Microenvironment & Metastasis Group

Vacant Director

Graduate Students

Enrique Bastón
Lucía Garrido

Technicians

Sara Sánchez-Redondo

Our Group is dedicated to understanding the communication between the tumour and its microenvironment throughout tumour progression and metastasis from three different angles. First, we focus on the role of the nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) in the acquisition of an immune-evasive metastatic phenotype in melanoma, bladder, and oral cancer. Second, we investigate the influence of obesity on metastasis and tumour dormancy in breast cancer. Finally, we study the role of extracellular vesicles in tumour evolution, currently centred on their involvement in the control of DNA damage.

We aim to elucidate how NGFR signalling, obesity, and extracellular vesicles shape tumour–microenvironment crosstalk to drive metastasis.

Recent publications

Bastón E, García-Agulló J, Peinado H (2025). The influence of extracellular vesicles on tumor evolution and resistance to therapy. Physiol Rev 105, 1173-1212. CNIO Publication. Open Access
Schaub-Clerigué A, Hermanova I, Pintor-Rial A, Sydorenko M, Valcarcel-Jimenez L, Macchia A, Lectez B, Garcia-Longarte S, Fagoaga-Eugui M, Astobiza I, Martín-Martín N, Zabala-Letona A, Pujana-Vaquerizo M, Royo F, Azkargorta M, Berra E, Sutherland JD, Peinado H, Falcón-Perez JM, Elortza F, Carracedo A, Torrano V. (2025). Secreted spermidine synthase reveals a paracrine role for PGC1α-induced growth suppression in prostate cancer. Cell Death Dis 16, 330. CNIO Publication.
Moura LI, Malfanti A, Matos AI, Peres C, Armiñán A, Duro-Castaño A, Conejos-Sánchez I, Medel M, Đorđević S, Carrascosa P, Carreira B, Acúrcio RC, Xavier-Ferreira H, Hernández-Barranco A, Castellano E, Roselló E, Machado JC, Peinado H, Vicent MJ, Florindo HF. (2025). Off-The-Shelf Multivalent Nanoconjugate Cancer Vaccine Rescues Host Immune Response against Melanoma. Adv Ther 37, e2417348. CNIO Publication.
Casanova-Salas I, Aguilar D, Cordoba-Terreros S, Agundez L, Brandariz J, Herranz N, Mas A, Gonzalez M, Morales-Barrera R, Sierra A, Soriano-Navarro M, Cresta P, Mir G, Simonetti S, Rodrigues G, Arce-Gallego S, Delgado-Serrano L, Agustí I, Castellano-Sanz E, Mast R, de Albert M, Celma A, Santamaria A, Gonzalez L, Castro N, Suanes MDM, Hernández-Losa J, Nonell L, Peinado H, Carles J, Mateo J. (2024). Circulating tumor extracellular vesicles to monitor metastatic prostate cancer genomics and transcriptomic evolution. Cancer Cell 42, 1301-1312. CNIO Publication.
Quiralte M, Barquín A, Yagüe-Fernández M, Navarro P, Grazioso TP, Sevillano-Fernández E, Rodriguez-Moreno JF, Balarezo-Saldivar A, Peinado H, Izquierdo E, Millán C, López-Carrasco I, Prieto M, Madurga R, Fernández-Miranda I, Ruiz-Llorente S, García-Donas J (2024). Proteomic profiles of peritoneal fluid-derived small extracellular vesicles correlate with patient outcome in ovarian cancer. J Clin Invest 134, e176161. CNIO Publication.
Hernández-Barranco A, Santos V, Mazariegos MS, Caleiras E, Nogués L, Mourcin F, Léonard S, Oblet C, Genebrier S, Rossille D, Benguría A, Sanz A, Vázquez E, Dopazo A, Efeyan A, Ortega-Molina A, Cogne M, Tarte K, Peinado H. (2024). NGFR regulates stromal cell activation in germinal centers. Cell Reports 43, 113705. CNIO Publication. Open Access
García-Silva S, Peinado H. (2024). Mechanisms of lymph node metastasis: An extracellular vesicle perspective. Eur J Cell Biol 103, 151447. CNIO Publication.
Vidal-Correoso D, Mateo SV, Muñoz-Morales AM, Lucas-Ruiz F, Jover-Aguilar M, Alconchel F, Martínez-Alarcón L, Sánchez-Redondo S, Santos V, López-López V, Ríos-Zambudio A, Cascales P, Pons JA, Ramírez P, Pelegrín P, Peinado H, Baroja-Mazo A. (2024). Cell-specific Extracellular Vesicles and Their miRNA Cargo Released Into the Organ Preservation Solution During Cold Ischemia Storage as Biomarkers for Liver Transplant Outcomes. Transplantation (in press). CNIO Publication.
