Immunobiophysics and antibody engineering
Group leader
José L. Nieva & Edurne Rujas
Phone
+34 946 01 3353 | +34 946 01 3429
Address
Biofisika Institute (CSIC-UPV/EHU)
Science Park of the UPV/EHU
Barrio Sarriena s/n. 48940 Leioa, Bizkaia (Spain)
Research goal
Our laboratory is dedicated to the interdisciplinary exploration of immuno-biophysical principles, along with the innovative engineering of antibodies to enhance their therapeutic potential across a spectrum of diseases, ranging from infectious diseases to cancer. Combining biophysical methods with molecular and structural biology techniques, our goal is to investigate molecular recognition processes that underlie immune system functions, particularly those occurring within membrane microenvironments. With our comprehensive approach, we aim to contribute novel insights to the field and ultimately foster the development of advanced immunotherapeutic strategies.
Group members
Anne Elizaga
PhD Student
Pablo Carravilla
Ikerbasque Research Fellow
Isabel Gris Cárdenas
Research Technician
Edurne Rujas
Ikerbasque Research Fellow
Terese Tombelle Gómez
Research Technician
Ander Ramos
PhD Student
Joao Zulaica
PhD Student
Alba Herrero Alonso
Postdoctoral Fellow
Sara Insausti González
Postdoctoral Fellow
Izaskun Morillo Melero
Phd Student
Jose L Nieva
University Professor
Publications
Domene C, Wiley B, Insausti S, Rujas E, Nieva JL
Distinctive Membrane Accommodation Traits Underpinning the Neutralization Activity of HIV-1 Antibody against MPER
Mol Pharm. 2025 Apr 9
doi: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.4c01341
Domínguez-Meister S, Mediavilla J, Dianova A, Álvarez N, Insausti S, Rujas E, Nieva JL, Brizuela M, Braceras I
High power impulse magnetron sputtering deposited virucide and antibacterial CrN-Cu films and the durability of the antimicrobial activity
Heliyon. 2025 Jan 14;11(2):e41936
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e41936
Alcaraz A, Nieva JL
Viroporins: discovery, methods of study, and mechanisms of host-membrane permeabilization
Q Rev Biophys. 2025 Jan 14;58:e1
doi: 10.1017/S0033583524000192
Insausti S, Ramos-Caballero A, Wiley B, González-Resines S, Torralba J, Elizaga-Lara A, Shamblin C, Ojida A, Caaveiro JMM, Zwick MB, Rujas E, Domene C, Nieva JL.
Generation of a Nonbilayer Lipid Nanoenvironment after Epitope Binding Potentiates Neutralizing HIV-1 MPER Antibody
ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2024 Nov 6;16(44):59934-59948
doi: 10.1021/acsami.4c13353
Gladue DP, Gomez-Lucas L, Largo E, Ramirez-Medina E, Torralba J, Queralt-Martín M, Alcaraz A, Velazquez-Salinas L, Nieva JL, Borca MV
Viroporin-like activity of the hairpin transmembrane domain of African swine fever virus B169L protein
J Virol. 2024 Jul 9:e0023124
doi: 10.1128/jvi.00231-24
Suárez-Vega A, Berriozabal G, Perez de Iriarte J, Lorenzo J, Álvarez N, Dominguez-Meister S, Insausti S, Rujas E, Nieva JL, Brizuela M, Braceras I
On the antimicrobial properties and endurance of eugenol and 2-phenylphenol functionalized sol-gel coatings
Heliyon. 2024 Apr 3;10(8):e29146
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29146
García-Porras M, Torralba J, Insausti S, Valle J, Andreu D, Apellániz B, Nieva JL.
A two-step mechanism for the binding of the HIV-1 MPER epitope by the 10E8 antibody onto biosensor-supported lipid bilayers
FEBS Lett. 2024 Feb 9
doi: 10.1002/1873-3468.14814
Rujas E, Apellániz B, Torralba J, Andreu D, Caaveiro JMM, Wang S, Lu S, Nieva JL.
