Degradomics:
for more than 25 years, Carlos Lopez-Otin focused on the study of the involvement of proteolytic systems in pathological processes, especially in cancer. His group has identified more than 60 novel human proteases and they have also proposed a global approach for the study of proteases in health and disease through novel concepts such as Degradomics and Degradome. In parallel studies, the Lopez-Otin group has been involved in the functional annotation of the human genome and other genomes and degradomes of biomedical and evolutionary relevance, from chimpanzees and other primates to mice and whales.


Cancer Genomics:
Since 2009, Carlos Lopez-Otin co-directs the Spanish contribution to the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC-CLL). This scientific work has led to the unveiling of the complete tumor genome sequence of hundreds of patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and to the identification of recurrent mutations in several genes, which have become preferential targets for therapeutic intervention. Closely related to the Cancer Genome projects, Lopez-Otin’s group has discovered two new genes implicated in the progression of head and neck carcinomas, and they have identified the genetic determinants of several hereditary diseases: sudden death, microcytic anemia, bone abnormalities, familial melanoma and two novel premature aging syndromes.
Aging:
Lopez-Otin’s group has reported the first integrative analysis of the molecular and cellular hallmarks of aging and proposed different strategies for the metabolic control of longevity. Moreover, they have recently developed a method to facilitate the cell reprogramming of aged human cells to pluripotent cells with embryonic properties. The Lopez-Otin group has identified a new loss-of-proteostasis mechanism of myeloid transformation, connecting age-associated alterations in hematopoietic stem cells with the pathogenesis of hematological malignancies. Finally, they have unveiled the molecular mechanisms underlying different syndromes of premature aging and in collaboration with Nicolas Levy’s group, they have developed therapeutic strategies for the treatment of Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS).

GROUP HEAD BIOGRAPHY
Carlos Lopez-Otin is a Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, combining his teaching responsibilities with his research lines: Cancer, Aging Biology and Functional Analysis of Genomes. He has published over 400 articles and have been cited more than 50.000 times, with an aggregate Hirsch index of h=106. He is a member of numerous journal editorial boards, committees, and scientific societies, including the Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences and the European Academy. Throughout his scientific career, he has received national and international awards and distinctions, including the Doctorates “Honoris Causa” from the International University Menendez Pelayo, the University of Zaragoza and the Autonomous University of Chile, the “Rey Jaime I” Award in Research, the European “25th FEBS Jubilee” Award in Biochemistry, the Mexico Award in Science and Technology, and the “Santiago Ramón y Cajal” National Research Award. In 2017, he was awarded an “ERC Advanced Grant” from the European Union.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- Puente XS, Beà S, Valdés-Mas R, Villamor N, Gutiérrez-Abril J, Martín-Subero JI, Munar M, Rubio-Pérez C, Jares P, Aymerich M, Baumann T, Beekman R, Belver L, Carrio A, Castellano G, Clot G, Colado E, Colomer D, Costa D, Delgado J, Enjuanes A, Estivill X, Ferrando AA, Gelpí JL, González B, González S, González M, Gut M, Hernández-Rivas JM, López-Guerra M, Martín-García D, Navarro A, Nicolás P, Orozco M, Payer ÁR, Pinyol M, Pisano DG, Puente DA, Queirós AC, Quesada V, Romeo-Casabona CM, Royo C, Royo R, Rozman M, Russiñol N, Salaverría I, Stamatopoulos K, Stunnenberg HG, Tamborero D, Terol MJ, Valencia A, López-Bigas N, Torrents D, Gut I, López-Guillermo A, López-Otín C, Campo E. “Non-coding recurrent mutations in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia”Nature526: 519-524 (2015)
- Osorio FG, Soria-Valles C, Santiago-Fernández O, Bernal T, Mittelbrunn M, Colado E, Rodríguez F, Bonzon-Kulichenko E, Vázquez J, Porta-de-la-Riva M, Cerón J, Fueyo A, Li J, Green AR, Freije JM, López-Otín C. “Loss of the proteostasis factor AIRAPL causes myeloid transformation by deregulating IGF-1 signaling” Nature Med. 22: 91-96 (2016)
- López-Otín C, Galluzzi L, Freije JM, Madeo F, Kroemer G. “Metabolic control of longevity” Cell 166: 802-821 (2016)
- Ferrando AA, López-Otín C. “Clonal evolution in leukemia” Nature Med. 23: 1135-1145 (2017)
- Santiago-Fernández O, Osorio FG, Quesada V, Rodríguez F, Basso S, Maeso D, Rolas L, Barkaway A, Nourshargh S, Folgueras AR, Freije JMP, López-Otín C. “Development of a CRISPR/Cas9-based therapy for Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome” Nature Med. 25: 423-426 (2019)
- Bárcena C, Valdés-Mas R, Mayoral P, Garabaya C, Durand S, Rodríguez F, Fernández-García MT, Salazar N, Nogacka AM, Garatachea N, Bossut N, Aprahamian F, Lucia A, Kroemer G, Freije JMP, Quirós PM, López-Otín C. “Healthspan and lifespan extension by fecal microbiota transplantation into progeroid mice” Nature Med. 25: 1234-1242 (2019)
- Shuai S, Suzuki H, Diaz-Navarro A, Nadeu F, Kumar SA, Gutierrez-Fernandez A, Delgado J, Pinyol M, López-Otín C, Puente XS, Taylor MD, Campo E, Stein LD. “The U1 spliceosomal RNA is recurrently mutated in multiple cancers” Nature 574: 712-716 (2019)
- ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes Consortium (including Puente XS and López-Otín C, Universidad de Oviedo) “Pan-cancer analysis of whole genomes” Nature 578: 82-93 (2020)
- López-Otín C and Kroemer G. “The hallmarks of health” Cell 184: 33-63 (2021)
- Bousquets-Muñoz P, Díaz-Navarro A, Nadeu F, Sánchez-Pitiot A, López-Tamargo S, Shuai S, Balbín M, Tubio JMC, Beà S, Martin-Subero JI, Gutiérrez-Fernández A, Stein LD, Campo E, Puente XS. “PanCancer analysis of somatic mutations in repetitive regions reveals recurrent mutations in snRNA U2” NPJ Genom Med. 7:19 (2022)

