Francisca Mulero Head of Unit
T +34 917328000 (Ext 3150)
fmulero@cnio.es

Molecular Imaging can be defined as the ability to visualise, characterise and quantitatively measure biological and cellular processes and functions in vivo. One of the main advantages of in vivo molecular imaging is that it enables characterisation of the pathology of tissue diseases without the need of invasive biopsies or surgical procedures; with this information at hand, a more individualised treatment-planning approach can be applied. Molecular imaging encompasses a range of imaging techniques that rely on the utilisation of probes exogenously added to target and detect specific cellular or molecular processes in a living organism.

The Molecular Imaging Unit provides CNIO researchers with state-of-the-art molecular imaging equipment and human resources in order to guarantee the highest quality studies, to develop and update protocols and imaging techniques that serve to optimise visualisation of tumours in both the preclinical and clinical fields, and also to assess and advise researchers on the best-suited imaging modality for their research projects.

Publications

• Garaulet G, Pérez-Chacon G, Alarcón H, Alfranca A, Mulero F, Martínez-Torrecuadrada J, Zapata JM, Rodríguez A (2019). Intratumoral expression using a NFkB-based promoter enhances IL12 antitumor efficacy. Cancer Gene Ther (in press).
• Cussó L, Musteanu M, Mulero F, Barbacid M, Desco M (2019). Effects of a Ketogenic Diet on [18F]FDG-PET Imaging in a Mouse Model of Lung Cancer. Mol Imaging Biol 21, 279-285.
• Cussó L, Musteanu M, Mulero F, Barbacid M, Desco M (2018). Effects of a Ketogenic Diet on [18F]FDG-PET Imaging in a Mouse Model of Lung Cancer. Mol Imaging Biol 21, 279-285.
• Jimenez V, Jambrina C, Casana E, Sacristan V, Muñoz S, Darriba S, Rodó J, Mallol C, Garcia M, León X, Marcó S, Ribera A, Elias I, Casellas A, Grass I, Elias G, Ferré T, Motas S, Franckhauser S, Mulero F, Navarro M, Haurigot V, Ruberte J, Bosch F (2018). FGF21 gene therapy as treatment for obesity and insulin resistance. EMBO Mol Med 10, e8791.
• Muñoz-Espín D, Rovira M, Galiana I, Giménez C, Lozano-Torres B, Paez-Ribes M, Llanos S, Chaib S, Muñoz-Martín M, Ucero AC, Garaulet G, Mulero F, Dann SG, VanArsdale T, Shields DJ, Bernardos A, Murguía JR, Martínez-Máñez R, Serrano M (2018). A versatile drug delivery system targeting senescent cells. EMBO Mol Med 10, pii: e9355.
• Gambera S, Abarrategi A, Rodríguez-Milla MA, Mulero F, Menéndez ST, Rodriguez R, Navarro S, García-Castro J (2018). Role of Activator Protein-1 Complex on the Phenotype of Human Osteosarcomas Generated from Mesenchymal Stem Cells. Stem Cells 36, 1487-1500.
• Morcillo MÁ, García de Lucas Á, Oteo M, Romero E, Magro N, Ibáñez M, Martínez A, Garaulet G, Arroyo AG, López-Casas PP, Hidalgo M, Mulero F, Martínez-Torrecuadrada J (2018). MT1-MMP as a PET Imaging Biomarker for Pancreas Cancer Management. Contrast Media & Molecular Imaging 2018, 8382148.
• Olmeda D, Cerezo-Wallis D, Riveiro-Falkenbach E, Pennacchi PC, Contreras-Alcalde M, Ibarz N, Cifdaloz M, Catena X, Calvo TG, Cañón E, Alonso-Curbelo D, Suarez J, Osterloh L, Graña O, Mulero F, Megías D, Cañamero M, Martínez-Torrecuadrada JL, Mondal C, Di Martino J, Lora D, Martinez-Corral I, Bravo-Cordero JJ, Muñoz J, Puig S, Ortiz-Romero P, Rodriguez-Peralto JL, Ortega S, Soengas MS (2017). Whole-body imaging of lymphovascular niches identifies pre-metastatic roles of midkine.. Nature 546, 676-680.
