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

Molecular Imaging (MI) enables the visualisation of cellular function and the follow-up of molecular processes in living organisms without perturbing them. Molecular imaging offers significant advantages to the scientist over traditional research paradigms. While traditional studies of tumour response to a therapeutic agent involve a large cohort of animals analysed at multiple time points, molecular imaging allows characterisation of tumour development and response to a therapy within the same small set of animals imaged longitudinally at multiple time points, thereby reducing the number of mice and also increasing the statistical power of the study because each animal serves as its own control. Other advantages of molecular imaging procedures include the ability to interrogate the whole body, and to visualise the molecular target of interest in 3-dimensional space. Finally, Molecular Imaging is becoming a key bridging technology for the translation of experimental preclinical findings into the clinical environment

Publications

• Effects of a Ketogenic Diet on [18F]FDG-PET Imaging in a Mouse Model of Lung Cancer.(2018)
  Cussó L, Musteanu M, Mulero F, Barbacid M, Desco M.
  Mol Imaging Biol (in press).
• FGF21 gene therapy as treatment for obesity and insulin resistance.(2018)
  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.
  EMBO Mol Med 10, e8791-.
• A versatile drug delivery system targeting senescent cells.(2018)
  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.
  EMBO Mol Med 10, pii: e9355-.
• Role of Activator Protein-1 Complex on the Phenotype of Human Osteosarcomas Generated from Mesenchymal Stem Cells.(2018)
  Gambera S, Abarrategi A, Rodríguez-Milla MA, Mulero F, Menéndez ST, Rodriguez R, Navarro S, García-Castro J
  Stem Cells 36, 1487-1500.
• MT1-MMP as a PET Imaging Biomarker for Pancreas Cancer Management.(2018)
  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.
  Contrast Media & Molecular Imaging 2018, 8382148-.
• Whole-body imaging of lymphovascular niches identifies pre-metastatic roles of midkine.(2017)
  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
  Nature 546, 676-680.
• 18F-fluoromisonidazole PET and activity of neoadjuvant nintedanib in early HER2-negative breast cancer: a window-of-opportunity randomized trial.(2017)
  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
  Clin Cancer Res 23, 1432-1441.
• Plk1 regulates contraction of postmitotic smooth muscle cells and is required for vascular homeostasis.(2017)
  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.
  Nat Med 23, 964-974.
• Intralymphatic Administration of Adipose Mesenchymal Stem Cells Reduces the Severity of Collagen-Induced Experimental Arthritis.(2017)
  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
  Front Inmmunol 8, 462-.
• Impact of chiropractic manipulation on bone and skeletal muscle of ovariectomized rats.(2017)
  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
  Calcified Tissue Int 101, 519-529.
• Targeting Tumor Mitochondrial Metabolism Overcomes Resistance to Antiangiogenics.(2016)
  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
  Cell Reports 15, 2705-2718.
• Monitoring vascular normalization induced by antiangiogenic treatment with (18)F-fluoromisonidazole-PET.(2016)
  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.
  Mol Oncol 10, 1704-1718.
• Adverse Effects of Diabetes Mellitus on the Skeleton of Aging Mice.(2016)
  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
  J Gerontol A-Biol 71, 290-299.
• Local delivery of parathyroid hormone-related protein-derived peptides coated onto a hydroxyapatite-based implant enhances bone regeneration in old diabetic rats.(2016)
  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
  J Biomed Mater Res A 104, 2060-2070.
• Targeting MT1-MMP as an ImmunoPET-Based Strategy for Imaging Gliomas.(2016)
  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
  PLoS ONE 11, e0158634-.
• Evaluation of the foetal time to death in mice after application of direct and indirect euthanasia methods.(2016)
  Muñoz-Mediavilla C, Cámara JA, Salazar S, Segui B, Sanguino D, Mulero F, de la Cueva E, Blanco I
  Lab Animal 50, 100-107.
• Therapeutic inhibition of TRF1 impairs the growth of p53-deficient K-RasG12V-induced lung cancer by induction of telomeric DNA damage.(2015)
  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
  EMBO Mol Med 7, 930-949.
• Mice with Pulmonary Fibrosis Driven by Telomere Dysfunction.(2015)
  Povedano JM, Martinez P, Flores JM, Mulero F, Blasco MA
  Cell Reports 12, 286-299.
• Analysis of Murine Lung Tumors by Micro PET-CT Imaging.(2015)
  Ambrogio C, Cámara JA, Nieto P, Santamaría D, Mulero F
  Bioprotocol 5, E1692-.
• MiR-93 Controls Adiposity via Inhibition of Sirt7 and Tbx3.(2015)
  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
  Cell Reports 12, 1594-1605.
• Telomerase expression confers cardioprotection in the adult mouse heart after acute myocardial infarction.(2014)
  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.
  Nat Communications 5, 5863-.
• K-RasV14I recapitulates Noonan syndrome in mice.(2014)
  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
  Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 111, 16395-16400.
• Modeling Lung Cancer Evolution and Pre-Clinical Response By Orthotopic Mouse Allografts.(2014)
  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
  Cancer Res 74, 5978-5988.
• Bone environment is essential for osteosarcoma development from transformed mesenchymal stem cells.(2014)
  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
  Stem Cells 32, 1136-1148.
• Parathyroid hormone-related protein (107-111) improves the bone regeneration potential of gelatin-glutaraldehyde biopolymer-coated hydroxyapatite.(2014)
  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
  ACTA BIOMATERIALIA 10, 3307-3316.
• In Vivo Ectopic Implantation Model to Assess Human Mesenchymal Progenitor Cell Potential.(2013)
  Abarrategi A, Perez-Tavarez R, Rodriguez-Milla MA, Cubillo I, Mulero F, Alfranca A, Lopez-Lacomba JL, García-Castro J
  Stem Cell Rev 9, 833-846.
• Characterization of skeletal alterations in a model of prematurely aging mice.(2013)
  Portal-Núñez S, Manassra R, Lozano D, Acitores A, Mulero F, Villanueva-Peñacarrillo ML, De la Fuente M, Esbrit P
  AGE 35, 383-393.