Grupo de Inmunidad del Cáncer

María Casanova Jefe de Grupo
T +34 917328000 (Ext 3570)
mcasanova@cnio.es

Investigadores Científicos

Alba de Juan

Becarios Post-doctorales

Marta Amorós
Rafael Fenutria
Ana Mantrana
Sarai Martínez

Becarios Pre-Doctorales

Teresa Aceña
Eduardo Garvín
Jan Hochstadt
Mariola Munárriz
Maria Nogales Pons

Técnicos de Laboratorio

David Cáceres
Mónica Gómez

Our Research Group investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms that shape immune responses in cancer, with a particular focus on myeloid cell biology, circadian immunity and tumour–stroma interactions. By integrating single-cell transcriptomics and spatial imaging, and in vivo modelling, we aim to define how immune ecosystems regulate tumour progression, metastasis, and response to immunotherapy. Our work has identified conserved stromal–immune programmes with prognostic and therapeutic relevance, providing conceptual and translational frameworks to improve patient stratification and develop novel immunomodulatory strategies. Overall, the Group’s research seeks to bridge fundamental immunology with clinical application to advance precision cancer immunotherapy.

Publicaciones recientes

Rozalén C, Sangrador I, Avalle S, Blasco-Benito S, Tzortzi P, Sanz-Flores M, Palomeque JÁ, Torren-Duran P, Dalmau M, Brunel H, Coll-Manzano A, Pérez-Núñez I, Martos T, Servitja S, Pérez-Buira S, Chacón JI, Guerrero-Zotano Á, Martínez de Dueñas E, Guillén Y, Comerma L, Bermejo B, Bigas A, Casanova-Acebes M, Alemany A, Rojo F, Albanell J, Celià-Terrassa T. (2026). TIM3+ breast cancer cells license immune evasion during micrometastasis outbreak. Cancer Cell 43, 1549-1567. Publicación CNIO.
Garvin-Jiménez E, Casanova-Acebes M (2025). It takes two to TAM-go. Gut 74, 1546-1547. Publicación CNIO.
Casanova-Acebes M (2025). Enlightening Per2-suasive role of neutrophils in antibacterial immunity. Trends Immunol 46, 551-553. Publicación CNIO.
Navarrete-Sirvent C, Mantrana A, Rivas-Crespo A, Díaz-Chacón A, Herrera-Casanova NM, Sánchez-Montero MT, Toledano-Fonseca M, García-Ortiz MV, Ortiz-Morales MJ, Pulido G, Cano MT, Gómez-España A, González-Fernández R, Bourhis LL, Guil-Luna S, Rodríguez-Ariza A, Aranda E. (2025). Imbalanced NK cell subpopulations and TIGIT expression limit cetuximab efficacy in colorectal cancer: A promising target for treatment enhancement. Clin Transl Med 15, e70351. Publicación CNIO.
Hochstadt J, Martínez Pacheco S, Casanova-Acebes M. (2025). Embracing diversity: macrophage complexity in cancer. Trends in Cancer 11, 351-364. Publicación CNIO.
Ortega-Molina A, Lebrero-Fernández C, Sanz A, Calvo-Rubio M, Deleyto-Seldas N, de Prado-Rivas L, Plata-Gómez AB, Fernández-Florido E, González-García P, Vivas-García Y, Sánchez García E, Graña-Castro O, Price NL, Aroca-Crevillén A, Caleiras E, Monleón D, Borrás C, Casanova-Acebes M, de Cabo R, Efeyan A. (2024). A mild increase in nutrient signaling to mTORC1 in mice leads to parenchymal damage, myeloid inflammation and shortened lifespan. Nature Aging 4, 1102-1120. Publicación CNIO. Open Access
Park MD, Reyes-Torres I, LeBerichel J, Hamon P, LaMarche NM, Hegde S, Belabed M, Troncoso L, Grout JA, Magen A, Humblin E, Nair A, Molgora M, Hou J, Newman JH, Farkas AM, Leader AM, Dawson T, D'Souza D, Hamel S, Sanchez-Paulete AR, Maier B, Bhardwaj N, Martin JC, Kamphorst AO, Kenigsberg E, Casanova-Acebes M, Horowitz A, Brown BD, De Andrade LF, Colonna M, Marron TU, Merad M (2023). TREM2 macrophages drive NK cell paucity and dysfunction in lung cancer. Nat Immunol 24, 792-801. Publicación CNIO. Open Access
Grout JA, Sirven P, Leader AM, Maskey S, Hector E, Puisieux I, Steffan F, Cheng E, Tung N, Maurin M, Vaineau R, Karpf L, Plaud M, Begue AL, Ganesh K, Mesple J, Casanova-Acebes M, Tabachnikova A, Keerthivasan S, Lansky A, Le Berichel J, Walker L, Rahman AH, Gnjatic S, Girard N, Lefevre M, Damotte D, Adam J, Martin JC, Wolf A, Flores RM, Beasley MB, Pradhan R, Muller S, Marron TU, Turley SJ, Merad M, Kenigsberg E, Salmon H (2022). Spatial Positioning and Matrix Programs of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Promote T-cell Exclusion in Human Lung Tumors. Cancer Discovery 12, 2606-2625. Publicación CNIO. Open Access
Casanova-Acebes, M., Dalla, E., Leader, A.M, LeBerichel J, Nikolic J, Morales BM , Brown M, Chang C, Troncoso L, Chen ST, Sastre-Perona A, Park M, Tabachnikova A, Dhainaut M, Hamon P, Maier B, Sawai CM, Agulló-Pascual E, Chober M, Brown BD, Reizis B, Marron T, Kenigsberg E, Moussion C, Benaroch, Aguirre-Ghiso JA, Merad M (2021). Tissue-resident macrophages provide a pro-tumorigenic niche to early NSCLC cells. Nature 595, 578-584. Publicación en otras instituciones.
Hidalgo A , Casanova-Acebes M (2021). Dimensions of neutrophil life and fate. Semin Immunol (in press). Publicación CNIO.