My work focuses on investigating macrophage lipid metabolism alterations upon infection with mycobacteria with the aim of developing host-directed therapies. I employ several molecular and immunological techniques, coupled with mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and proteomics, transcriptomics, genetic techniques and advanced biological models to interrogate the immunopathology and druggability of mycobacteria-infected macrophages.

Meer informatie over Irene Pascual Garcia

Mycobacterial infections are the leading cause of death from infectious disease worldwide. Current therapies require prolonged use of multiple drugs, often leading to serious side effects, and are increasingly compromised by rising antibiotic resistance. My project seeks to tackle this urgent global issue by developing innovative host-directed therapies (HDTs) that bypass antibiotic resistance and can work alongside existing treatments to enhance their effectiveness and safety. These HDTs will focus on altering metabolic pathways within infected host cells, reprogramming them to strengthen immune responses while limiting the nutrients available to invading bacteria. These studies will be performed using a combination of well-established in vitro (THP-1 macrophages or primary human monocyte derived-macrophages, organoids) and in vivo infection models (zebrafish, Danio rerio), and validated using patient-derived samples, which will establish their clinical relevance and the potential of HDTs to be translated into solutions for these devastating diseases.

I obtained a Master's degree in Biomedical Sciences with specialization in Immunity from Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM).