Leticia Prates Roma

Leticia Prates Roma is a Professor of Biophysics at Saarland University's School of Medicine, where she leads research on redox physiology with a focus on pancreatic islets and cardiac myocytes. Her work investigates how redox changes regulate cellular function in health and disease, particularly in the context of diabetes and cardiovascular complications associated with chronic kidney disease.

Dr. Prates Roma's research demonstrates that specific redox species such as H₂O₂ serve as key second messengers in cellular signaling pathways. Her laboratory utilizes genetically encoded redox probes like Grx1-roGFP2 and roGFP2-Orp1 to measure defined redox species with subcellular compartment resolution in living cells. Current research focuses on understanding how different signaling molecules (ROS, Ca²⁺, NAD(P)H) influence insulin secretion and beta cell function in health and disease, as well as studying the causal role of redox changes in cardiac myocytes remodeling secondary to Chronic Kidney Disease.

• Developing and establishing genetically encoded fluorescent reporters of the NADP+/NADPH ratio in mammalian cell lines and tumor models (Seed Grant Innovative technologies, 2021-2024)
• TRR 219 - Mechanisms of cardiovascular complications in chronic kidney insufficiency (Project M04 with Maack, 2018-2021 and 2022-2025)
• SFB894 - Ca²⁺ Signals: Molecular Mechanisms and Integrative Functions (Project C13 with Maack, 2019-2022)

Her recent publications (2020-2023) reveal a strong focus on redox signaling in diabetes pathogenesis, islet transplantation techniques, and cardiovascular complications of kidney disease. The research shows increasing integration of immunological perspectives with redox biology, particularly examining how inflammatory pathways interact with oxidative stress in disease progression.

• Janina Frisch (Scientific Employee)
• Markus Hoffmann (PhD Student)
• Angélique Schniebs (Technical Assistant)

Dr. Prates Roma's laboratory has developed expertise in redox-sensitive GFP-based probes and transgenic mouse models to study redox dynamics in specific subcellular locations. Current work is exploring the therapeutic potential of targeting redox pathways in diabetes and cardiovascular complications of kidney disease, with particular emphasis on improving islet transplantation outcomes and understanding cardiac remodeling mechanisms.