The association Española Contra el Cáncer has awarded a financial aid-contract to a researcher of the research center Médica Aplicada (CIMA) of the University of Navarra. Natalia Ramírez Huerto is working on a project on colorectal cancer to search for predictive markers of toxicity and response to drugs that will allow personalized therapy and an alternative to current chemotherapy.

"Colorectal cancer is the third tumor subject in incidence worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer death. With the new era of pharmacogenomics it is possible to study the influence that genes can have on the response to certain drugs. These condition a better or worse prognosis in the individual, as well as a different profile of toxicity", explains the researcher.

In the project, graduate "Identification of gene expression profiles and miRNA associated with Chemoresistance and prognosis in Colorectal Cancer", several researchers from the laboratory of Pharmacogenomics of the area of Oncology of the CIMA are working. "The study of global gene expression profile (mRNA) and, according to our hypothesis, the differential expression of new molecules with important regulatory functions (microRNA) can help us to identify prognostic factors of response to treatment and new therapeutic targets," he says.

66,000 euros

Natalia Ramírez Huerto, a graduate in Biology and Biochemistry , and PhD in Biology from the University of Navarra, emphasizes that this scholarship is "a recognition of all the years of training and a responsibility towards the people who have trusted in our project".  

The association Española Contra el Cáncer (AECC) has awarded this year ten grants to researchers in oncology with the goal of promote the research oncology and help the training research of Spanish scientists. The scholarship endowment is 66,000 euros and will be developed over the next two years.