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: Santiago Ramon y Cajal Agüeras

Combining pathology and molecular biology, the aim of our group is to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying tumor heterogeneity. In 2019 our work focused on the interplay between clonal populations within a tumor (Martin-Pardillos et al). Within this context, we have proposed a critical role for the interplay between ncRNAs in cell communication (Ramon y Cajal et al) – a theme that is currently followed up. To overcome the difficulties in pathological analysis arising from tumor heterogeneity we postulated the concept of “Tissunomica” – an integrated evaluation in the tissue context (Ramon y Cajal et al). Through our expertise in pathology, we contributed to several publications in cancer research and we evaluated nuclear Cx43 as poor prognosis marker in lung cancer (Aasen et al). Derived from our longstanding interest in p-eIF4E as prognostic marker, we have now discovered and patented the first in class allosteric inhibitor of the eIF4E phosphorylating kinases MNK1/2.

VHIR Annual Report 2019