Heidinger M, Egle D, Piscuoglio S, Navarro-Aguadero MÁ, Sánchez S, Hergueta-Redondo M, Gallardo M, Barrio S, García-Peláez B, Molina-Vila MA, Maggi N, Eller RS, Loesch JM, Alborelli I, Peinado H, Weber W, Weber WP. (2024). Extracellular Vesicle DNA Extraction and Sequencing in Ancient Serum Samples From Patients With Breast Cancer. Anticancer Res 44, 2981-2988. CNIO Publication.
González-Muñoz T, Di Giannatale A, García-Silva S, Santos V, Sánchez-Redondo S, Savini C, Graña-Castro O, Blanco-Aparicio C, Fischer S, De Wever O, Creus-Bachiller E, Ortega-Bertran S, Pisapia DJ, Rodríguez-Peralto JL, Fernández-Rodríguez J, Pérez-Portabella CR, Alaggio R, Benassi MS, Pazzaglia L, Scotlandi K, Ratner N, Yohay K, Theuer CP, Peinado H. (2023). Endoglin, a Novel Biomarker and Therapeutical Target to Prevent Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor Growth and Metastasis. Clin Cancer Res 29, 3744-3758. CNIO Publication.
García-Silva S, Vico-Alonso C, Meyer L, Enderle D, Sanchez JA, Onteniente MDM, Noerholm M, Skog J, Rodríguez-Peralto JL, Ortiz-Romero PL, Peinado H. (2023). Improved Sensitivity in BRAFV600E Detection in Combined Tissue and Extracellular Vesicle-Based Liquid Biopsy in Melanoma. J Invest Dermatol 143, 1606-1610. CNIO Publication.
Benito-Martín A, Jasiulionis MG, García-Silva S. (2023). Extracellular vesicles and melanoma: New perspectives on tumor microenvironment and metastasis. Front Cell Dev Biol 10, 1061982. CNIO Publication.
González MI, Gallardo B, Cerón C, Aguilera-Jiménez E, Cortes-Canteli M, Peinado H, Desco M, Salinas B. (2023). Isolation of goat milk small extracellular vesicles by novel combined bio-physical methodology. Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol. 11, . CNIO Publication.
Casadomé-Perales Á, Naya S, Fernández-Martínez E, Mille BG, Guerrero-Valero M, Peinado H, Guix FX, Dotti CG, Palomer E. (2023). Neuronal Prosurvival Role of Ceramide Synthase 2 by Olidogendrocyte-to-Neuron Extracellular Vesicle Transfer. Int J Mol Sci 24, 5986. CNIO Publication.
Pericoli G, Galardi A, Paolini A, Petrilli LL, Pepe G, Palma A, Colletti M, Ferretti R, Giorda E, Levi Mortera S, Burford A, Carai A, Mastronuzzi A, Mackay A, Putignani L, Jones C, Pascucci L, Peinado H, Helmer-Citterich M, de Billy E, Masotti A, Locatelli F, Di Giannatale A, Vinci M. (2023). Inhibition of exosome biogenesis affects cell motility in heterogeneous sub-populations of paediatric-type diffuse high-grade gliomas. Cell Biosci 13, 207. CNIO Publication.
Couto-Rodriguez A, Villaseñor A, Pablo-Torres C, Obeso D, Rey-Stolle MF, Peinado H, Bueno JL, Reaño-Martos M, Iglesias Cadarso A, Gomez-Casado C, Barbas C, Barber D, Escribese MM, Izquierdo E. (2023). Platelet-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as Lipid Carriers in Severe Allergic Inflammation. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES 24, 12714. CNIO Publication.
Ruiz-Llorente L, Ruiz-Rodríguez MJ, Savini C, González-Muñoz T, Riveiro-Falkenbach E, Rodríguez-Peralto JL, Peinado H, Bernabeu C. (2023). Correlation Between Endoglin and Malignant Phenotype in Human Melanoma Cells: Analysis of hsa-mir-214 and hsa-mir-370 in Cells and Their Extracellular Vesicles. Adv Exp Med Biol 1408, 253-272. CNIO Publication. Open Access
Burdiel M, Jiménez J, Rodríguez-Antolín C, García-Guede Á, Pernía O, Sastre-Perona A, Rosas-Alonso R, Colmenarejo J, Rodríguez-Jiménez C, Diestro MD, Martínez-Marín V, Higueras O, Cruz P, Losantos-García I, Peinado H, Vera O, de Castro J, Ibáñez de Cáceres I. (2023). MiR-151a: a robust endogenous control for normalizing small extracellular vesicle cargo in human cancer. Biomark Res 11, 94. CNIO Publication.
