We are interesting to understand how interaction between carbohydrate binding proteins and glycoproteins at the cell surface modulate different cellular processes relevant to the immune system, auto immunity and cancer.

Undergraduate Thesis Mentoring:

1) Lucas Vicuña. “Galectin-8 binds to LFA-1 integrin and activates the ERK pathway in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.” Undergraduate Biochemistry thesis. Faculty of Biological Sciences. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. (2005 – 2007)
2) Evelin Pardo. “Anti-galectin-8 autoantibodies present in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.” Undergraduate Biochemistry thesis. Faculty of Biological Sciences. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. ( 2009)
3) Claudia Oyanadel. “Antibodies against the mu subunits of adaptor complexes and against galectin-8 in the study of cell polarity.” Undergraduate Biochemistry thesis. Faculty of Biological Sciences. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. ( 2009)
4) Felipe Garay. “Function of galectin-8 in drug resistance of ovarian cancer.” Undergraduate Biochemistry thesis. Faculty of Biological Sciences. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. (2012 – 2013)
5) Cristobal Curkovic. “The role of galectin-8 in the immune system and autoimmune diseases” Thesis to obtain a Masters in Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering in Biotechnology, Universidad Andres Bello. (2012 – 2013)
6) Christopher Holmes. “Galectin-8 interacts with cell-surface carbohydrates and enhances proteasome activity in a EGFR and FAK dependent process”. (Undergraduate Biochemistry Thesis). Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. (2013-2014)
7) Felipe Padilla. “Efecto de galectina 8 sobre la actividad y composición del proteasoma en células del sistema inmune y en células epiteliales”. (Undergraduate Biochemistry Thesis). Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.( 2015-2016)
8) Adely de la Peña: Práctica profesional, P. Universidad Católica de Chile/ Universidad San Sebastián (2018)

PhD Thesis Mentoring (C0-mentoring)

1) Claudia Cárcamo. “Función de la galectina-8 en linfocitos T y en autoinmunidad”. (PhD Thesis in Sciences, mention in Cell and Molecular Biology). Facultad Ciencias Biológicas. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. (1998-2004).
2) Remziye Doger. “Determinants of differential functions of galectin-8 on T cells and tumoral cells: Interplay of galectine-8 isoforms, integrin and growth factor signaling pathways”. (PhD Thesis in Sciences, mention in Cell and Molecular Biology). Facultad Ciencias Biológicas. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. 2009-2014.
3) Jorge Ibañez.“ROL DEL PROTEOSOMA 26S EN LA FORMACIÓN Y FUNCIÓN DE LA SINAPSIS INMUNE DE LOS LINFOCITOS B”.(PhD Thesis in Sciences, mention in Cell and Molecular Biology). Facultad Ciencias Biológicas. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. (2016-2019)

PATENTES
1) Inventores: Alfonso González, Andrea Soza y Claudia Metz
“Inhibidores de fosfohidrolasa de ácido fosfatídico (PAP), incluyendo D-propranolol y análogos, solos o en combinación con desipramina, para bloquear cánceres dependientes del EGFR, sus variantes oncogénicas y otros miembros de su familia ErbB/HER”.
Oficina de Patentes de Chile, Nº0273-2011; 08/02/2011
Patent Cooperation Treaty Nº PCT/ CL2012/000005 , 9/02/2012
Fases Nacionales: 06/08/2103: México (MX/a/2013/009091); USA (13/984,012); Canadá (2826785); Brasil (BR 11 2013 020125 8); Europa (12717035.5
EPO-Patente Europea); Rusia (2013/137960); India (1692/MUMNP/2013); China (2,0128E+12).
Patente Aprobada en USA. Mayo, 2016. Nº patente: US9345710 B2. “Inhibitors of phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase (PAP) enzymes for the treatment of cancers that depend on members of the ErbB/HER tyrosine kinase receptor family”.
2) Inventores: Alfonso González, Andrea Soza, Evelyn Pardo, Claudia Cárcamo, and Reinaldo Uribe
Título: “A method and a kit to predict prognosis in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis and poor prognosis: A decision making tool for prescription of treatment”.
US provisional application number62/067554 filed on October 23, 2014. PCT/IB2015/058172 y Fases nacionales: Europe: Patent file Nº 15852024.7 Date: 23-05-2017; EEUU, Nº: 15/521152; Date: 21-04-2017; CANADA, Nº: 2,965,593, Date 24-04-2017 CHILE: 1010-2017; Date: 24-04-2017.