Patologia Molecular Translacional

El nostre grup té com a objectiu desvelar els mecanismes moleculars de la progressió i les metàstasis del càncer per a identificar nous marcadors diagnòstics, pronòstics, així com noves dianes terapèutiques. Gràcies al profund coneixement de les bases moleculars tumorals del grup d’investigació, així com a la disponibilitat de mostres tumorals humanes, desenvolupem diferents línies d’investigació centrades en el següent:

Conèixer els mecanismes moleculars subjacents a la cooperació clonal i la comunicació intercel·lular implicades en l’heterogeneïtat tumoral.
Descriure el paper de les mitogen-activated protein kinase-interacting kinases (MNK) en el desenvolupament de resistències davant de l'estrès cel·lular.
Aprofundir en el paper de la integrina ß-3 (ITGB3) en la comunicació intercel·lular mitjançant vesícules extracel·lulars en models de metàstasi (Santiago Ramón i Cajal).
Estudiar les comunicacions cèl·lula-cèl·lula a través d’unions intercel·lulars comunicants (gap junctions) i/o protrusions intercel·lulars en el càncer (Trond Aasen).
Estudiar la transformació oncogènica dels neurofibromes plexiformes (Cleofe Romagosa).

Línies de recerca

Study of gene expression of senescence in human tumors

The expression of mARN genes identified by Dr.R. Bernards has been studied in normal and tumor tissue of cancer patients. This study identifies for the first time, RSK4 and KIAA0828 genes as genes whose role may be relevant in cancer. The expression of these genes is being studied in protein by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Also are characterizing the biochemical pathways where these genes may be involved

IP: Santiago Ramon y Cajal Agüeras

Study of new genes involved in proliferation

Searching for new proliferative genes/tumor suppressor genes is being performed at our laboratory by carring out genetic screens. By the use of retroviral vectors as carriers of a cDNA libraries (formed by mRNA from murine embryonic stem cells), primary cells are infected and screening for those clones able to bypass senescence are selected for further characterization. The marked morphological heterogeneity observed in several tumorigenic process, support the hypothesis that several cancers have their origin in a stem cell. It is believed that genes expressed by embryonic stem cells, may play an important role in the tumorigenic mechanism.This project unravels the effect of immortal genes existing in embryonic stem cells, when are forced to be expressed in primary and thereby mortal cells. These immortal genes are future candidate markers in tumors with potential prognosis value. The novel genes discovered, are being analyzed in the biopsies from patients with different kinds of tumors collected at the Pathology Department of the Vall d´Hebrón Hospital.

IP: Matilde Lleonart Pajarin

Study of PTOV1 modulation in tumor proliferation and progression : Interaction with IGF1 pathways. Notch and Wnt expression in TMAs of tumors.

To evaluate the expression (nuclear and cytoplasmatic) of PTOV1 , Notch and Wnt on TMAs in c different histological types of carcinomas with low and high grades of malignancy . To correlate the inmunoexpression with classical parameters of tumor behaviour : tumoral size, grade of malignancy, vascular permeation, lymph nodes metastasis in each histological subtype and demonstrated the role of PTOV1 as predictive molecular marker in carcinomas.

(Research Biomedical Unit)

IP: Inés de Torres Ramirez