Our Team

Luis Izquierdo is an Associate Research Professor at ISGlobal with over 20 years of expertise in glycobiology, focusing on pathogenic microorganisms.

His research explores how glycosylation impacts parasite biology, particularly in Plasmodium falciparum, with the goal of uncovering new therapeutic and diagnostic opportunities. By investigating how glycans modify parasite proteins and influence immune responses, he aims to develop targeted antimalarials and biomarkers.

His team, comprising PhD students and international collaborators, is dedicated to understanding these insights so they can potentially be translated into practical solutions. Their work has significantly advanced the understanding of glycobiology in parasitic diseases.

Lines of research

• First, they investigate the glycobiology of Plasmodium falciparum and related parasites, exploring everything from the synthesis of glycan precursors to the biological functions of glycoconjugates.
• Second, they conduct genetic and chemical validation of drug targets related to glycans and glycoconjugates in the malaria parasite.
• Third, they assess the significance of glycan modifications on vaccine-related antigens and the impact of parasitic glycans on the human immune response in P. falciparum and other pathogenic protozoa.

Main publications

• Alberione MP, González-Ruiz V, von Rohr O, Rudaz S, Soldati-Favre D, Izquierdo L, Kloehn J. N-acetylglucosamine supplementation fails to bypass the critical acetylation of glucosamine- 6-phosphate required for Toxoplasma gondii replication and invasion. PLOS Pathogens. 2024 Jun 20;20(6):e1011979. PMID: 38900808
• Jairoce C, Macià D, Torres-Yaguana JP, Mayer L, Vidal M, Santano R, Hurtado-Guerrero R, Reiter K, Narum DL, Lopez-Gutierrez B, Hamerly T, Sacarlal J, Aguilar R, Dinglasan RR, Moncunill G, Izquierdo L, Dobaño C. RTS, S/AS02A malaria vaccine-induced IGG responses equally recognize native-like fucosylated and nonfucosylated plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite proteins. The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2024 Mar 15;229(3):795-9. PMID: 37889513
• Fenollar À, Ros-Lucas A, Alberione MP, Martínez-Peinado N, Ramírez M, Rosales-Motos MÁ, Lee LY, Alonso-Padilla J, Izquierdo L. Compounds targeting GPI biosynthesis or N- glycosylation are active against Plasmodium falciparum. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal. 2022 Jan 1;20:850-63. PMID: 35222844
• Chi J, Cova M, De Las Rivas M, Medina A, Borges RJ, Leivar P, Planas A, Usón I, Hurtado- Guerrero R, Izquierdo L. Plasmodium falciparum apicomplexan-specific glucosamine-6- phosphate n-acetyltransferase is key for amino sugar metabolism and asexual blood stage development. MBio. 2020 Oct 27;11(5):10-128. PMID: 33082260
• Cova M, Rodrigues JA, Smith TK, Izquierdo L. Sugar activation and glycosylation in Plasmodium. Malaria journal. 2015 Dec;14(1):427. PMID: 26520586