Juan Valcárcel

Research and Interests

Dr. Valcárcel studies the complex molecular machinery that in the cell nucleus removes introns from the primary transcripts of genes, a process known as pre-mRNA splicing. He is particularly interested in how splicing is regulated to generate alternative mRNAs, a process used by the majority of human genes to generate proteins with different, even antagonistic functions. Alternative splicing is regulated during cell differentiation and development, and contributes to the normal physiology of multicellular organisms. Alterations in the splicing process are also a frequent cause of genetic diseases and contribute to common pathologies, including cancer. Understanding the underlying mechanisms that regulate alternative splicing of specific genes in specific physiological and pathological conditions can provide new ways to diagnose and target these.