Home | Research & Innovation | Scientific Programmes | Tumour Biology Programme | Melanoma Group
Research Scientists
- Nuria Gago
- Susana García
- Mariya London
Graduate Students
- Pablo Calvete
- Pablo Casado
- Guillermo De la Vega
- Naiara Juan
- Teresa Martí
- Thelma Poluha
- José Antonio Torres
Technicians
- Tonantzin Guadalupe Calvo
- Marta Contreras
- Cynthia Mucientes
The main objective of our Group is to identify and validate new drivers and therapeutic targets in melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer. We are particularly interested in mechanisms that account for the unique ability of this tumour type to bypass immune recognition and be able to generate metastasis from lesions barely over one millimetre in depth (publications in Nature, Cancer Cell, Nature Cell Biology, Nature Communications, among others). Our laboratory has also reported the first-in-class lymphoreporter (MetAlert) mice for non-invasive imaging of pre-metastatic niches in melanoma (Nature). These systems led to the identification of new mechanisms of immune resistance (Nature Medicine, Nature Cancer) and the generation of nanoparticle-based treatments (Cancer Cell, EMBO Mol Med), with derivatives now being tested in clinical trials. These studies are performed in the context of large cohorts of patient-associated datasets, with the ultimate goal of defining physiological relevance.
Recent publications
- Strijker JGM, Pascual-Pasto G, Grothusen GP, Kalmeijer YJ, Kalaitsidou E, Zhao C, McIntyre B, Matlaga S, Visser LL, Barisa M, Himsworth C, Shah R, Muller H, Schild LG, Hains PG, Zhong Q, Reddel RR, Robinson PJ, Catena X, Soengas MS, Margaritis T, Dekker FJ, Anderson J, Molenaar JJ, Bosse KR, Wu W, Wienke J. (2025). Blocking MIF secretion enhances CAR T-cell efficacy against neuroblastoma. Eur J Cancer 218, 115263. CNIO Publication.
- Catena X, Contreras-Alcalde M, Juan-Larrea N, Cerezo-Wallis D, Calvo TG, Mucientes C, Olmeda D, Suárez J, Oterino-Sogo S, Martínez L, Megías D, Sancho D, Tejedo C, Frago S, Dudziak D, Seretis A, Stoitzner P, Soengas MS. (2025). Systemic rewiring of dendritic cells by melanoma-secreted midkine impairs immune surveillance and response to immune checkpoint blockade. Nat Cancer 6, 682-701. CNIO Publication.
- López-Gil JC, García-Silva S, Ruiz-Cañas L, Navarro D, Palencia-Campos A, Giráldez-Trujillo A, Earl J, Dorado J, Gómez-López G, Monfort-Vengut A, Alcalá S, Gaida MM, García-Mulero S, Cabezas-Sáinz P, Batres-Ramos S, Barreto E, Sánchez-Tomero P, Vallespinós M, Ambler L, Lin ML, Aicher A, García García de Paredes A, de la Pinta C, Sanjuanbenito A, Ruz-Caracuel I, Rodríguez-Garrote M, Guerra C, Carrato A, de Cárcer G, Sánchez L, Nombela-Arrieta C, Espinet E, Sanchez-Arevalo Lobo VJ, Heeschen C, Sainz B Jr. (2024). The Peptidoglycan Recognition Protein 1 confers immune evasive properties on pancreatic cancer stem cells. Gut 73, 1489-1508. CNIO Publication.
Open Access - Abrahamian C, Tang R, Deutsch R, Ouologuem L, Weiden EM, Kudrina V, Blenninger J, Rilling J, Feldmann C, Kuss S, Stepanov Y, Rosato AS, Calvo GT, Soengas MS, Mayr D, Fröhlich T, Gudermann T, Biel M, Wahl-Schott C, Chen CC, Bartel K, Grimm C. (2024). Rab7a is an enhancer of TPC2 activity regulating melanoma progression through modulation of the GSK3β/β-Catenin/MITF-axis. Nat Commun 155, 10008. CNIO Publication.
