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Mariano A. Garcia-Blanco, MD, PhD

Mariano A. Garcia-Blanco, MD, PhD

Professor, Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology

Primary Location
Pinn Hall, 7316
Primary Phone Number
434.924.1948
Fax Number
434.982.1071
Email
[email protected]
Website
copy/paste this field into browser and delete extra text [mgarciablancolab.com]

Bio & Overview

Ongoing work in my laboratory focuses on the role of an alternative splicing factor, the RNA helicase DDX39B, known to immunologists as BAT1, on immunity and autoimmunity. The connection to autoimmunity derived from work with Dr. Simon Gregory (Duke University): we showed that alternative splicing of the interleukin 7 receptor (IL7R) transcripts regulates levels of soluble IL7R and confers increased risk for multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system. We discovered the master regulator of IL7R splicing is the DExD/H RNA helicase, DDX39B, and showed that it is a multiple sclerosis risk factor [Galarza-Muñoz et al., 2017]. We also provided a molecular explanation for how genetic variation in IL7R exon 6 leads to silencing of this exon and a model for how DDX39B activates it [Schott et al., 2021]. Recently, we have shown that DDX39B controls important posttranscriptional regulatory networks in T regulatory cells and is required for expression of FOXP3, the master transcription factor in T-regulatory cells [Hirano, Galarza-Muñoz et al., in revision for eLife]. The work on IL7R has led to three US Patents 8,158,344, 10,961,581, 11,118,186 and the formation of Autoimmunity BioSolutions, which is commercializing novel therapies that target soluble IL7R to treat autoimmune diseases and cancer. The second broad area of investigation in the laboratory focuses on RNA–protein interactions that impact infections caused by pathogenic RNA viruses. Our work on flaviviruses has identified human and mosquito pro- and anti-viral host factors, many of which are RNA binding proteins (RBPs) [Sessions et al., 2009]. The information gained from these studies has provided important mechanistic insights into how dengue, yellow fever, and Zika viruses replicate and how they evade immune defenses. This work has led to important insights on the role of post-transcriptional regulation on immune dysregulation by viruses and on the regulation of innate immunity by alternative splicing factors [Liao et al., 2021].

Academic Information

Department
Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology

Primary Education

  • B.S., undefinedHarvardnull
  • M.D., undefinedYale Universitynull
  • Ph.D., undefinedYale Universitynull

Other Affiliations

  • MSTP

Research Interests

RNA-protein interactions in antiviral immunity and autoimmune diseases.

Research Disciplines

  • Biochemistry
  • Genetics
  • Immunology
  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology

Research Opportunities

  • Biochemistry
  • Genetics
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Molecular Biology

PhD Programs

  • Microbiology

Selected Publications

2026

YBX1 regulates RNA polymerase III transcripts to prevent inflammation. Strilets TI, Dremel SE, Garcia-Blanco MA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2026 Sep;123(35):e2605741123. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2605741123. Epub 2026 Aug 21. PMID: 42627844 Free PMC article.

Experimental validation of compound 3md, identified in silico, demonstrates antiviral effect on DENV2 by intervention in the replicative phase. García-Ariza LL, Padilla-Sanabria L, García-Blanco MA, Castaño-Osorio JC. Virology. 2026 May;618:110838. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2026.110838. Epub 2026 Feb 16. PMID: 41722289

2025

Harnessing mRNA technology against Fasciola hepatica: Immunological insights from a fatty acid binding protein vaccine. Sánchez-Montejo J, Teodosio C, Strilets T, López-Abán J, Manzano-Román R, Pozo J, Martin S, Silos L, Trujillo I, García-Blanco MA, Vicente B, Muro A. Front Immunol. 2025 Nov 25;16:1693674. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1693674. eCollection 2025. PMID: 41376640 Free PMC article.

 Y-box binding proteins in immunity and RNA virus infection. Strilets T, Garcia-Blanco MA. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 2025 Dec 18;89(4):e0019124. doi: 10.1128/mmbr.00191-24. Epub 2025 Sep 23. PMID: 40985650 Free PMC article. Review.

