Ikerbasque Research Associate
0000-0001-8982-1857June Ereño-Orbea obtained her BSc in Biochemistry and a MSc in Molecular Biology & Biomedicine from the University of Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and continued her scientific pursuits by completing her PhD in Molecular Biology and Biomedicine from the same institution.
In 2015, Dr. Ereño-Orbea joined the laboratory of Dr. Julien at SickKids Hospital (Canada). In her postdoctoral research she characterized the structure of CD22 (Siglec-2), a key inhibitory co-receptor of B cells and a significant immunotherapeutic target. This research illuminated the interactions between CD22 and sialic acid glycans and provided insights into its spatial organization within B cells. The findings contributed to advancements in antibody-based therapies, specifically CAR-T cells for B-cell lymphoma treatment. Additionally, Dr. Ereño collaborated on HIV vaccine design with The Scripps Research Institute (USA).
In 2019, Dr. Ereño-Orbea joined CIC bioGUNE and completed a successful 5-year tenure-track period as an Ikerbasque Research Fellow (2019-2023). In 2024, she got promoted to Ikerbasque Research Associate and Associated Principal Investigator to lead her independent research. Her research is focused on unraveling molecular mechanisms of antibodies and lectins, particularly exploring Siglec glycoimmune checkpoint receptors for next-generation therapies in diseases like cancer. Using integrative molecular and structural biology and biophysical techniques, she unravels the complexities of antibody-Siglec and glycan-Siglec interactions, laying the foundation for purpose-fit therapeutic molecules through protein engineering and chemical biology. Simultaneously, she delves into the generation and characterization of antibodies targeting tumor associated glycans, contributing to advancements in cancer immunotherapy. In 2024, Dr. Ereño-Orbea was appointed Group Leader of the newly established Cancer Glycoimmunology Lab, a collaborative effort with Dr. Palazón.
Awards & recognitions
Ikerbasque Research Associate awarded by the Basque Foundation for Science (2024). “Consolidación Investigadora” by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (2024). R3 certificate by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (2023). BBVA Leonardo Grant for scientists and creators (2023). Ikerbasque Research Fellow awarded by the Basque Foundation for Science (2019). Juan de la Cierva Incorporación Program awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (2019). Banting Postdoctoral Research Fellow from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) (2016). AUSE PhD Award from the Spanish Association of Synchrotron Users (2017). Restracomp Award for Postdoctoral Research from The Hospital for Sick Children, Canada (2016). Jose Tormo Prize awarded by the Spanish Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SEBBM) (2014). Predoctoral Mobility Grants awarded by the Basque Regional Government for a research stay at the University of Colorado, US (2013). Research Staff Training Predoctoral Program awarded by the Basque Regional Government (2011).
Latest Publications
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
Glycans, or sugars, coat the surfaces of cells and many proteins. They form a complex and dynamic layer called the glycocalyx, which is essential for cellular communication, recognition, and protection. Through their diverse structures, glycans influence key biological processes such as immunity, infection, and cancer. The study of these molecules and their recognition by specific proteins, such as lectins and antibodies, reveals how sugars regulate immune responses, a field known as glycoimmunology.
Research line 1: Structural and Molecular Basis of Glycoimmune Recognition
Our lab investigates how antibodies and lectins recognize glycans, with a special focus on Siglec receptors, key glycoimmune checkpoints that modulate immune responses. Using structural, molecular, cellular, and biophysical approaches, the team uncovers the mechanisms underlying glycan-Siglec and antibody-Siglec interactions.
Research line 2: Protein Engineering for Next-Generation Immunotherapies
Building on structural insights, the group applies protein engineering and chemical biology to design and optimize therapeutic molecules that selectively target glycoimmune checkpoints. This includes developing engineered antibodies aimed at reprogramming immune activity in cancer and other diseases.
Research line 3: Antibodies Targeting Tumor-Associated Glycans
Our lab develops and characterizes antibodies that recognize cancer-specific glycans, advancing strategies for cancer immunotherapy and biomarker discovery. These studies contribute to understanding how abnormal glycosylation drives tumor progression and immune evasion.