- Quílez C, Bebiano LB, Jones E, Maver U, Meesters L, Parzymies P, Petiot E, Rikken G, Risueño I, Zaidi H, Zidarič T, Bekeschus S, H van den Bogaard E, Caley M, Colley H, López NG, Letsiou S, Marquette C, Maver T, Pereira RF, Tobin DJ, Velasco D. (2024). Targeting the Complexity of In Vitro Skin Models: A Review of Cutting-Edge Developments. J Invest Dermatol 144, 2650-2670. CNIO Publication.
- Briukhovetska D, Suarez-Gosalvez J, Voigt C, Markota A, Giannou AD, Schübel M, Jobst J, Zhang T, Dörr J, Märkl F, Majed L, Müller PJ, May P, Gottschlich A, Tokarew N, Lücke J, Oner A, Schwerdtfeger M, Andreu-Sanz D, Grünmeier R, Seifert M, Michaelides S, Hristov M, König LM, Cadilha BL, Mikhaylov O, Anders HJ, Rothenfusser S, Flavell RA, Cerezo-Wallis D, Tejedo C, Soengas MS, Bald T, Huber S, Endres S, Kobold S (2023). T cell-derived interleukin-22 drives the expression of CD155 by cancer cells to suppress NK cell function and promote metastasis.. Immunity 56, 143-161. CNIO Publication. Open Access
- Marine JC, Soengas MS (2022). Cell position matters in tumour development. Nature 604, 248-250. CNIO Publication.
- Meçe O, Houbaert D, Sassano ML, Durré T, Maes H, Schaaf M, More S, Ganne M, García-Caballero M, Borri M, Verhoeven J, Agrawal M, Jacobs K, Bergers G, Blacher S, Ghesquière B, Dewerchin M, Swinnen JV, Vinckier S, Soengas MS, Carmeliet P, Noël A, Agostinis P (2022). Lipid droplet degradation by autophagy connects mitochondria metabolism to Prox1-driven expression of lymphatic genes and lymphangiogenesis. Nat Commun 13, 2760. CNIO Publication. Open Access
- Patton EE, Mueller KL, Adams DJ, Anandasabapathy N, Aplin AE, Bertolotto C, Bosenberg M, Ceol CJ, Chi P, Herlyn M, Holmen SL, Karreth FA, Kaufman CK, Khan S, Kobold S, Leucci E, Levy C, Lombard DB, Lund AW, Marie KL, Marine JC, Marais R, McMahon M, Robles-Espinoza CD, Ronai ZA, Samuels Y, Soengas MS, Villanueva J, Weeraratna AT, White RM, Yeh I, Zhu J, Zon LI, Hurlbert MS, Merlino G (2021). Melanoma models for the next generation of therapies. Cancer Cell 39, 610-631. CNIO Publication. Open Access
- Olmeda D, Cerezo-Wallis D, Castellano-Sanz E, García-Silva S, Peinado H, Soengas MS (2021). Physiological models for in vivo imaging and targeting the lymphatic system: Nanoparticles and extracellular vesicles. Adv Drug Deliver Rev 175, 113833. CNIO Publication.
- Atkins MB, Curiel-Lewandrowski C, Fisher DE, Swetter SM, Tsao H, Aguirre-Ghiso JA, Soengas MS, Weeraratna AT, Flaherty KT, Herlyn M, Sosman JA, Tawbi HA, Pavlick AC, Cassidy PB, Chandra S, Chapman PB, Daud A, Eroglu Z, Ferris LK, Fox BA, Gerhsenwald JE, Gibney GT, Grossman D, Hanks BA, Hanniford D, Hernando E, Jeter JM, Johnson DB, Khleif SN, Kirkwood JM, Leachman SA, Mays D, Nelson KC, Sondak VK, Sullivan RJ, Merlino G (2021). The State of Melanoma: Emergent Challenges and Opportunities. Clin Cancer Res 27, 2678-2697. CNIO Publication. Open Access
- Olmeda D, Cerezo-Wallis D, Mucientes C, Calvo TG, Cañón E, Alonso-Curbelo D, Ibarz N, Muñoz J, Rodriguez-Peralto JL, Ortiz-Romero P, Ortega S, Soengas MS. (2021). Live imaging of neolymphangiogenesis identifies acute antimetastatic roles of dsRNA mimics. EMBO Mol Med 13, e12924. CNIO Publication. Open Access
