The Ramón Areces Foundation has granted a three-year project of research to research center Médica Aplicada (CIMA ) of the University of Navarra to consolidate a project on leukemias, lymphomas and myelomas.

Oncologic diseases are the second leading cause of death and hospitalization in Western countries. Despite the advances made in the treatment of hematological tumors, such as leukemias, lymphomas and myelomas, a high percentage of patients do not respond satisfactorily to available therapies, making it necessary to explore new therapeutic approaches.

Previous results from researchers at CIMA indicate that mice deficient for the AE2 protein (which is mainly responsible for the regulation of intracellular pH maintenance) present a decreased issue of regulatory T lymphocytes (Tregs). "Given that Tregs are responsible for repressing the antitumor immune response, our data suggest that the AE2 protein could represent a therapeutic target in cancer," explains Dr. José Ángel Martínez-Climent, researcher of the Oncohematology Program at CIMA and coordinator of project. "To evaluate this hypothesis, we have generated peptides that inhibit this protein and can determine whether they constitute a new therapy in leukemias, lymphomas and myelomas," explains Dr. Juan José Lasarte, director of the Immunology Program at CIMA and co-researcher of project, in which Dr. Juan Francisco Medina will also participate. Other researchers collaborating in the project are Drs. Carlos Panizo, José Rifón and Felipe Prósper, from the Hematology Department of the Clínica Universidad de Navarra, and Drs. Noelia Casares, Jon Celay, Eloy Robles, María José García-Barchino and Teresa Lozano, researchers from the CIMA.

With funding from the Areces Foundation, the researchers intend to test whether AE2 inhibitor peptides exert a double therapeutic effect in lymphoid neoplasms, by direct induction of cell death or apoptosis in tumor B cells; and by activation of the antitumor immune response by eliminating Tregs. "These results would make it possible to establish a concept test on the pharmacological inhibition of the regulatory machinery of cellular ionic metabolism as a new therapy in cancer", indicate Dr. Martínez-Climent and Dr. Lasarte.

Areces Foundation

The Ramón Areces Foundation was established in 1976 to promote scientific patronage by fostering research, contributing to the generation of human capital and the dissemination of knowledge.

The Foundation's main objectives are to contribute to the creation of a solid scientific and technological structure in Spain, which will improve people's lives and to the search for solutions to the future challenges that modern society faces in its main areas: economic and educational, mainly.