Breast Cancer Clinical Research Unit

Miguel Angel Quintela Head of Unit
T +34 917328000 (Ext 2930)
mquintela@cnio.es

Research Scientists

Post-Doctoral Fellows

Elena Blázquez
Nuria Moreno

Graduate Students

Gozeel Binte

Technicians

Visiting Scientist

Aránzazu Barquín
Jesús García-Donas
Tatiana Paulina Grazioso

At the Breast Cancer Clinical Research Unit (BCCRU), we develop translational research focused on answering questions that can provide solutions to problems directly relevant to patients. These problems mostly revolve around improving the therapeutic index, discovering novel targets, and understanding patient heterogeneity and how that impacts the differential antitumour or toxicity effects observed with drugs. This includes research using animal models and patient-derived models such as organoids or tumoroids, patient sample analysis, and analyses of large quantities of data. These analyses enable us to identify biomarkers, pinpoint therapeutic niches, and develop rational drug combinations and approaches to supportive care treatment; i.e., questions related to the patient’s universe—such as the influence of diet, exercise, mood, or habits on treatment outcomes—for which we actively engage patients in our research (Patient-Reported Outcomes (PRO) research). Lastly, we actively engage in launching observational and therapeutic clinical studies to provide proof of concept of the impact of our conceptual research.

