CIBBIM-Nanomedicine. Biomedical Research in Digestive Tract Tumors : VHIR Annual Report 2020

Oncology

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Overview

In 2020, the Area has been composed by eight groups addressing main unsolved issues in cancer, covering the fields of child and adolescent cancer, melanoma, gynecology, urology, cancer stem cells and molecular mechanisms of the tumor pathologies, as well nanomedicine. We work in close collaboration with the corresponding departments at the Hospital. This provides a unique opportunity to tackle the abovementioned pathologies during the entire course of the disease, from diagnosis (a focus and strength of our Area) to personalized treatment (gathering important international impact during 2020 in the field of child cancer). Our research in 2020 has been relevant also in the field of the use of nanotechnology in biomedical applications to improve therapeutic strategies and diagnostics. Despite, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Area has kept active at virtual shared activities and ONCO-VHIR seminars and the organization of the World Cancer Day event to get closer to the society. During 2020 in-Campus collaborations with VHIO have been strengthen and internalization of our research has been amplified. It is also noteworthy the shared scientific production in terms of publications between different groups of the Area and the stable collaborations between groups that have consolidated during these period.

Publications

174
total
926
impact factor
5.32
average impact factor

Group Leader: Diego Arango del Corro

Over 2020 the group has made significant contributions towards the understanding of the role of Myosin Vb and RhoA in the context of colorectal and gastric cancer, respectively. Myosin Vb also plays a key role in the pathogenesis of microvillus inclusion rare disease. The group has developed a conditional and inducible mouse model which perfectly recapitulates the human syndrome, and that has been instrumental for the testing the efficacy of novel therapies. The group has expanded the research line focused on the identification of predictive biomarkers to regorafenib and TAS102, two agents used in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer, to the study of acquired/secondary resistance mechanisms using high-throughput technologies.  Additionally, our work in the repurposing of gefitinib and afatinib EGFR-inhibitors to treat head and neck squamous cell carcinomas in Fanconi Anemia patients has culminated with two orphan-drug designations by the European Medicinal Agency.

VHIR Annual Report 2020