March 2023
José Luis Maravillas is an Associate Professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He completed his undergraduate studies at the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) and his Master’s and Doctorate studies specializing in Molecular Biomedicine at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies (CINVESTAV), in Mexico. At the end of his studies, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Department of Physiology and Biophysics and at the Institute for Immunology of the University of California, Irvine, in the United States. Besides that, he is the Associate Director of the Center of Excellence of the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS), with headquarters at the National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition Salvador Zubirán, in Mexico City, Mexico.
Research interests:
My research is focused mainly on human B cell immunology. Thanks to our close collaboration with clinical settings, we are currently working on different projects dedicated to characterizing the implications of B cell subpopulations, particularly those with “atypic” phenotypes or features beyond antibody production, in the pathogenesis of diseases such as lupus, COVID-19, or idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. As “B cell people”, my lab is also interested in antibodies. In this regard, it has been described that intestinal IgA preferentially coats different types of bacteria that, under certain conditions, can trigger pathogenic processes (pathobionts). In our lab, we study these IgA-bacteria conjugates at the oral level using 16s rRNA-sequencing, to determine potential contributions of dysbiosis in this cavity, with a particular interest in patients with lupus.
Recent publications:
- Romero-Ramírez S, Sosa-Hernández VA, Cervantes-Díaz R, Carrillo-Vázquez DA, Meza-Sánchez DE, Núñez-Álvarez C, Torres-Ruiz J, Gómez-Martín D and Maravillas-Montero JL (2023) Salivary IgA subtypes as novel disease biomarkers in systemic lupus erythematosus. Frontiers in Immunology. 14:1080154. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1080154
- Sosa-Hernández VA, Romero-Ramírez S, Cervantes-Díaz R, Carrillo-Vázquez DA, Navarro-Hernandez IC, Whittall-García LP, Absalón-Aguilar A, Vargas-Castro AS, Reyes-Huerta RF, Juárez-Vega G, Meza-Sánchez DE, Ortiz-Navarrete V, Torres-Ruiz J, Mejía-Domínguez NR, Gómez-Martín D and Maravillas-Montero JL (2022) CD11c+ T-bet+ CD21hi B Cells Are Negatively Associated With Renal Impairment in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Act as a Marker for Nephritis Remission. Frontiers in Immunology. 13:892241. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.892241
- Cervantes-Díaz R, Sosa-Hernández VA, Romero-Ramírez S, Torres-Ruiz J, Pérez-Fragoso A, Meza-Sánchez DE, Gómez-Martín D, Maravillas-Montero JL (2022) Circulating B10 regulatory cells are decreased in severe and critical COVID-19. Journal of Leukocyte Biology. 112:2, 333–337. doi: 10.1002/JLB.5COVCRA0721-387RR
Why I love immunology:
Because it is a field that is constantly changing. A new discovery about a different cell subset, a novel soluble modulator, or a new function for something traditionally circumscribed to only performing a given thing is emerging almost every day. This way, you can always create new hypotheses and test your ideas.
If I wasn’t an immunologist I would be:
As I always said, an architect!
Tips for young people who want to enter the field of immunology:
Find your niche! Immunology is a very competitive field; it is not wrong to be interested in the mainstream topics around, but there are a lot of exciting and neglected subjects that few people are interested in. They could represent opportunity areas where young scientists could make an impact.
What being an Immunopaedia Ambassador means to me:
It is a great networking opportunity to establish contact with people around the globe. Also, I’m a teacher, a task I enjoy, so representing and being immersed in this outstanding educational initiative is constructive.
How I have contributed to Immunopaedia so far and plans for future contributions:
With some “Breaking news” and Interview contributions, besides covering a couple of meetings where Immunopaedia was present!
You can get in touch with me by:
Website: www.linceb.org/en
Email: maravillas@cic.unam.mx