A; Jiménez-Barbero, J;

ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION

2022-03-07

Molecular Recognition Insights of Sialic Acid Glycans by Distinct Receptors Unveiled by NMR and Molecular Modeling

Soares, CO; Grosso, AS; Ereno-Orbea, J; Coelho, H; Marcelo, F;

FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES

2021-11-15

Systematic Engineering of Optimized Autonomous Heavy-Chain Variable Domains

Nilvebrant, J; Ereño-Orbea, J; Gorelik, M; Julian, MC; Tessier, PM; Julien, JP; Sidhu, SS;

JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

2021-09-22

Structural details of monoclonal antibody m971 recognition of the membrane-proximal domain of CD22

Ereño-Orbea, J; Liu, XL; Sicard, T; Kucharska, I; Li, W; Borovsky, D; Cui, H; Feng, Y; Dimitrov, DS; Julien, JP;

JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY

2021-08-01

Hypoxia reduces cell attachment of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein by modulating the expression of ACE2, neuropilin-1, syndecan-1 and cellular heparan sulfate

Prieto-Fernández, E; Egia-Mendikute, L; Vila-Vecilla, L; Bosch, A; Barreira-Manrique, A; Lee, SY; García-del Río, A; Antoñana-Vildosola, A; Jiménez-Lasheras, B; Moreno-Cugnon, L; Jiménez-Barbero, ...

EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS

2021-01-01

Current Status on Therapeutic Molecules Targeting Siglec Receptors

Lenza, MP; Atxabal, U; Oyenarte, I; Jiménez-Barbero, J; Ereño-Orbea, J;

CELLS

2020-12-01

Structural Characterization of N-Linked Glycans in the Receptor Binding Domain of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein and their Interactions with Human Lectins

Lenza, MP; Oyenarte, I; Diercks, T; Quintana, JI; Gimeno, A; Coelho, H; Diniz, A; Peccati, F; Delgado, S; Bosch, A; Valle, M; Millet, O; Abrescia, NGA; Palazn, A; Marcelo, F; Jiménez-Osés, G; ...

ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION

2020-10-22

N-Linked Glycosylation Regulates CD22 Organization and Function

Wasim, L; Buhari, FHM; Yoganathan, M; Sicard, T; Ereño-Orbea, J; Julien, JP; Treanor, B;

Frontiers in Immunology

2019-04-04

Molecular Basis of Unusually High Neutralization Resistance in Tier 3 HIV-1 Strain 253-11

Moyo, T; Ereño-Orbea, J; Jacob, RA; Pavillet, CE; Kariuki, SM; Tangie, EN; Julien, JP; Dorfman, JR;

Journal of Virology

2018-07-01

Characterization of Glycoproteins with the Immunoglobulin Fold by X-Ray Crystallography and Biophysical Techniques

Ereño-Orbea, J; Sicard, T; Cui, H; Akula, I; Julien, JP;

Jove-Journal of Visualized Experiments

2018-07-01

Crystal structure of cystathionine β-synthase from honeybee Apis mellifera

Giménez-Mascarell, P; Majtan, T; Oyenarte, I; Ereño-Orbea, J; Majtan, J; Klaudiny, J; Kraus, JP; Martínez-Cruz, LA;

JOURNAL OF STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY

2018-04-01

Structural Basis of Enhanced Crystallizability Induced by a Molecular Chaperone for Antibody Antigen-Binding Fragments

Ereño-Orbea, J; Sicard, T; Cui, H; Carson, J; Hermans, P; Julien, JP;

JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

2018-02-02

Molecular basis of human CD22 function and therapeutic targeting

Ereño-Orbea, J; Sicard, T; Cui, H; Mazhab-Jafari, MT; Benlekbir, S; Guarné, A; Rubinstein, JL; Julien, JP;

Nature Communications

2017-10-02