The IIS Aragón and the association TheMoveMen sign an agreement to promote research into male cancer.

This new agreement will allow for the development of joint projects in research, dissemination, and training on male cancer, strengthening the connection between science and society.. This collaboration was born after the annual grant that TheMoveMen awarded last November to the 'Virtual Biopsy' project, led by the ARAID researcher from the IIS Aragón, Alberto J. Schuhmacher.

The Aragon Health Research Institute (IIS Aragon) and the Aragonese association TheMoveMen have signed a collaboration agreement which establishes the bases for the joint development of activities aimed at the research, dissemination and training on male cancer.

The agreement, signed by the executive director of the IIS Aragón, Óscar López Lorente, the president of TheMoveMen, Javier Alcázar Ortiz, together with Alberto J. Schuhmacher, head of the Molecular Oncology Group of the Institute, It will mark the beginning of work on research projects or clinical studies focused on men's health.Furthermore, this collaborative framework seeks to generate synergies between the scientific community and civil society committed to improving men's health.

"Research is essential for a society to advance in the challenges posed by cancer-related diseases. The signing of this agreement will contribute to raising funds for this purpose, but it also highlights the importance of disseminating and raising awareness of the cause and the goal itself. Putting people at the center is in the DNA of both entities."This is a very important issue," emphasized Javier Alcázar, president of TheMoveMen. This Aragonese association actively works for men's health, with a special emphasis on prevention, education, care, and research support. Since its inception, it has promoted initiatives that connect sport, culture, and science to raise awareness and mobilize citizens.

In fact, the collaboration between the two entities began a few months ago. In November 2024, the Association TheMoveMen awarded to Alberto J. Schuhmacher, head of the Molecular Oncology Group at the IIS Aragón, one of their annual scholarships, with a donation of 6.000 euros, destined for the development of the project 'Virtual Biopsy that the laboratory has underwayThis innovative project seeks Improve cancer diagnosis and treatment methods using modified antibodies capable of detecting the presence of biomarkers in tumorsThe team is developing a type of "contrast" that adheres only to tumors that present a specific biomarker, which would allow predicting whether or not a particular treatment might work for a patient. This is a a key step towards more personalized, precise and less invasive medicine.

“TheMoveMen support has a special value because we know the collective effort behind it. Often, life in the laboratory can be lonely, and today we felt supported by all the people who collaborated,” Schuhmacher noted. The researcher emphasized that this collaboration will allow us to consolidate projects already underway and explore new ideas that are difficult to fund through conventional channels. However, with the results generated, they will be able to obtain new competitive funding, thus multiplying the impact of the grant. He also wanted to highlight the role of this association in raising awareness about men's health: “They are doing extraordinary work reaching out to a segment of the population that is often reluctant to go to the doctor. Thanks to their awareness, lives will be saved. Talking can save lives.” With this alliance, the IIS Aragón continues to consolidate its role as a a benchmark in excellent biomedical research and strengthens its strategy of collaboration with social entities to bring science closer to citizens.