Mata-Garrido Lab

Cellular plasticity and precision oncology in gastrointestinal cancer

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Research

At the Mata-Garrido Lab, we investigate the cellular, epigenetic, and metabolic mechanisms that drive colorectal cancer and rare pediatric tumors such as hepatoblastoma. Using cutting-edge technologies, including single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, exosome profiling, and microbiome–metabolome analysis, we explore how age, cell plasticity, and tumor microenvironments shape cancer progression and therapy resistance. Our goal is to identify novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets to guide personalized and minimally invasive interventions for patients across the age spectrum. Our lab combines fundamental discovery with translational impact, bridging molecular insights and clinical innovation.

Featured Publications

The Heterochromatin protein 1 is a regulator in RNA splicing precision deficient in ulcerative colitis

Nature communications

This work uncovers HP1γ as a guardian of splicing fidelity and nuclear integrity in intestinal epithelium. HP1γ loss causes broad splicing defects and activates inflammatory signaling. It provides a mechanistic foundation showing how epigenetic perturbations alter epithelial homeostasis. This work identified a fundamental epigenetic mechanism relevant to chronic inflammation and cancer, forming the conceptual basis for much of my subsequent research.

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