González-Muñoz T, Kim A, Ratner N, Peinado H (2022). The Need for New Treatments Targeting MPNST: The Potential of Strategies Combining MEK Inhibitors with Antiangiogenic Agents. Clin Cancer Res 28, 3185-3195. CNIO Publication.
Leary N, Walser S, He Y, Cousin N, Pereira P, Gallo A, Collado-Diaz V, Halin C, Garcia-Silva S, Peinado H, Dieterich LC (2022). Melanoma-derived extracellular vesicles mediate lymphatic remodelling and impair tumour immunity in draining lymph nodes. J Extracell Vesicles 11, e12197. CNIO Publication.
Benito-Martin A, Nogués L, Hergueta-Redondo M, Castellano-Sanz E, Garvin E, Cioffi M, Sola-Castrillo P, Buehring W, Ximénez-Embún P, Muñoz J, Matei I, Villanueva J, Peinado H. (2022). Mast cells impair melanoma cell homing and metastasis by inhibiting HMGA1 secretion. Immunology (in press). CNIO Publication. Open Access
Carretero-González A, Hergueta-Redondo M, Sánchez-Redondo S, Ximénez-Embún P, Manso Sánchez L, Gil EC, Castellano D, de Velasco G, Peinado H. (2022). Characterization of plasma circulating small extracellular vesicles in patients with metastatic solid tumors and newly diagnosed brain metastasis. Oncoimmunology 11, 2067944. CNIO Publication.
Almansa D, Peinado H, García-Rodríguez R, Casadomé-Perales Á, Dotti CG, Guix FX. (2022). Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Young Neural Cultures Attenuate Astrocytic Reactivity In Vitro. Int J Mol Sci 23, 1371. CNIO Publication.
Cardeñes B, Clares I, Bezos T, Toribio V, López-Martín S, Rocha A, Peinado H, Yáñez-Mó M, Cabañas C. (2022). ALCAM/CD166 Is Involved in the Binding and Uptake of Cancer-Derived Extracellular Vesicles. Int J Mol Sci 23, 5753. CNIO Publication.
Verweij FJ, Balaj L, Boulanger CM, Carter DRF, Compeer EB, D'Angelo G, El Andaloussi S, Goetz JG, Gross JC, Hyenne V, Krämer-Albers EM, Lai CP, Loyer X, Marki A, Momma S, Nolte-'t Hoen ENM, Pegtel DM, Peinado H, Raposo G, Rilla K, Tahara H, Théry C, van Royen ME, Vandenbroucke RE, Wehman AM, Witwer K, Wu Z, Wubbolts R, van Niel G. (2021). The power of imaging to understand extracellular vesicle biology in vivo. Nat Methods 18, 1013-1026. CNIO Publication.
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.
Santos-Coquillat A, González MI, Clemente-Moragón A, González-Arjona M, Albaladejo-García V, Peinado H, Muñoz J, Ximénez Embún P, Ibañez B, Oliver E, Desco M, Salinas B. (2021). Goat Milk Exosomes As Natural Nanoparticles for Detecting Inflammatory Processes By Optical Imaging. Small 2, e2105421. CNIO Publication.
Saltari A, Dzung A, Quadri M, Tiso N, Facchinello N, Hernández-Barranco A, Garcia-Silva S, Nogués L, Stoffel CI, Cheng PF, Turko P, Eichhoff OM, Truzzi F, Marconi A, Pincelli C, Peinado H, Dummer R, Levesque MP (2021). Specific activation of the CD271 intracellular domain in combination with chemotherapy or targeted therapy inhibits melanoma progression.. Cancer Res 81, 6044-6057. CNIO Publication.
Suárez H, Andreu Z, Mazzeo C, Toribio V, Pérez-Rivera AE, López-Martín S, García-Silva S, Hurtado B, Morato E, Peláez L, Arribas EA, Tolentino-Cortez T, Barreda-Gómez G, Marina AI, Peinado H, Yáñez-Mó M (2021). CD9 inhibition reveals a functional connection of extracellular vesicle secretion with mitophagy in melanoma cells. J Extracell Vesicles 10, e12082. CNIO Publication.
Villasante A, Godier-Furnemont A, Hernandez-Barranco A, Coq JL, Boskovic J, Peinado H, Mora J, Samitier J, Vunjak-Novakovic G (2021). Horizontal transfer of the stemness-related markers EZH2 and GLI1 by neuroblastoma-derived extracellular vesicles in stromal cells. Transl Res 237, 82-97. CNIO Publication.
García-Silva S, Gallardo M, Peinado H (2021). DNA-Loaded Extracellular Vesicles in Liquid Biopsy: Tiny Players With Big Potential?. Front Cell Dev Biol 8, 622579. CNIO Publication.