Personnel
Nombre | Cargo | Teléfono | |
Carlos López Otín | Jefe de grupo | clo@uniovi.es | 985104201 |
Antonio Fueyo Silva | Investigador | fueyos@uniovi.es | 985103576 |
Jose María Pérez Freije | Investigador | jmpf@uniovi.es | 985106281 |
Xosé Antón Suárez Puente | Investigador | xspuente@uniovi.es | 985105027 |
Víctor Quesada Fernández | Investigador | quesadavictor@uniovi.es | 985103568 |
Ana Gutiérrez Fernández | Investigadora | anaguti@uniovi.es | 985103566 |
Alejandro López Soto | Investigador | lopezsalejandro@uniovi.es | 985109594 |
David Rodríguez Martínez | Investigador | rodriguezdavid@uniovi.es | 985106231 |
Alejandro Piñeiro Ugalde | Investigador Ramón y Cajal | pineiroalejandro@uniovi.es | 985102706 |
Alicia Rodríguez Folgueras | Investigadora | arfolgueras@uniovi.es | 985106283 |
Gabriel Bretones Sánchez | Contratado Post-doctoral | bretonesgabriel@uniovi.es | 985102747 |
Magda Rita Hamczyk | Contratada Post-doctoral | hamczykmagda.uo@uniovi.es | 985105025 |
Yaiza Español Fernández | Lab-manager | espanolyaiza@uniovi.es | 985105025 |
Cecilia Garabaya Fernández | Técnica de laboratorio | ceciliag@uniovi.es | 985105025 |
Sonsoles Álvarez Miranda | Técnica de laboratorio | sonsoles@uniovi.es | 985102747 |
Diana Álvarez Puente | Técnica de laboratorio | alvarezdiana@uniovi.es | 985104202 |
Alejandra Valle Cao | Contratada Predoctoral | alevallecao@gmail.com | 985102747 |
Cristina Olivares Fernández | Contratada Predoctoral | cristinaof.clm@gmail.com | 985109573 |
Javier Rodríguez Arango | Contratado Predoctoral | rodriguezajavier@uniovi.es | 985105025 |
Daniel Maeso Miguel | Contratado Predoctoral | maesodani@gmail.com | 985102747 |
Pablo Bousquets Muñoz | Contratado Predoctoral | bousquetspablo@uniovi.es | 985109573 |
David Roiz del Valle | Contratado Predoctoral | droiva@gmail.com | 985104202 |
Sara López Tamargo | Contratada Predoctoral | saralopeztamargo_@outlook.com | 985109573 |
Diego Quintana Torres | Contratado Predoctoral | diegoqntn@gmail.com | 985102747 |
Javier Fernández Mateos | Contratado Post-doctoral | fernandezmjavier.uo@uniovi.es | 985109573 |
Lucas Moledo Nodar | Contratado Predoctoral | lucasmoledonodar@gmail.com | 985105025 |
Mª Asunción Morchón Solis | Personal administrativo | susina@uniovi.es | 985102706 |
Clea Bárcena Fernández | Investigadora Ramón y Cajal | barcenaclea@uniovi.es | 985103567 |
Raquel Capín Pérez | Graduada | capinraquel@outlook.com | 985105034 |