Discovery of thiacyanine dyes as a new class of potent coronavirus inhibitors that suppress viral RNA synthesis. Zhang T, Altouma V, Sommers JA, Dumm AJ, Kennedy D, Xia H, Yang M, Fullenkamp CR, Huang SN, Xue Y, Su S, Shen W, Haren CE, Kulikowicz T, Pommier Y, Schneekloth JS Jr, Garcia-Blanco MA, Brosh RM Jr, Wang W. J Biol Chem. 2025 Sep;301(9):110547. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2025.110547. Epub 2025 Aug 5. PMID: 40752578 Free PMC article.

Host RNA-binding proteins and specialized viral RNA translation mechanisms: Potential antiviral targets. Fernández-García L, Garcia-Blanco MA. Antiviral Res. 2025 May;237:106142. doi: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2025.106142. Epub 2025 Mar 13. PMID: 40089163 Review.

Broad-spectrum antiviral ferruginol analog affects the viral proteins translation and actin remodeling during dengue virus infection. Roa-Linares VC, Betancur-Galvis LA, González-Cardenete MA, Garcia-Blanco MA, Gallego-Gomez JC. Antiviral Res. 2025 May;237:106139. doi: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2025.106139. Epub 2025 Mar 4. PMID: 40043781 Free article.

Design and Expression of Fasciola hepatica Multiepitope Constructs Using mRNA Vaccine Technology. Sánchez-Montejo J, Strilets T, Manzano-Román R, López-Abán J, García-Blanco MA, Vicente B, Muro A. Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Jan 30;26(3):1190. doi: 10.3390/ijms26031190. PMID: 39940957 Free PMC article.

2024

Comparison of uridine and N1-methylpseudouridine mRNA platforms in development of an Andes virus vaccine.
Kuzmin IV, Soto Acosta R, Pruitt L, Wasdin PT, Kedarinath K, Hernandez KR, Gonzales KA, Hill K, Weidner NG, Mire C, Engdahl TB, Moon WJ, Popov V, Crowe JE Jr, Georgiev IS, Garcia-Blanco MA, Abbott RK, Bukreyev A.Nat Commun. 2024 Jul 30;15(1):6421. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-50774-3. PMID: 39080316 Free PMC article.

Nagasawa, C. K., Bailey, A. O., Russell, W. K., & Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2024). Inefficient recruitment of DDX39B impedes pre-spliceosome assembly on FOXP3 introns. RNA, 30(7), 824-838. doi:10.1261/rna.079933.123

Banerjee, S., Nagasawa, C. K., Widen, S. G., & Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2024). Parsing the roles of DExD-box proteins DDX39A and DDX39B in alternative RNA splicing. NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH. doi:10.1093/nar/gkae431

2023

Banerjee, S., Galarza-Munoz, G., & Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2023). Role of RNA Alternative Splicing in T Cell Function and Disease. GENES, 14(10). doi:10.3390/genes14101896

Nagasawa, C. K., & Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2023). Early Splicing Complexes and Human Disease. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES, 24(14). doi:10.3390/ijms241411412

Hirano, M., Galarza-Munoz, G., Nagasawa, C., Schott, G., Wang, L., Antonia, A. L., . . . Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2023). The RNA helicase DDX39B activates FOXP3 RNA splicing to control T regulatory cell fate. ELIFE, 12. doi:10.7554/eLife.76927

Yeh, S. -C., Strilets, T., Tan, W. -L., Castillo, D., Medkour, H., Rey-Cadilhac, F., . . . Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2023). The anti-immune dengue subgenomic flaviviral RNA is present in vesicles in mosquito saliva and is associated with increased infectivity. PLOS PATHOGENS, 19(3). doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1011224

2022

Sehrawat, S., & Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2023). RNA virus infections and their effect on host alternative splicing. ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH, 210. doi:10.1016/j.antiviral.2022.105503

