Molecular Metabolism and Disease
Universitat de Barcelona
Faculty of Biology (IBUB)
TAM Lab
Dept. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine
Av. Diagonal, 643
08028 Barcelona
http://www.ub.edu/tam/
Principal investigators: Francesc Villarroya • Marta Giralt Associated Investigator: Roser Iglesias • Teresa Mampel Investigator post-doc: Montserrat Cairó • Ruben Cereijo • Aleix Gavaldà • Ricardo Moure • Marion Peyrou • Tania Quesada • Joan Villarroya • Laura Campderrós Ph.D. student: Alejandro Delgado • Samantha Morón


Current
Research
Our research group is focused on the study of the molecular and physiological basis of control of energy metabolism, and how it relates to human pathologies. We study the molecular mechanisms of brown, beige and white adipocyte plasticity, as well as muscle and hepatic metabolism. Molecular actors conveying new metabolic and endocrine functions of cells, tissues and organs are identified and characterized. Identification of the signaling molecules determining cellular and organ cross-talk is a main research subject. All this research involves the development of models at the sub-cellular, cellular and animal levels. Moreover, basic research is complemented with translational investigation directly related to metabolic diseases, mainly diabetes, obesity and lipodystrophies, and the study of biological material from patients is performed for this purpose. Translational research applying basic knowledge on molecular and cellular metabolic control is also developed in relation to food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry, and regenerative medicine. Our research is supported by Generalitat de Catalunya and other national and international based agencies (MINECO, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, European Union, European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes), charities (Fundació Marató TV3, Fundació BBVA, Instituto Danone) and is collaboration with private companies (Lucta, Minoryx). Our research groups is a member of CIBERobn and Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu. We are the coordinating team of the Spanish Excellence Research Network “Adipoplast”, and we develop a stable collaborative research program with Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.
Selected
Publications
CXCL14, a Brown Adipokine that Mediates Brown-Fat-to-Macrophage Communication in Thermogenic Adaptation.Cereijo R, Gavaldà-Navarro A, Cairó M, Quesada-López T, Villarroya J, Morón-Ros S, Sánchez-Infantes D, Peyrou M, Iglesias R, Mampel T, Turatsinze JV, Eizirik DL, Giralt M, Villarroya F.Cell Metab. 2018 Aug 10. pii: S1550-4131(18)30458-3.
Toward an Understanding of How Immune Cells Control Brown and Beige Adipobiology.Villarroya F, Cereijo R, Villarroya J, Gavaldà-Navarro A, Giralt M.Cell Metab. 2018 May 1;27(5):954-961.
Reciprocal Effects of Antiretroviral Drugs Used To Treat HIV Infection on the Fibroblast Growth Factor 21/β-Klotho System.Moure R, Domingo P, Villarroya J, Gasa L, Gallego-Escuredo JM, Quesada-López T, Morón-Ros S, Maroto AF, Mateo GM, Domingo JC, Villarroya F, Giralt M.Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2018 May 25;62(6). pii: e00029-18.
Brown adipose tissue as a secretory organ. Villarroya F, Cereijo R, Villarroya J, Giralt M.Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2017 Jan;13(1):26-35
The lipid sensor GPR120 promotes brown fat activation and FGF21 release from adipocytes.Quesada-López T, Cereijo R, Turatsinze JV, Planavila A, Cairó M, Gavaldà-Navarro A, Peyrou M, Moure R, Iglesias R, Giralt M, Eizirik DL, Villarroya F.Nat Commun. 2016 Nov 17;7:13479












Selected
Publications
Author
Identification
CXCL14, a Brown Adipokine that Mediates Brown-Fat-to-Macrophage Communication in Thermogenic Adaptation.
Cereijo R, Gavaldà-Navarro A, Cairó M, Quesada-López T, Villarroya J, Morón-Ros S, Sánchez-Infantes D, Peyrou M, Iglesias R, Mampel T, Turatsinze JV, Eizirik DL, Giralt M, Villarroya F.
Cell Metab. 2018 Aug 10. pii: S1550-4131(18)30458-3.
Author
Identification
Toward an Understanding of How Immune Cells Control Brown and Beige Adipobiology.
Villarroya F, Cereijo R, Villarroya J, Gavaldà-Navarro A, Giralt M.
Cell Metab. 2018 May 1;27(5):954-961.
Author
Identification
Reciprocal Effects of Antiretroviral Drugs Used To Treat HIV Infection on the Fibroblast Growth Factor 21/β-Klotho System.
Moure R, Domingo P, Villarroya J, Gasa L, Gallego-Escuredo JM, Quesada-López T, Morón-Ros S, Maroto AF, Mateo GM, Domingo JC, Villarroya F, Giralt M.
Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2018 May 25;62(6). pii: e00029-18.
Author
Identification
Brown adipose tissue as a secretory organ.
Villarroya F, Cereijo R, Villarroya J, Giralt M.
Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2017 Jan;13(1):26-35
Author
Identification
The lipid sensor GPR120 promotes brown fat activation and FGF21 release from adipocytes.
Quesada-López T, Cereijo R, Turatsinze JV, Planavila A, Cairó M, Gavaldà-Navarro A, Peyrou M, Moure R, Iglesias R, Giralt M, Eizirik DL, Villarroya F.
Nat Commun. 2016 Nov 17;7:13479