• Quintela-Fandino M, Lluch A, Manso LM, Calvo I, Cortes J, Garcia Saenz JA, Gil JM, Martinez-Jez N, Gonzalez Martin A, Adrover E, De Andres R, Viñas G, Llombart-Cussac A, Alba E, Guerra K, Bermejo B, Zamora E, Moreno-Anton F, Pernas Simón S, Carrato A, Lopez A, Escudero MJ, Campo R, Carrasco EM, Palacios J, Mulero F, Colomer R (2017). 18F-fluoromisonidazole PET and activity of neoadjuvant nintedanib in early HER2-negative breast cancer: a window-of-opportunity randomized trial.. Clin Cancer Res 23, 1432-1441.
• de Cárcer G, Wachowicz P, Martínez-Martínez S, Oller J, Méndez-Barbero N, Escobar B, González-Loyola A, Takaki T, El Bakkali A, Cámara JA, Jiménez-Borreguero LJ, Bustelo XR, Cañamero M, Mulero F, de Los Ángeles Sevilla M, Montero MJ, Redondo JM, Malumbres M. (2017). Plk1 regulates contraction of postmitotic smooth muscle cells and is required for vascular homeostasis.. Nat Med 23, 964-974.
• Mancheño-Corvo P, Lopez-Santalla M, Menta R, DelaRosa O, Mulero F, Del Rio B, Ramirez C, Büscher D, Bueren JA, Lopez-Belmonte J, Dalemans W, Garin MI, Lombardo E (2017). Intralymphatic Administration of Adipose Mesenchymal Stem Cells Reduces the Severity of Collagen-Induced Experimental Arthritis. Front Inmmunol 8, 462.
• López-Herradón A, Fujikawa R, Gómez-Marín M, Stedile-Lovatel JP, Mulero F, Ardura JA, Ruiz P, Muñoz I, Esbrit P, Mahíllo-Fernández I, Ortega-de Mues A (2017). Impact of chiropractic manipulation on bone and skeletal muscle of ovariectomized rats.. Calcified Tissue Int 101, 519-529.
• Navarro P, Bueno MJ, Zagorac I, Mondejar T, Sanchez J, Mourón S, Muñoz J, Gómez-López G, Jimenez-Renard V, Mulero F, Chandel NS, Quintela-Fandino M (2016). Targeting Tumor Mitochondrial Metabolism Overcomes Resistance to Antiangiogenics.. Cell Reports 15, 2705-2718.
• Hernández-Agudo E, Mondejar T, Soto-Montenegro ML, Megías D, Mouron S, Sanchez J, Hidalgo M, Lopez-Casas PP, Mulero F, Desco M, Quintela-Fandino M. (2016). Monitoring vascular normalization induced by antiangiogenic treatment with (18)F-fluoromisonidazole-PET.. Mol Oncol 10, 1704-1718.
• Portal-Núñez S, Ardura JA, Lozano D, Bolívar OH, López-Herradón A, Gutiérrez-Rojas I, Proctor A, van der Eerden B, Schreuders-Koedam M, van Leeuwen J, Alcaraz MJ, Mulero F, de la Fuente M, Esbrit P (2016). Adverse Effects of Diabetes Mellitus on the Skeleton of Aging Mice.. J Gerontol A-Biol 71, 290-299.
• Ardura JA, Portal-Núñez S, Lozano D, Gutiérrez-Rojas I, Sánchez-Salcedo S, López-Herradón A, Mulero F, Villanueva-Peñacarrillo ML, Vallet-Regí M, Esbrit P (2016). Local delivery of parathyroid hormone-related protein-derived peptides coated onto a hydroxyapatite-based implant enhances bone regeneration in old diabetic rats.. J Biomed Mater Res A 104, 2060-2070.
• de Lucas AG, Schuhmacher AJ, Oteo M, Romero E, Cámara JA, de Martino A, Arroyo AG, Morcillo MÁ, Squatrito M, Martinez-Torrecuadrada JL, Mulero F (2016). Targeting MT1-MMP as an ImmunoPET-Based Strategy for Imaging Gliomas.. PLoS ONE 11, e0158634.