Garcia-Blanco, M. A., Ooi, E. E., & Sessions, O. M. (2022). RNA Viruses, Pandemics and Anticipatory Preparedness. VIRUSES-BASEL, 14(10). doi:10.3390/v14102176

Galarza-Munoz, G., Kennedy-Boone, D., Schott, G., Bradrick, S. S., & Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2022). Antisense modulation of IL7R splicing to control sIL7R expression in human CD4+ T cells. RNA, 28(8), 1058-1073. doi:10.1261/rna.079137.122

Fagg, W. S., Liu, N., Braunschweig, U., Pereira de Castro, K. L., Chen, X., Ditmars, F. S., . . . Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2022). Definition of germ layer cell lineage alternative splicing programs reveals a critical role for Quaking in specifying cardiac cell fate. NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH, 50(9), 5313-5334. doi:10.1093/nar/gkac327

Diosa-Toro, M., Kennedy, D. R., Chuo, V., Popov, V. L., Pompon, J., & Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2022). Y-Box Binding Protein 1 Interacts with Dengue Virus Nucleocapsid and Mediates Viral Assembly. MBIO, 13(1). doi:10.1128/mbio.00196-22

2021

Liao, K. -C., Chuo, V., Fagg, W. S., Modahl, C. M., Widen, S., & Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2021). The RNA binding protein Quaking represses splicing of the Fibronectin EDA exon and downregulates the interferon response. NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH, 49(17), 10034-10045. doi:10.1093/nar/gkab732

Liao, K. -C., & Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2021). Role of Alternative Splicing in Regulating Host Response to Viral Infection. CELLS, 10(7). doi:10.3390/cells10071720

Muruato, A. E., Fontes-Garfias, C. R., Ren, P., Garcia-Blanco, M. A., Menachery, V. D., Xie, X., & Shi, P. -Y. (2021). A high-throughput neutralizing antibody assay for COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccine evaluation (vol 11, 4059, 2020). NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, 12(1). doi:10.1038/s41467-021-24287-2

Schott, G., Galarza-Munoz, G., Trevino, N., Chen, X., Weirauch, M. T., Gregory, S. G., . . . Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2021). U2AF2 binds IL7R exon 6 ectopically and represses its inclusion. RNA, 27(5), 571-583. doi:10.1261/rna.078279.120

2020

Schott, G., & Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2021). MHC Class III RNA Binding Proteins and Immunity. RNA BIOLOGY, 18(5), 640-646. doi:10.1080/15476286.2020.1860388

Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2020). To Splice or Not to Splice, That Is the Treatment. CELL CHEMICAL BIOLOGY, 27(12), 1453-1455. doi:10.1016/j.chembiol.2020.12.002

Campos, R. K., Wijeratne, H. R. S., Shah, P., Garcia-Blanco, M. A., & Bradrick, S. S. (2020). Ribosomal stalk proteins RPLP1 and RPLP2 promote biogenesis of flaviviral and cellular multi-pass transmembrane proteins. NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH, 48(17), 9872-9885. doi:10.1093/nar/gkaa717

Muruato, A. E., Fontes-Garfias, C. R., Ren, P., Garcia-Blanco, M. A., Menachery, V. D., Xie, X., & Shi, P. -Y. (2020). A high-throughput neutralizing antibody assay for COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccine evaluation. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, 11(1). doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17892-0

Prasanth, K. R., Hirano, M., Fagg, W. S., McAnarney, E. T., Shan, C., Xie, X., . . . Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2020). Topoisomerase III-β is required for efficient replication of positive-sense RNA viruses. ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH, 182. doi:10.1016/j.antiviral.2020.104874

Kim, B., Arcos, S., Rothamel, K., Jian, J., Rose, K. L., McDonald, W. H., . . . Ascano, M. (2020). Discovery of Widespread Host Protein Interactions with the Pre-replicated Genome of CHIKV Using VIR-CLASP. MOLECULAR CELL, 78(4), 624-+. doi:10.1016/j.molcel.2020.04.013

