Precision Oncology and Antitumour Therapies

These research teams use molecular, genomic and cellular approaches to understand why certain tumours stop responding to conventional treatments, and to develop safer and more effective therapies. The groups offer services including preclinical testing of drug candidates, molecular profiling, and developing cancer models using CRISPR/Cas9 and other cutting-edge technologies.

Research groups:

Cancer drug resistance :  Investigating mechanisms of chemotherapy resistance (autophagy, drug efflux and survival signalling) and identifying alternative targets.

Pharmacogenomics of cancer: Analysing how genetic and epigenetic variations in patients affect the efficacy and toxicity of oncology drugs, with a particular focus on colorectal cancer and melanoma.

Molecular mechanisms involved in cáncer: signal transduction, epigenetics and metabolism:  Exploring pathways such as MAPKs and BRAF, and the role of protein tyrosine phosphatases and metabolic adaptations that promote tumour resistance.

Adenocarcinoma and metastasis: Characterising diagnostic and prognostic markers in hormone‑dependent adenocarcinomas, employing CRISPR/Cas9 and aptamer technologies to generate precise cellular models.

Cancers of epithelial origin: Seeking diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in epithelial tumours and evaluating novel therapeutic strategies targeting these markers.

Key services offered:

• Cell viability, proliferation and apoptosis assays

• Plasmid design

• Genomic editing with CRISPR/Cas9

• Functional validation

• Protein expression analysis by Western blot and cell signalling assays

• In vitro models (genetically modified cell lines) and in vivo animal studies

• Preclinical evaluation of candidate compounds for efficacy and toxicity

• Sequencing and bioinformatic analysis of genetics

Current projects:

• “Effect of a High‑Fat Diet on Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness” (Cancer drug resistance)

• “Therapeutic Potential of Aptamers and CRISPR/Cas9‑Mediated Editing against HAT1 in Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia” (Adenocarcinoma and metastasis)

• “Novel Strategies Based on Oxidative‑Metabolism Modulation for V600E‑BRAF‑Positive Thyroid Cancer” (Molecular mechanisms involved in cáncer)