Recent publications

Ruiz-Sepulveda JL, Bueno MJ, Mouron S, Jimenez-Renard V, Muñoz M, Moradiellos M, Garma LD, García-Jimeno L, Watson AW, Mouneimne G, Park S, Jimeno R, Quintela-Fandino M. (2026). Osteopontin mediates acquired resistance to hypoxia-inducing antiangiogenics and promotes anti–PD-L1 refractoriness in breast cancer models. J Clin Invest 136, e174092. CNIO Publication.
Wilfinger-Lutz N, Kuehrer KM, Bueno MJ, Schwaiger-Haber M, Ann WW, Krejci K, Mekis R, Erünlü NGO, Miller A, Junza A, Reipert S, Bergmann M, Yanes O, Haschemi A, Koellensperger G, Quintela-Fandino M, Nowikovsky K. (2026). FASN targeting by G28UCM impairs mitochondrial fatty acid synthesis and reveals a FASN-SDHB Synthetic Interaction. Pharmacol Res (in press). CNIO Publication.
Thompson JS ... Macintyre GJ (2025). Predicting resistance to chemotherapy using chromosomal instability signatures. Nat Genet 57, 1708-1717. CNIO Publication.
Hergueta-Redondo M, Sánchez-Redondo S, Hurtado B, Santos V, Pérez-Martínez M, Ximénez-Embún P, McDowell SAC, Mazariegos MS, Mata G, Torres-Ruiz R, Rodríguez-Perales S, Martínez L, Graña-Castro O, Megias D, Quail D, Quintela-Fandino M, Peinado H. (2025). The impact of a high fat diet and platelet activation on pre-metastatic niche formation. Nat Commun 16, 2897. CNIO Publication.
Osório NS, Garma LD. (2025). Teaching Python with team-based learning: using cloud-based notebooks for interactive coding education. FEBS Open Bio 15, 2054-2066. CNIO Publication.
Manso L, Sánchez-Bayona R, Guerra JA, Cortés-Salgado A, Cejalvo JM, García-Saenz JA, Morales S, González-Cortijo L, Mourón S, Bueno MJ, Garma LD, Quintela-Fandino M (2025). A Phase IB Study of Binimetinib and Palbociclib in Molecularly Selected Advanced Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Cancer Res. Commun. 5, 1728-1737. CNIO Publication.
Martinez-Jañez N, García-Saenz JÁ, Pernas S, Bermejo B, Morales S, Guerra J, Silva J, Manso L, Ciruelos E, Tolosa P, Sánchez-Bayona R, Alva M, Calabuig-Fariñas S, Gallach S, Muinelo-Romay L, Piñeiro-Yáñez E, Caleiras E, Bueno MJ, Mouron S, Quintela-Fandino M. (2025). Co-clinical trial targeting ER, FGFR and CDK4/6 in resistant hormone-positive breast cancer with FGFR alterations.. NPJ PRECIS ONCOL 9, 343. CNIO Publication.
Garma LD, Quintela-Fandino M. (2024). Applicability of epigenetic age models to next-generation methylation arrays. Genome Med 16, 116. CNIO Publication.
Quintela-Fandino M, Bermejo B, Zamora E, Moreno F, Garcia-Saenz JÁ, Pernas S, Martinez Jañez N, Jiménez D, Adrover E, Andrés R, Mourón S, Bueno MJ, Manso L, Viñas G, Alba E, Llombart-Cussac A, Cortes J, Tebar C, Roe DJ, Grant A, Watson A, Colomer R, Mouneimne G. (2024). High mechanical conditioning by tumor extracellular matrix stiffness is a predictive biomarker for anti-fibrotic therapy in HER2-negative breast cancer. Clin Cancer Res 30, 5094-5104. CNIO Publication.
Nikouei K, Garma L, Memic F, Hjerling-Leffler J, Goldschmidt E. (2024). Interhemispheric axonal sprouting occurs after pial removal in mice.. Sci Rep 14, 24765. CNIO Publication.
Garma LD, Osório NS. (2024). Demystifying dimensionality reduction techniques in the ‘omics’ era: A practical approach for biological science students. Biochem Mol Biol Edu 52, 165-178. CNIO Publication.
Argerich J, Garma LD, López-Cano M, Álvarez-Montoya P, Gómez-Acero L, Fernández-Dueñas V, Muñoz-Manchado AB, Aso E, Boxer A, Andres-Benito P, Svenningsson P, Ciruela F. (2024). GPR37 processing in neurodegeneration: a potential marker for Parkinson’s Disease progression rate. npj Parkinsons Dis 10, 172. CNIO Publication.
Fernándes-Company JF, Quintela-Fandino MA, Sandnes V, García- Rodriguez M (2024). Influence of Music Therapy on the Improvement of Perceived Well-Being Indices in Women with Breast Cancer Undergoing Hormonal Treatment. Am. J. Health Educ. (in press). CNIO Publication.
Martínez-Illescas NG, Leal S, González P, Graña-Castro O, Muñoz-Oliveira JJ, Cortés-Peña A, Gómez-Gil M, Vega Z, Neva V, Romero A, Quintela-Fandino M, Ciruelos E, Sanz C, Aragón S, Sotolongo L, Jiménez S, Caleiras E, Mulero F, Sánchez C, Malumbres M, Salazar-Roa M (2023). miR-203 drives breast cancer cell differentiation. Breast Cancer Res 25, 91. CNIO Publication. Open Access