Diosa-Toro, M., Prasanth, K. R., Bradrick, S. S., & Garcia Blanco, M. A. (2020). Role of RNA-binding proteins during the late stages of Flavivirus replication cycle. VIROLOGY JOURNAL, 17(1). doi:10.1186/s12985-020-01329-7

Kanodia, P., Prasanth, K. R., Roa-Linares, V. C., Bradrick, S. S., Garcia-Blanco, M. A., & Miller, W. A. (2020). A rapid and simple quantitative method for specific detection of smaller coterminal RNA by PCR (DeSCo-PCR): application to the detection of viral subgenomic RNAs. RNA, 26(7), 888-901. doi:10.1261/rna.074963.120

Prasanth, K. R., Hirano, M., Fagg, W. S., McAnarney, E. T., Shan, C., Xie, X., . . . Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2020). Topoisomerase III-ß is required for efficient replication of positive-sense RNA viruses.. bioRxiv. doi:10.1101/2020.03.24.005900

2019

Liao, K. -C., Chuo, V., Fagg, W. S., Bradrick, S. S., Pompon, J., & Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2020). The RNA binding protein Quaking represses host interferon response by downregulating MAVS. RNA BIOLOGY, 17(3), 366-380. doi:10.1080/15476286.2019.1703069

Barrows, N. J., Anglero-Rodriguez, Y., Kim, B., Jamison, S. F., Le Sommer, C., McGee, C. E., . . . Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2019). Dual roles for the ER membrane protein complex in flavivirus infection: viral entry and protein biogenesis. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, 9. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-45910-9

Anderson, D. E., Pfeffermann, K., Kim, S. Y., Sawatsky, B., Pearson, J., Kovtun, M., . . . von Messling, V. (2019). Comparative Loss-of-Function Screens Reveal ABCE1 as an Essential Cellular Host Factor for Efficient Translation of Paramyxoviridae and Pneumoviridae. MBIO, 10(3). doi:10.1128/mBio.00826-19

2018

Soto-Acosta, R., Xie, X., Shan, C., Baker, C. K., Shi, P. -Y., Rossi, S. L., . . . Bradrick, S. (2018). Fragile X mental retardation protein is a Zika virus restriction factor that is antagonized by subgenomic flaviviral RNA. ELIFE, 7. doi:10.7554/eLife.39023

Fang, J., Pietzsch, C., Ramanathan, P., Santos, R. I., Ilinykh, P. A., Garcia-Blanco, M. A., . . . Bradrick, S. S. (2018). Staufen1 Interacts with Multiple Components of the Ebola Virus Ribonucleoprotein and Enhances Viral RNA Synthesis. MBIO, 9(5). doi:10.1128/mBio.01771-18

Barrows, N. J., Campos, R. K., Liao, K. -C., Prasanth, K. R., Soto-Acosta, R., Yeh, S. -C., . . . Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2018). Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Flaviviruses. CHEMICAL REVIEWS, 118(8), 4448-4482. doi:10.1021/acs.chemrev.7b00719

Liao, K. -C., Chuo, V., Ng, W. C., Neo, S. P., Pompon, J., Gunaratne, J., . . . Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2018). Identification and characterization of host proteins bound to dengue virus 3′ UTR reveal an antiviral role for quaking proteins. RNA, 24(6), 803-814. doi:10.1261/rna.064006.117

Reid, D. W., Campos, R. K., Child, J. R., Zheng, T., Chan, K. W. K., Bradrick, S. S., . . . Nicchitta, C. V. (2018). Dengue Virus Selectively Annexes Endoplasmic Reticulum-Associated Translation Machinery as a Strategy for Co-opting Host Cell Protein Synthesis. JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY, 92(7). doi:10.1128/JVI.01766-17

2017

Pompon, J., Manuel, M., Ng, G. K., Wong, B., Shan, C., Manokaran, G., . . . Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2017). Dengue subgenomic flaviviral RNA disrupts immunity in mosquito salivary glands to increase virus transmission. PLOS PATHOGENS, 13(7). doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1006535

