Summary

Jorge Romo-Tena, M.D., Ph.D., completed his internal medicine and rheumatology fellowships at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico. In parallel with his clinical training, Dr. Romo-Tena's keen interest in research encouraged him to enroll in a Master's in Medical Sciences program, where he studied molecular defects that could contribute to the defective function of regulatory T cells in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. He concluded this project successfully and graduated with honors. His work earned the Rosenkranz Research Award, a highly competitive prize for the best biomedical research performed in Mexico. 

Dr. Romo-Tena continued his research training by enrolling in a Ph.D. program. His thesis aimed to unravel a complex signaling network whose abnormal function may underlie the pathological behavior of endothelial cells in inflammatory diseases. In 2019, he joined the Systemic Autoimmunity Branch at NIAMS as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar and as part of the NIH-Graduate Partnerships Program. 

After completing his Ph.D., he started his postdoctoral fellowship to investigate CAR-T cells in a murine lupus model and defects in vascular biology and their connection with post-translational modifications in systemic autoimmune diseases. In 2023, Dr. Romo-Tena was recognized by the NIH with a Fellows Award for Research Excellence (FARE).

Research Statement

Dr. Romo-Tena is particularly interested in the defects in vascular biology and their connection with post-translational modifications that can contribute to the pathogenesis of systemic autoimmune diseases.

Scientific Publications

Distinct pathogenic roles for resident and monocyte-derived macrophages in lupus nephritis.

Richoz N, Tuong ZK, Loudon KW, Patiño-Martínez E, Ferdinand JR, Portet A, Bashant KR, Thevenon E, Rucci F, Hoyler T, Junt T, Kaplan MJ, Siegel RM, Clatworthy MR
JCI Insight.
2022 Nov 8;
7(21).
doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.159751
PMID: 36345939

Neutrophils as Drivers of Immune Dysregulation in Autoimmune Diseases with Skin Manifestations.

Nakabo S, Romo-Tena J, Kaplan MJ
J Invest Dermatol.
2022 Mar;
142(3 Pt B).
doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2021.04.014
PMID: 34253374

RNA Externalized by Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Promotes Inflammatory Pathways in Endothelial Cells.

Blanco LP, Wang X, Carlucci PM, Torres-Ruiz JJ, Romo-Tena J, Sun HW, Hafner M, Kaplan MJ
Arthritis Rheumatol.
2021 Dec;
73(12).
doi: 10.1002/art.41796
PMID: 33983685

Immunometabolism in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus: an update.

Romo-Tena J, Kaplan MJ
Curr Opin Rheumatol.
2020 Nov;
32(6).
doi: 10.1097/BOR.0000000000000738
PMID: 32826478

Factors associated with remission in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: new insights into a desirable state.

Romo-Tena J, la Garza RR, Bartnicki-Navarrete I, Alcocer-Varela J, Gómez-Martin D
Clin Rheumatol.
2018 Nov;
37(11).
doi: 10.1007/s10067-018-4226-8
PMID: 30056524

Lys63-polyubiquitination by the E3 ligase casitas B-lineage lymphoma-b (Cbl-b) modulates peripheral regulatory T cell tolerance in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Romo-Tena J, Rajme-López S, Aparicio-Vera L, Alcocer-Varela J, Gómez-Martín D
Clin Exp Immunol.
2018 Jan;
191(1).
doi: 10.1111/cei.13054
PMID: 28940360

CTLA-4 and autoimmunity: new insights into the dual regulator of tolerance.

Romo-Tena J, Gómez-Martín D, Alcocer-Varela J
Autoimmun Rev.
2013 Oct;
12(12).
doi: 10.1016/j.autrev.2013.07.002
PMID: 23851140

Casitas B lineage lymphoma b is a key regulator of peripheral tolerance in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Gómez-Martín D, Ibarra-Sánchez M, Romo-Tena J, Cruz-Ruíz J, Esparza-López J, Galindo-Campos M, Díaz-Zamudio M, Alcocer-Varela J
Arthritis Rheum.
2013 Apr;
65(4).
doi: 10.1002/art.37833
PMID: 23280105

Education

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) 
Ph.D., Science (2023)

Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán (INCMNSZ) 
Rheumatology Fellowship (2017)

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) 
M.Sc. (2016)

Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán (INCMNSZ) 
Internal Medicine Fellowship (2015)

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) 
M.D. (2011)

Experience

Postdoctoral Fellowship 
National Institutes of Health (2023-present)

Predoctoral Fellowship 
National Institutes of Health (2021-2023)

Guest Researcher
National Institutes of Health (2019-2021)

Professor of Medicine
Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) (2018-2019)

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