Hernández-Barranco A, Nogués L, Peinado H (2021). Could Extracellular Vesicles Contribute to Generation or Awakening of “Sleepy” Metastatic Niches?. Front Cell Dev Biol 9, 625221. CNIO Publication. Open Access
Palacios-Ferrer JL, García-Ortega MB, Gallardo-Gómez M, García MÁ, Díaz C, Boulaiz H, Valdivia J, Jurado JM, Almazan-Fernandez FM, Arias-Santiago S, Amezcua V, Peinado H, Vicente F, Pérez Del Palacio J, Marchal JA (2021). Metabolomic profile of cancer stem cell-derived exosomes from patients with malignant melanoma. Mol Oncol 15, 407-428. CNIO Publication.
Rodríguez-Cobos J, Viñal D, Poves C, Fernández-Aceñero MJ, Peinado H, Pastor-Morate D, Prieto MI, Barderas R, Rodríguez-Salas N, Domínguez G (2021). DeltaNp73, TAp73 and Delta133p53 extracellular vesicle cargo as early diagnosis markers in colorectal cancer. Cancers 13, 2240. CNIO Publication.
Royo F, Azkargorta M, Lavin JL, Clos-Garcia M, Cortazar AR, Gonzalez-Lopez M, Barcena L, Del Portillo HA, Yáñez-Mó M, Marcilla A, Borras FE, Peinado H, Guerrero I, Váles-Gómez M, Cereijo U, Sardon T, Aransay AM, Elortza F, Falcon-Perez JM (2021). Extracellular Vesicles From Liver Progenitor Cells Downregulates Fibroblast Metabolic Activity and Increase the Expression of Immune-Response Related Molecules. Front Cell Dev Biol 8, 613583. CNIO Publication.
Senís E et al. (incl. Peinado H). (2021). TUNAR lncRNA Encodes a Microprotein that Regulates Neural Differentiation and Neurite Formation by Modulating Calcium. Front Cell Dev Biol 9, 747667. CNIO Publication.
Amor López A, Mazariegos MS, Capuano A, Ximénez-Embún P, Hergueta-Redondo M, Recio JÁ, Muñoz E, Al-Shahrour F, Muñoz J, Megías D, Doliana R, Spessotto P, Peinado H (2021). Inactivation of EMILIN-1 by Proteolysis and Secretion in Small Extracellular Vesicles Favors Melanoma Progression and Metastasis. Int J Mol Sci 22, 7406. CNIO Publication.
González Muñoz T, Amaral AT, Puerto-Camacho P, Peinado H, de Álava E (2021). Endoglin in the Spotlight to Treat Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 22, 3186. CNIO Publication.
Zhou J, Flores-Bellver M, Pan J, Benito-Martin A, Shi C, Onwumere O, Mighty J, Qian J, Zhong X, Hogue T, Amponsah-Antwi B, Einbond L, Gharbaran R, Wu H, Chen BJ, Zheng Z, Tchaikovskaya T, Zhang X, Peinado H, Canto-Soler MV, Redenti S (2021). Human retinal organoids release extracellular vesicles that regulate gene expression in target human retinal progenitor cells. Sci Rep 11, 21128. CNIO Publication.
García-Silva S, Benito-Martín A, Nogués L, Hernández-Barranco A, Mazariegos MS, Santos V, Hergueta-Redondo M, Ximénez-Embún P, Kataru RP, Lopez AA, Merino C, Sánchez-Redondo S, Graña-Castro O, Matei I, Nicolás-Avila JÁ, Torres-Ruiz R, Rodríguez-Perales S, Martínez L, Pérez-Martínez M, Mata G, Szumera-Cieckiewicz A, Kalinowska I, Saltari A, Martínez-Gómez JM, Hogan SA, Saragovi HU, Ortega S, Garcia-Martin C, Boskovic J, Levesque MP, Rutkowski P, Hidalgo A, Muñoz J, Megías D, Mehrara BJ, Lyden D, Peinado H (2021). Melanoma-derived small extracellular vesicles induce lymphangiogenesis and metastasis through an NGFR-dependent mechanism. Nat Cancer 2, 1387-1405. CNIO Publication.
García-Silva S, Ximénez-Embún P, Muñoz J, Peinado H (2021). Postlymphadenectomy Analysis of Exosomes from Lymphatic Exudate/Exudative Seroma of Melanoma Patients. Methods Mol Biol 2265, 345-359. CNIO Publication.
González MI, González-Arjona M, Santos-Coquillat A, Vaquero J, Vázquez-Ogando E, de Molina A, Peinado H, Desco M, Salinas B (2021). Covalently Labeled Fluorescent Exosomes for In Vitro and In Vivo Applications. Biomedicines 9, 81. CNIO Publication.
Guix FX, Capitán AM, Casadomé-Perales Á, Palomares-Pérez I, López Del Castillo I, Miguel V, Goedeke L, Martín MG, Lamas S, Peinado H, Fernández-Hernando C, Dotti CG. (2021). Increased exosome secretion in neurons aging in vitro by NPC1-mediated endosomal cholesterol buildup. Life Sci Alliance 4, e202101055. CNIO Publication.