• Muñoz-Mediavilla C, Cámara JA, Salazar S, Segui B, Sanguino D, Mulero F, de la Cueva E, Blanco I (2016). Evaluation of the foetal time to death in mice after application of direct and indirect euthanasia methods.. Lab Animal 50, 100-107.
• García-Beccaria M, Martínez P, Méndez-Pertuz M, Martínez S, Blanco-Aparicio C, Cañamero M, Mulero F, Ambrogio C, Flores JM, Megias D, Barbacid M, Pastor J, Blasco MA (2015). Therapeutic inhibition of TRF1 impairs the growth of p53-deficient K-RasG12V-induced lung cancer by induction of telomeric DNA damage.. EMBO Mol Med 7, 930-949.
• Povedano JM, Martinez P, Flores JM, Mulero F, Blasco MA (2015). Mice with Pulmonary Fibrosis Driven by Telomere Dysfunction.. Cell Reports 12, 286-299.
• Ambrogio C, Cámara JA, Nieto P, Santamaría D, Mulero F (2015). Analysis of Murine Lung Tumors by Micro PET-CT Imaging.. Bioprotocol 5, E1692.
• Cioffi M, Vallespinos-Serrano M, Trabulo SM, Fernandez-Marcos PJ, Firment AN, Vazquez BN, Vieira CR, Mulero F, Camara JA, Cronin UP, Perez M, Soriano J, G Galvez B, Castells-Garcia A, Haage V, Raj D, Megias D, Hahn S, Serrano L, Moon A, Aicher A, Heeschen C (2015). MiR-93 Controls Adiposity via Inhibition of Sirt7 and Tbx3.. Cell Reports 12, 1594-1605.
• Bär C, de Jesus BB, Serrano R, Tejera A, Ayuso E, Jimenez V, Formentini I, Bobadilla M, Mizrahi J, de Martino A, Gomez G, Pisano D, Mulero F, Wollert KC, Bosch F, Blasco MA. (2014). Telomerase expression confers cardioprotection in the adult mouse heart after acute myocardial infarction.. Nat Communications 5, 5863.
• Hernández-Porras I, Fabbiano S, Schuhmacher AJ, Aicher A, Cañamero M, Cámara JA, Cussó L, Desco M, Heeschen C, Mulero F, Bustelo XR, Guerra C, Barbacid M (2014). K-RasV14I recapitulates Noonan syndrome in mice.. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 111, 16395-16400.
• Ambrogio C, Carmona FJ, Vidal A, Falcone M, Nieto P, Romero OA, Puertas S, Vizoso M, Nadal E, Poggio T, Sanchez-Cespedes M, Esteller M, Mulero F, Voena C, Chiarle R, Barbacid M, Santamaria D, Villanueva A (2014). Modeling Lung Cancer Evolution and Pre-Clinical Response By Orthotopic Mouse Allografts.. Cancer Res 74, 5978-5988.
• Rubio R, Abarrategi A, Garcia-Castro J, Martinez-Cruzado L, Suarez C, Tornin J, Santos L, Astudillo A, Colmenero I, Mulero F, Rosu-Myles M, Menendez P, Rodriguez R (2014). Bone environment is essential for osteosarcoma development from transformed mesenchymal stem cells.. Stem Cells 32, 1136-1148.
• Lozano D, Sánchez-Salcedo S, Portal-Núñez S, Vila M, López-Herradón A, Ardura JA, Mulero F, Gómez-Barrena E, Vallet-Regí M, Esbrit P (2014). Parathyroid hormone-related protein (107-111) improves the bone regeneration potential of gelatin-glutaraldehyde biopolymer-coated hydroxyapatite.. ACTA BIOMATERIALIA 10, 3307-3316.
• Abarrategi A, Perez-Tavarez R, Rodriguez-Milla MA, Cubillo I, Mulero F, Alfranca A, Lopez-Lacomba JL, García-Castro J (2013). In Vivo Ectopic Implantation Model to Assess Human Mesenchymal Progenitor Cell Potential.. Stem Cell Rev 9, 833-846.
• Portal-Núñez S, Manassra R, Lozano D, Acitores A, Mulero F, Villanueva-Peñacarrillo ML, De la Fuente M, Esbrit P (2013). Characterization of skeletal alterations in a model of prematurely aging mice.. AGE 35, 383-393.