Desde arriba a la izquierda: Bárbara Martínez, Giuseppe Bosso, Pablo Casado, José Garrido, Itziar Otano, Luis Paz Ares, Carlos Martínez. / Pilar Gil. CNIO
The awarded projects investigate, among others, small cell lung cancer, melanoma and pancreatic cancer
Studies on the role of nutrition both in tumor development and as a possible strategy against metastasis also received recognition
Eight of the grants were awarded to research in progress and another six to summer lab trainings
The search for new treatments against the most aggressive lung cancer, malignant melanoma and pancreatic cancer, the possibility of using nutrition against metastasis, the study of resistance to targeted therapies for melanoma, and the development of therapies based on tumor nutrients are projects at the Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO) selected for the grants awarded by the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) in Madrid.
The AECC 2024 grants are endowed with different amounts, according to their categories, and are aimed at promoting oncology research at different stages of the research career.
These are the eight awarded CNIO projects and scientists:
Luis Paz-Ares, head of the H12O-CNIO Lung Cancer Clinical Research Unit, coordinates the SOSCLC consortium, which includes 300 researchers from different centers, who share the common goal of increasing the social visibility of small cell lung cancer –the most aggressive lung cancer subtype–, developing new treatments and improving survival and quality of life in patients with this disease.
The project “SOSCLC-AECC: Small Cell Lung Cancer. From biological networks to personalized therapy”, in which Geoff Macintyre, head of the Computational Oncology Group also collaborates, has received the ‘AECC 70% Survival Challenge’ grant, for which a total of 10,000,000 € has been budgeted for the entire collaborative group. To date, €2,000,000 has already been awarded in the Community of Madrid.
Itziar Otano and José Garrido, from the H12O-CNIO Lung Cancer Clinical Research Unit, are also trying to develop new treatments, specifically immunotherapy, for small cell lung cancer. To this end, Otano studies the relationship between the immune system and genomic imbalances in lung cancer. She has received a ‘LAB Grant’ in the amount of 278,000.00 €.
Garrido focuses on identifying the different molecules present on the surface of each tumor subtype. Within the BiTing-SCLC project, he works to develop specific antibodies for each of these molecules. HIs ‘AECC Talent’ grant is endowed with 259,200.00 €.
Giuseppe Bosso, from the Telomeres and Telomerase Group – Humanism and Science Foundation has received a ‘Research Grant’ of €200,000 to continue researching the mechanisms that lead to the development of malignant melanoma with the aim of identifying new treatment strategies.
The three ‘Predoctoral Grants’ of €100,600.00 each have been awarded to Ana Galván, Carlos Martínez and Pablo Casado.
An the Molecular Oncology Group, Galván investigates the risk factors and molecular mechanisms of pancreatic cancer onset, to identify biomarkers for early diagnosis and to design preventive and therapeutic strategies.
Martínez belongs to the Growth Factors, Nutrients and Cancer Group, where he is looking for new nutritional therapies against metastasis. To this end, he studies new diets or nutritional supplements that can slow the progression of the disease and improve the effectiveness of existing treatments.
Casado, for his part, studies in the Melanoma Group the molecular factors involved in the development of metastasis in melanoma, and its impact on resistance to targeted therapies, which would allow improving the efficacy of current treatments in melanoma patients.
Bárbara Martínez tries to understand at the Metabolism and Cell Signaling Group how tumors can survive and grow in environments without nutrients. With this information she wants to design new therapies against cancer. She has been awarded a ‘Seed Ideas Grant’ of 20,000.00 €.
In addition, six other AECC 2024 Grants have also supported the summer internships carried out in CNIO laboratories by Alba Lozano, Carlota Victoria Cardona, Karol Dziaduch, Marta de la Hoz, Natalia Grano de Oro and Rodrigo Barber.