Dr. Juan ángel Recio, head of the http://en.vhir.org/portal1/grup-equip2.asp?s=recerca&contentid=186765 Biomedical Research in Melanoma group of the VHIR, has been awarded with a grant from the Ramón Areces Foundation for his project "The role of p38 alpha in the development and progression of UV-induced melanoma". The amount granted was euros 129,371.In total, the Ramón Areces Foundation gave 5.2 million euros in aid to 42 research projects on rare diseases, cancer, multiple sclerosis, food safety, renewable energies and new materials, among others. The researchers in charge of these projects belong to six autonomous communities: Catalonia, Andalusia, Castilla y León, Madrid, the Valencian Community and the Basque Country.In the 19th edition of the research grants for Life Sciences and Matter of the Foundation, 618 projects were presented from all over the State with the aim of promoting scientific research, particularly in the areas that require special attention for their relative orphanage or because of its special interest for today's society.The role of p38 alpha in the development and progression of UV-induced melanomaMelanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer. In spite of the significant advances in their treatment based on immunotherapy, the incomplete knowledge of the processes involved in the antitumor immune response and the lack of response biomarkers, greatly hinder the effectiveness of these therapies. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms that direct tumor development and progression is essential to overcome this disease.Although the activation of the RAS signaling pathway is a crucial event in the development and progression of melanoma, the stress signaling pathway (p38 and JNK) not only plays an important role in the development and progression of the tumor (ex. to UV radiation, ROS management and proliferation), but it intervenes in the signaling of molecules that modulate and activate the immune system."Our preliminary data show that melanomas developed in murine models and human melanomas have genetic alterations in components of the stress signaling pathway, including the overexpression of p38 alpha in 25% of patients," explains Dr. Recio. Even more relevant, is that overexpression of p38 alpha is associated with a lower survival of patients and worsens the survival of patients carrying mutations in BRAF as NRAS.On a functional scale, our data show that, in the tumor, p38 alpha modulates the expression of molecules that interfere with both the antitumor immune response and immunotherapy. "This project aims to elucidate the role of p38 alpha in the development and progression of melanoma induced by UV radiation and its contribution to the intratumoral regulation of the immune system. This knowledge will be useful to define its role as a biomarker and design new therapeutic strategies against melanoma", he concludes.