The Scientific Foundation of the association Spanish Foundation against Cancer (aecc) has awarded two grants from research to scientists at the University of Navarra. The beneficiaries have been two projects directed by the Dean of the School of Sciences, Luis Montuenga, and the Professor of Pharmacy María J. Blanco.

Dr. Montuenga heads a project of the research center Applied Medicine (CIMA) and the Clínica Universidad de Navarra focused on searching for 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," said the researcher. This project has been endowed with 1,200,000 euros.

The study will also analyze the molecular profile of patients treated at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra, the high school Catalan Oncology Center (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 to have 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 the subject cancer of each patient," attributed the source.

Lung carcinoma is the cancer 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.