Collaborators
Jim Paulson (Scripps), Matthew Macauley (University of Alberta), Filipa Marcelo and Paula Videira (University NOVA de Lisboa), Niels Reichardt (CIC biomaGUNE), Gonzalo Giménez-Óses AND Jesús Jiménez-Barbero (CIC bioGUNE), Francisco Corzana (University of La Rioja), Thomas Boltje and Christian Bull (Radboud University), Noortje de Haan (LUMC), Pablo Céspedes (CAMS, University of Oxford), Ralf Jungmann and Dr. Masullo (Max Planck Institute), and Jean-Philippe Julien (SickKids Hospital). Collaborations within the Basque research ecosystem include Adaptam Biotech.
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María Elena Laugieri
Juan de la Cierva Fellow -
Amaia Mentxaka Obieta
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Lorena Pérez Gutiérrez
AECC Talent Fellow TECHNICIANS / DOCTORAL CANDIDATES -
Paloma Velasco Beltrán
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Paula Serrano Casado
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Ander de Blas Martín
AECC Predoctoral Felow -
Iker Oyenarte
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Eunate Valdaliso Díez
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Jone Etxaniz Díaz de Durana
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So Young Lee
Members
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERLatest Publications
Decoding the Molecular Basis of the Specificity of an Anti-sTn Antibody
Soares, CO; Laugieri, ME; Grosso, AS; Natale, M; Coelho, H; Behren, S; Yu, J; Cai, H; Franconetti, A; Oyenarte, I; Magnasco, M; Gimeno, A; Ramos, N; Chai, WA; Corzana, F; Westerlind, U; Jiménez-Barbero, ...
JACS AU
2024-12-16
Exploring Glycan-Lectin Interactions in Natural-Like Environments: A View Using NMR Experiments Inside Cell and on Cell Surface
Bertuzzi, S; Lete, MG; Franconetti, A; Diercks, T; Delgado, S; Oyenarte, I; Moure, MJ; Nuñez-Franco, R; Valverde, P; Lenza, MP; Sobczak, K; Jiménez-Osés, G; Paulson, JC; Ardá, A; Ereño-Orbea, ...
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
2024-12-11
NMR investigations of glycan conformation, dynamics, and interactions
Angulo, J; Ardá, A; Bertuzzi, S; Canales, A; Ereño-Orbea, J; Gimeno, A; Gomez-Redondo, M; Muñoz-García, JC; Oquist, P; Monaco, S; Poveda, A; Unione, L; Jiménez-Barbero, J;
PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY
2024-10-18
Insights into the recognition of hypermucoviscous Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates by innate immune lectins of the Siglec and galectin families
Campanero-Rhodes, MA; Martí, S; Hernández-Ortiz, N; Cubero, M; Ereño-Orbea, J; Ardá, A; Jiménez-Barbero, J; Ardanuy, C; Solís, D;
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
2024-08-01
Quantifying Siglec-sialylated ligand interactions: a versatile 19F-T2 CPMG filtered competitive NMR displacement assay
Atxabal, U; Fernández, A; Moure, MJ; Sobczak, K; Nycholat, C; Almeida-Marrero, V; Oyenarte, I; Paulson, JC; de la Escosura, A; Torres, T; Reichardt, NC; Jiménez-Barbero, J; Ereño-Orbea, J;
CHEMICAL SCIENCE
2024-06-07
SUMOylation controls Hu antigen R posttranscriptional activity in liver cancer
Lachiondo-Ortega, S; Rejano-Gordillo, CM; Simon, J; Lopitz-Otsoa, F; Delgado, TC; Mazan-Mamczarz, K; Goikoetxea-Usandizaga, N; Zapata-Pavas, LE; García-del Río, A; Guerra, P; Peña-Sanfélix, ...
CELL REPORTS
2024-03-26
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
2023-01-23
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