Aliota, M. T., Bassit, L., Bradrick, S. S., Cox, B., Garcia-Blanco, M. A., Gavegnano, C., . . . Weaver, S. C. (2017). Zika in the Americas, year 2: What have we learned? What gaps remain? A report from the Global Virus Network. ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH, 144, 223-246. doi:10.1016/j.antiviral.2017.06.001

Ng, W. C., Soto-Acosta, R., Bradrick, S. S., Garcia-Blanco, M. A., & Ooi, E. E. (2017). The 5′and 3′ Untranslated Regions of the Flaviviral Genome. VIRUSES-BASEL, 9(6). doi:10.3390/v9060137

Guo, F., Norton, A. R., Fuchs, E. L., Hirth, J. M., Garcia-Blanco, M. A., & Berenson, A. B. (2017). Provider-patient communication about Zika during prenatal visits.. Preventive medicine reports, 7, 26-29. doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2017.05.003

Galarza-Munoz, G., Briggs, F. B. S., Evsyukova, I., Schott-Lerner, G., Kennedy, E. M., Nyanhete, T., . . . Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2017). Human Epistatic Interaction Controls IL7R Splicing and Increases Multiple Sclerosis Risk. CELL, 169(1), 72-+. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2017.03.007

Campos, R. K., Wong, B., Xie, X., Lu, Y. -F., Shi, P. -Y., Pompon, J., . . . Bradrick, S. S. (2017). RPLP1 and RPLP2 Are Essential Flavivirus Host Factors That Promote Early Viral Protein Accumulation. JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY, 91(4). doi:10.1128/JVI.01706-16

2016

Garcia-Blanco, M. A., Vasudevan, S. G., Bradrick, S. S., & Nicchitta, C. (2016). Flavivirus RNA transactions from viral entry to genome replication. ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH, 134, 244-249. doi:10.1016/j.antiviral.2016.09.010

Barrows, N. J., Campos, R. K., Powell, S. T., Prasanth, K. R., Schott-Lerner, G., Soto-Acosta, R., . . . Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2016). A Screen of FDA-Approved Drugs for Inhibitors of Zika Virus Infection. CELL HOST & MICROBE, 20(2), 259-270. doi:10.1016/j.chom.2016.07.004

Weaver, S. C., Costa, F., Garcia-Blanco, M. A., Ko, A. I., Ribeiro, G. S., Saade, G., . . . Vasilakis, N. (2016). Zika virus: History, emergence, biology, and prospects for control. ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH, 130, 69-80. doi:10.1016/j.antiviral.2016.03.010

Phillips, S. L., Soderblom, E. J., Bradrick, S. S., & Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2016). Identification of Proteins Bound to Dengue Viral RNA In Vivo Reveals New Host Proteins Important for Virus Replication. MBIO, 7(1). doi:10.1128/mBio.01865-15

2015

Bradrick, S. S., & Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2015). RNA-based methods in virology. METHODS, 91, 1-2. doi:10.1016/j.ymeth.2015.11.014

Manokaran, G., Finol, E., Wang, C., Gunaratne, J., Bahl, J., Ong, E. Z., . . . Ooi, E. E. (2015). Dengue subgenomic RNA binds TRIM25 to inhibit interferon expression for epidemiological fitness. SCIENCE, 350(6257), 217-221. doi:10.1126/science.aab3369

Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2015). Know thyself. RNA, 21(4), 525-526. doi:10.1261/rna.050138.115

Pompon, J., & Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2015). RNA: Jack of All Trades and Master of All. CELL, 160(4), 579-580. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2015.01.047

Somarelli, J. A., Boss, M. -K., Epstein, J. I., Armstrong, A. J., & Garcia-Blanco, M. A. (2015). Carcinosarcomas: tumors in transition?. HISTOLOGY AND HISTOPATHOLOGY, 30(6), 673-687. Retrieved from https://www.webofscience.com/