The Scientific Foundation of the association Spanish Cancer Foundation(AECC) has awarded two grants from research to scientists at the University of Navarra.Queen Letizia presented the grants during the ceremony, held yesterday at the Victoria Eugenia Theater in San Sebastian.

The research center Applied Medical (CIMA) and the Clínica Universidad de Navarra lead a multicenterproject focused on finding new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in poorly characterized types of lung cancer. "The goal is to identify new therapeutic targets, predict the course of the disease and analyze markers that improve the survival and quality of life of patients," explains Dr. Luis Montuenga, Full Professor of Cell Biology, researcher senior of CIMA and area of Lung Cancer of the Clínica Universidad de Navarra, and coordinator of project, endowed with 1,200,000 euros.

The study will analyze the molecular profile of patients treated at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra, the high school Catalan Oncology (high school de research Biomedical Bellvitge, IDIBELL) and the high school of research Oncology of the Vall d'Hebron Hospital, both in Barcelona. "The data collected will allow us tohave new tools to predict the behavior of a tumor, as well as to know its molecular 'Achilles heel', which will make it possible to target specific drugs for each patient's cancer subject ," says Dr. Luis Montuenga.

Lung carcinoma is thecancer with the highest mortality rate in Western countries. In Europe it accounts for about 410,000 new cases per year and is manager responsible for about 353,000 deaths. association Despite the clear link between lung cancer and smoking, available global statistics report that 15% of cases in men and an even higher percentage in women are not attributable to smoking.

"The biology and possible diagnostic and therapeutic strategies of these non-smoking tumors are poorly understood compared to smoking-associated lung carcinomas. At project we will study this subject of lung tumors and others that are poorly characterized from a molecular point of view. The funding from the AECC is a great boost to our work, and provides us with the means to tackle the research much more effectively. It is also an incentive to know that we have the support and trust of so many people who understand the importance of our work at research cancer", explains Dr. Luis Montuenga.

Nanomedicine against childhood cancer

Dr. María J. Blanco, professor at the School of Pharmacy of the University of Navarra, directs a group of research that has received the financial aid Bhavnani of the AECC of 150,000 euros, financed by the Canary-Hindu financier Ram Bhavnani, president of the Bank of Madrid. The scholarship will be used to fight pediatric bone sarcoma, the leading cause of death by disease in Spaniards aged 0-14 years.

Drs. Ana Patiño and Luis Sierrasesúmaga, from the department of Pediatrics of the Clínica Universidad de Navarra, and Drs. Sergio Arana and Maite Mujika, from the Center of programs of study and Technical Research of Guipuzcoa and the Center of Biomedical Engineering, collaborate in the research .

The goal of the research "is to provide less invasive and less toxic treatments that improve the quality of life of patients," says Dr. Blanco. To this end, the project seeks to obtain new therapeutic nanosystems that can be administered orally and allow effective therapy against osteosarcoma, as well as the inhibition of metastasis. In the administration of the treatment, explains the expert, "drugs that slow down cell proliferation, currently used for the treatment of osteosarcoma (such as methotrexate or adriamycin) and a promising antitumor drug (edelfosine) will be combined with its vectorization in lipid nanotransporters".

AECC

The aecc, through its Scientific Foundation, brings together the social demand of research against cancer, financing through public tender programs of scientific and social research . These programs are aimed at achieving advances in science to improve the future of sick people and their families and to consolidate a scientific structure in Spain, bringing the achievements to society as a whole.