Gonzalez-Juarrero Lab

The Gonzalez-Juarrero laboratory, part of the Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, focuses on the immune pathogenesis and development of aerosol therapies for mycobacterial diseases with primary emphasis on tuberculosis (TB) and non-tuberculous (NTM) diseases. Specifically, we want to understand how to enhance the antimicrobial activity in the infected host and characterize how these therapies affect the immunopathology of the disease, with an end goal of improved treatment therapies against multidrug-resistant infections.

We have developed several experimental animal models that allows for testing of aerosolized anti-TB and anti-NTM drugs. We test for efficacy, toxicity and pharmacokinetics of immunomodulators/antibiotics and study the temporal and spatial relationships of immune biomarkers during the stages of disease and therapy. Studies are done by a team of research scientists in close collaboration with other scientists in the mycobacteria research laboratories and serve to build a new generation of scientists by training graduate and undergraduate students.

Publications

A Modified BPaL Regimen for Tuberculosis Treatment replaces Linezolid with Inhaled Spectinamides.
Ali MZ, Dutt TS, MacNeill A, Walz A, Patterson J, Pearce C, Lam H, Henao-Tamayo M, Lee RE, Liu J, Robertson GT, Hickey AJ, Meibohm B, Gonzalez-Juarrero M. bioRxiv. 2023 Nov 16:2023.11.16.567434. doi: 10.1101/2023.11.16.567434. Preprint. PMID: 38014249

Role of succinyl substituents in the mannose-capping of lipoarabinomannan and control of inflammation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.
Palčeková Z, Obregón-Henao A, De K, Walz A, Lam H, Philp J, Angala SK, Patterson J, Pearce C, Zuberogoitia S, Avanzi C, Nigou J, McNeil M, Muñoz Gutiérrez JF, Gilleron M, Wheat WH, Gonzalez-Juarrero M, Jackson M.PLoS Pathog. 2023 Sep 5;19(9):e1011636. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011636. eCollection 2023 Sep.PMID: 37669276

Disposable Dosators Intended for Dry Powder Delivery to Mice.
Maloney SE, Stewart IE, Mecham JB, Gonzalez-Juarrero M, Meibohm B, Hickey AJ.J Vis Exp. 2023 Aug 18;(198). doi: 10.3791/65756. PMID: 37607097

Development of a Minimalistic Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (mPBPK) Model for the Preclinical Development of Spectinamide Antibiotics.
Parmar KR, Lukka PB, Wagh S, Temrikar ZH, Liu J, Lee RE, Braunstein M, Hickey AJ, Robertson GT, Gonzalez-Juarrero M, Edginton A, Meibohm B.Pharmaceutics. 2023 Jun 17;15(6):1759. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15061759. PMID: 37376207

Intrapulmonary Treatment with Mycobacteriophage LysB Rapidly Reduces Mycobacterium abscessus Burden.
Hurst-Hess K, Walz A, Yang Y, McGuirk H, Gonzalez-Juarrero M, Hatfull GF, Ghosh P, Ojha AK.Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2023 May 8:e0016223. doi: 10.1128/aac.00162-23. Online ahead of print. PMID: 37154689

more publications

People

Mercedes Gonzalez-Juarrero, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator [PI]
Professor

Ilham Alshiraihi, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Zohaib Ali, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Camron Pearce, M.S.

Research Associate II
PhD Candidate

Ha Lam

Research Associate II

Diana Jimenez

Research Associate I

Samantha Kupfner

Student Researcher

Image of foamy macrophages from the granuloma of a mouse lung infected with Mtb. The lipids are fluorescent red, the bacilli green, and the cell nuclei are stained blue.

Immunohistochemistry showing IL-10 expression (brown) in Mtb infected lung tissue.

Multiplex immunohistochemistry for different cellular markers in and around a necrotic granuloma.

Multiplex immunohistochemistry in the lung tissue section from a balb/c mouse with Mtb. Each unique color is indicative of a unique cell type.

contact information

Lab: Microbiology room B230
Office: Microbiology room C223

Office: (970) 491-7306, Lab: (970) 491-1628