Liposome-based peptide vaccines to elicit immune responses against the membrane active domains of the HIV-1 Env glycoprotein
Biochim Biophys Acta Biomembr. 2024 Jan;1866(1):184235
doi: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2023.184235
Gladue DP, Gomez-Lucas L, Largo E, Velazquez-Salinas L, Ramirez-Medina E, Torralba J, Queralt M, Alcaraz A, Nieva JL, Borca MV
African Swine Fever Virus Gene B117L Encodes a Small Protein Endowed with Low-pH-Dependent Membrane Permeabilizing Activity
J Virol. 2023 Jun 29;97(6):e0035023
doi: 10.1128/jvi.00350-23
Torralba J, de la Arada I, Partida-Hanon A, Rujas E, Arribas M, Insausti S, Valotteau C, Valle J, Andreu D, Caaveiro JMM, Jiménez MA, Apellániz B, Redondo-Morata L, Nieva JL
Molecular recognition of a membrane-anchored HIV-1 pan-neutralizing epitope
Commun Biol. 2022 Nov 18;5(1):1265
doi: 10.1038/s42003-022-04219-6
Insausti S, Garcia-Porras M, Torralba J, Morillo I, Ramos-Caballero A, de la Arada I, Apellaniz B, Caaveiro JMM, Carravilla P, Eggeling C, Rujas E, Nieva JL
Functional Delineation of a Protein-Membrane Interaction Hotspot Site on the HIV-1 Neutralizing Antibody 10E8
Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Sep 15;23(18):10767
doi: 10.3390/ijms231810767
Rujas E, Cui H, Burnie J, Aschner CB, Zhao T, Insausti S, Muthuraman K, Semesi A, Ophel J, Nieva JL, Seaman MS, Guzzo C, Treanor B, Julien JP.
Engineering pan-HIV-1 neutralization potency through multispecific antibody avidity.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 Jan 25;119(4):e2112887119
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2112887119
Rujas E, Leaman DP, Insausti S, Carravilla P, García-Porras M, Largo E, Morillo I, Sánchez-Eugenia R, Zhang L, Cui H, Iloro I, Elortza F, Julien JP, Eggeling C, Zwick MB, Caaveiro JMM, Nieva JL.
Focal accumulation of aromaticity at the CDRH3 loop mitigates 4E10 polyreactivity without altering its HIV neutralization profile.
iScience. 2021 Aug 17;24(9):102987.
DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102987
Caillat C, Guilligay D, Torralba J, Friedrich N, Nieva JL, Trkola A, Chipot CJ, Dehez FL, Weissenhorn W.
Structure of HIV-1 gp41 with its membrane anchors targeted by neutralizing antibodies.
Elife. 2021 Apr 19;10:e65005.
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.65005
de la Arada I, Torralba J, Tascón I, Colom A, Ubarretxena-Belandia I, Arrondo JLR, Apellániz B, Nieva JL.
Conformational plasticity underlies membrane fusion induced by an HIV sequence juxtaposed to the lipid envelope.
Sci Rep. 2021 Jan 14;11(1):1278.
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80156-w
Largo E, Queralt-Martín M, Carravilla P, Nieva JL, Alcaraz A.
Single-molecule conformational dynamics of viroporin ion channels regulated by lipid-protein interactions.
Bioelectrochemistry. 2021 Feb;137:107641.
DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2020.107641
Rujas E, Insausti S, Leaman DP, Carravilla P, González-Resines S, Monceaux V, Sánchez-Eugenia R, García-Porras M, Iloro I, Zhang L, Elortza F, Julien JP, Saéz-Cirión A, Zwick MB, Eggeling C, Ojida A, Domene C, Caaveiro JMM, Nieva JL.
Affinity for the Interface Underpins Potency of Antibodies Operating In Membrane Environments.
Cell Rep. 2020 Aug 18;32(7):108037.
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108037
Torralba J, de la Arada I, Carravilla P, Insausti S, Rujas E, Largo E, Eggeling C, Arrondo JLR, Apellániz B, Nieva JL.
Cholesterol Constrains the Antigenic Configuration of the Membrane-Proximal Neutralizing HIV-1 Epitope.
ACS Infect Dis. 2020 Aug 14;6(8):2155-2168.
DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00243
Carravilla P, Nieva JL, Eggeling C.
Fluorescence Microscopy of the HIV-1 Envelope.
Viruses. 2020 Mar 21;12(3):348.
DOI: 10.3390/v12030348
Carravilla P, Darré L, Oar-Arteta IR, Vesga AG, Rujas E, de Las Heras-Martínez G, Domene C, Nieva JL, Requejo-Isidro J.
The Bilayer Collective Properties Govern the Interaction of an HIV-1 Antibody with the Viral Membrane.
Biophys J. 2020 Jan 7;118(1):44-56.
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.11.005
Carravilla P, Chojnacki J, Rujas E, Insausti S, Largo E, Waithe D, Apellaniz B, Sicard T, Julien JP, Eggeling C, Nieva JL.
Molecular recognition of the native HIV-1 MPER revealed by STED microscopy of single virions.
Nat Commun. 2019 Jan 8;10(1):78.
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07962-9