Oncology

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Overview

The Oncology Research Area has been composed by nine groups addressing main unsolved issues in cancer. The research during this period covered the fields of child and adolescent cancer, melanoma, gynecology, urology, cancer stem cells and the molecular mechanisms of the tumor pathologies. There were also three groups from the CIBBIM-Nanomedicine. These groups studied the use of nanotechnology in biomedical applications to improve therapeutic strategies and diagnostics. During the last years the Area has been very active at shared activities such as the virtual AACR yearly meeting, the internal and external ONCO-VHIR seminars and the organization of other periodic topic-based workshops and leisure and team-building activities. This year the Area also organized a World Cancer Day event to get closer to the society. During the mentioned period most groups of the Area have participated in the In-Campus multidisciplinary Task Force Groups for different tumors (gastric, prostate, melanoma, ginecology etc. with the specialized pathologist also involved) that have been fueled by VHIR-VHIO-Hospital. It is also noteworthy the shared scientific production in terms of publications between different groups of the Area and the stable collaborations between groups that have consolidated during these period.

Publications

141
total
748
impact factor
5.30
average impact factor

Group Leader: Simó Schwartz Navarro

The group on Drug Delivery and Targeting seeks on the one hand, the identification of new disease biomarkers and therapeutic targets, with special focus on cancer molecular pathways and in the physiopathology of low prevalent diseases; and on the other hand, the development of new drug delivery strategies as applied nanomedicine, with a particular interest into new targeting approaches for clinical applications.

Several in vitro and in vivo cancer models have been generated by the group for preclinical testing of nanomedicines, including the generation of specific bioluminescent cancer stem cell models. Further, we have generated new polymer nanoconjugates against metastatic cancer showing no toxicity profiles, high in vivo efficacy and industrial transferability. A total of 14 patents have been issued by our group. Three patents from the group have advanced to National Phases.

VHIR Annual Report 2019