Bueno MJ, Mouron S, Caleiras E, Martínez M, Manso L, Colomer R, Quintela-Fandino M. (2023). Distribution of PD-L1, TROP2 and HER2- “lowness” in early triple-negative breast cancer: an opportunity for treatment de-escalation. Clin Transl Oncol (in press). CNIO Publication. Open Access
Morales-Ortega A, Farfán-Sedano AI, Martín-López JVS, Escribá-Bárcena A, Jaenes-Barrios B, Madroñal-Cerezo E, Llarena-Barroso C, Mesa-Plaza N, Frutos-Pérez B, Ruiz-Giardín JM, Duarte-Millán MÁ, Piedrabuena-García SI, Carpintero-García L, Canalejo-Castrillero E, Mora-Hernández B, García-Parra CJ, Magro-García HA, Algaba-García A, Hernández-Muniesa B, Nasarre-López B, Ontañón-Nasarre A, Domínguez-García MJ, Gómez-Santos D, Prieto-Menchero S, García de Tena J, Bermejo F, García-Gil M, Gonzalo-Pascua S, Bernal-Bello D; COVINIB Study Group investigators. (2023). Baricitinib or imatinib in hospitalized COVID-19 patients: results from COVINIB, an exploratory randomized clinical trial. J Med Virol (in press). CNIO Publication.
Colomer R, Miranda J, Romero-Laorden N, Hornedo J, González-Cortijo L, Mouron S, Bueno MJ, Mondéjar R, Quintela-Fandino M. (2023). Usefulness and real-world outcomes of next generation sequencing testing in patients with cancer: an observational study on the impact of selection based on clinical judgement. EClinicalMedicine 60, 102029. CNIO Publication. Open Access
Mouron S, Bueno MJ, Lluch A, Manso L, Calvo I, Cortes J, Garcia-Saenz JA, Gil-Gil M, Martinez-Janez N, Apala JV, Caleiras E, Ximénez-Embún P, Muñoz J, Gonzalez-Cortijo L, Murillo R, Sánchez-Bayona R, Cejalvo JM, Gómez-López G, Fustero-Torre C, Sabroso-Lasa S, Malats N, Martinez M, Moreno A, Megias D, Malumbres M, Colomer R, Quintela-Fandino M (2022). Phosphoproteomic analysis of neoadjuvant breast cancer suggests that increased sensitivity to paclitaxel is driven by CDK4 and filamin A. Nat Commun 13, 7529. CNIO Publication. Open Access
Hühn D, Martí-Rodrigo P, Mouron S, Hansel C, Tschapalda K, Porebski B, Häggblad M, Lidemalm L, Quintela-Fandino M, Carreras-Puigvert J, Fernandez-Capetillo O. (2022). Prolonged estrogen deprivation triggers a broad immunosuppressive phenotype in breast cancer cells. Mol Oncol 16, 148-165. CNIO Publication. Open Access
Jimeno R, Mouron S, Salgado R, Loi S, Pérez-Mies B, Sánchez-Bayona R, Manso L, Martínez M, Garrido-García A, Serrano-Pardo R, Colomer R, Quintela-Fandino M (2022). Tumor P70S6K hyperactivation is inversely associated with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in triple-negative breast cancer. Clin Transl Oncol (in press). CNIO Publication. Open Access
Mestre-Farrera A, Bruch-Oms M, Peña R, Rodríguez-Morató J, Alba-Castellón L, Cormena L, Quintela-Fandino M, Duñach M, Baulida J, Pozo OJ, García de Herreros A (2021). Glutamine-Directed Migration of Cancer-Activated Fibroblasts Facilitates Epithelial Tumor Invasion. Cancer Res 81, 438-451. CNIO Publication.
Luna-Dulcey L, Almada da Silva J, Jimenez-Renard V, Caleiras E, Mouron S, Quintela-Fandino M, Cominetti MR. (2021). [6]-Gingerol-Derived Semi-Synthetic Compound SSi6 Inhibits Tumor Growth and Metastatic Dissemination in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Xenograft Models. Cancers 13, 2855. CNIO Publication.
Mouron S, Manso L, Caleiras E, Rodriguez-Peralto JL, Rueda OM, Caldas C, Colomer R, Quintela-Fandino M, Bueno MJ. (2021). FGFR1 amplification or overexpression and hormonal resistance in luminal breast cancer: rationale for a triple blockade of ER, CDK4/6, and FGFR1. Breast Cancer Res 23, 21. CNIO Publication.
Bueno MJ, Ruiz-Sepulveda JL, Quintela-Fandino M (2021). Mitochondrial Inhibition: a Treatment Strategy in Cancer?. Curr Oncol Rep 23, 49. CNIO Publication.
Mouron S, Bueno MJ, Muñoz M, Quintela-Fandino M. (2021). Monitoring vascular normalization: new opportunities for mitochondrial inhibitors in breast cancer. Oncoscience 8, 1-13. CNIO Publication.