Leader of the Functional Glycomics group at the CBMSO-UAM. Professor at the Molecular Biology Department at the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid.

The Glycosylation is the most abundant, diverse and dynamic post-translational modification in nature, generating one of the most complex biological molecules found in nature, glycans.

The group has devoted the last five years to assemble, implement and validate a novel technological platform that allows to analyze the N-glycome from biological samples just available in a few laboratories. around the world. The group has curated one of the largest collections of clinically well characterized biological samples of American trypanosomiasis biological samples (around 5000), leishmaniasis visceral and Neurocysticercosis from all stages of the diseases, before and after chemotherapy. In the last year sera from autistic, Parkinson and Alzheimer disease samples had been added.

The glycomic evaluation of individuals (not populations) allows to establish associations to disease progression, therapeutic efficacy or failure and reinfections. The system has been used to analyze samples form three defined infectious disease from which we have clinically defined cohorts. From our previous studies on total sera N-glycome we have moved to study the effector profile of human Immunoglobulin G derived from its glycosylation profile. By using this novel approach, we have been allowed to identify some molecular markers for efficacy during the treatment with Benznidazole for acute Chagas disease patients, and able to discriminate the latent form active form of neurocysticercosis, previously only possible by using classical image systems like NMR or PET-TAC.