Dr. Marta Crespo, principal investigator of the Experimental Hematology group at Vall d'Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR), received one out of the 6https://www.aecc.es/Nosotros/Dondeestamos/Barcelona/Paginas/Resolucioajudes.aspx" Research Grants in Oncology from the Spanish Cancer Association in Barcelona (AECC), endowed with 20,000 euros each.Her project has the aim to analyze in the laboratory the effects and potential mechanisms of resistance of different therapies for acute myeloid leukemia, targeted to specific proteins. "We will use an experimental design that reproduces the favorable microenvironment that malignant cells find in the bone marrow", explains Dr. Crespo. Thanks to this scenario, her team will unveil what happens in the bone marrow when the treatment for leukemia fails.Acute myeloid leukemia is the most common type of leukemia among adults. Despite the advances in research, the patient's prognosis has not changed over the last 20 years, especially in older patients: the five-year survival for patients under 50 is around the 50%, whereas the survival among patients over 65 years old is reduced to the 20%. For that reason, the scientific community urges to carry out studies such as the one that Dr. Crespo will lead for the next 2 years, in order to develop new and less toxic treatments for these patients.VHIR's study follows the preclinical research line of the Experimental Hematology group, led by Dr. Francesc Bosch, that is giving good results for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The group works together with the Hematology Service that contributes to the development of new therapies by designing and participating in several clinical trials.AECC Barcelona also granted two of these grants to Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), for studying glioblastoma and gastrointestinal tumors.