Karmele Valencia, researcher at laboratory on Adhesion and Metastasis, has obtained the award from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. She is the only Spanish recipient of this award for the best work of young researchers. The award is endowed with 1,000 dollars and a commemorative plaque.

The work describes a new molecular mechanism used by tumor cells to colonize bone during the process of metastasis. "Tumors secrete small vesicles called exosomes. These hide other components such as RNA or microRNA, which are protected as Trojan horses that integrate into normal bone cells. Once integrated, the exosomes alter the field and facilitate the arrival and mediated destruction of tumor cells in the bone. This process is of great importance in situations of bone metastasis, characteristic of many tumors such as breast, prostate and lung. These advances open up avenues for the design of new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of metastases," explains Dr. Karmele Valencia.