Overview
Associate Professor
453 W. 10th Ave.
Columbus, OH 43210
Phone: (614) 293-4176 (office)
Alternate Phone: (614) 293-4176 (lab)
Email: mireia.guerau@osumc.edu
Primary Professional Areas of Interest
The mission of the Guerau Applied Immunology Laboratory is to provide better diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) that reduce and/or stop disease. To do so, we investigate epigenetic mechanisms that promote inflammatory immune cells and drive inflammation/autoimmunity.
Our strategy is to complement basic research (immunological research tools and animal models of autoimmunity) with translational research (MS patient samples) to provide solutions tailored to MS patients. We strive to provide continuity to this mission by educating the next generation of researchers and medical laboratory scientists.
Research Focus
Autoimmune and inflammatory diseases affect more than 20 million Americans, with important impacts on quality of life and high economic costs for society. MS is a demyelinating disease of the Central Nervous System mediated by inflammatory immune cells. The research mission of the Guerau Applied Immunology Laboratory is to provide better diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) that reduce and/or stop disease. To do so, we investigate mechanisms that promote inflammatory immune cells and drive inflammation/autoimmunity.
The inflammatory phenotype of immune cells is not only mediated by the genetic make-up of the cell, but also by epigenetic mechanisms that alter how genes are expressed. Such epigenetic mechanisms include modifications on histones that alter chromatin structure and miRNA-mediated modulation of gene expression. We study these mechanisms in two types of inflammatory immune cells that drive MS, i.e., T cells and macrophages.
Our strategy is to complement basic research (immunological research tools and animal models of autoimmunity) with translational research (MS patient samples) to provide solutions tailored to MS patients. We strive to provide continuity to this mission by educating the next generation of researchers and medical laboratory scientists.
Recent Research
MicroRNAs targeting TGFβ signalling underlie the regulatory T cell defect in multiple sclerosis. Severin ME, Lee PW, Liu Y, Selhorst AJ, Gormley MG, Pei W, Yang Y, Guerau-de-Arellano M, Racke MK, Lovett-Racke AE. Brain. 2016 Apr 28. pii: aww084. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 27190026
Guerau-de-Arellano, M; Liu, Y; Meisen, WH; Pitt, D, Racke, MK; Lovett-Racke, AE, “Analysis of miRNA in Normal Appearing White Matter to Identify Altered CNS Pathways in Multiple Sclerosis”. J. Autoimmune Disorders. Vol 1, 1. Feb. 2016
Jablonski, KA; Amici, SA; Webb, LM; Ruiz-Rosado, JdD; Popovich, PG; partida-Sanchez, S; Guerau-de-Arellano, M, “Novel Markers to Delineate Murine M1 and M2 Macrophages”. PLOS ONE. Vol. 10, 12. Dec 2015. (Published) (IF: 3.23 )
Courses Taught
- MEDLBS 5200 Clinical Laboratory Immunology
- BSGP 7972 Integrative Biomedical Senior Seminar
- MEDLBS 5400 Molecular Techniques in Medical Laboratory Science
- MEDLBS 5405 Molecular Techniques in Medical Laboratory Science Laboratory
Education
- PharmD, University of Barcelona
- Ph.D., Immunology, Tuffs University