
Stadium Casablanca and the Aragón Health Research Institute join forces to promote health and research
October 6, 20222022 Call for Innovation Projects in Personalized Medicine and Advanced Therapies. ISCIII – CDTI
October 10, 2022Three young people joined the Aragon Health Research Institute this year to delve into their doctoral theses on improving methodologies for treating tumors.
Collaborating in the research of new cancer treatments and improving both the health of patients and the effectiveness of the methodologies used are part of the main objectives that prompted Álvaro Blanes, Ana Redrado and Vira Sharko to begin their doctorate at the Institute of Health Research of Aragon. They did it almost a year ago, when the DGA granted them predoctoral scholarships that will finance their salary for four years, while they work in the fight against cancer. «Cancer, despite the advances of recent years, continues to be one of the great challenges at a scientific level. Being able to contribute my grain of sand is very satisfying and motivating," emphasizes Ana Redrado, who has returned to her native Zaragoza to carry out her thesis together with researcher María del Pilar Martín Duque.
The therapy they are working on is based on vesicles that are secreted by cells, including exosomes, and that grow towards tumor areas. "In this way, the areas to which our exosomes migrate will be radioactive collectors and can be treated with radiotherapy," he points out. This project could be used for theragnostics, that is, diagnosing and treating almost simultaneously. "It is possible thanks to the administration of different isotopes, in our case, we are interested in iodine," she specifies after highlighting the great learning that this "intense" year of work has entailed.
Álvaro Blanes has also dedicated this first year to soaking up content about his area of work within Pedro M. Baptista's group: regenerative medicine. "This month I have been staying in the Netherlands to learn new techniques and apply them to our research," he says.
Their project is focused on the manufacture of a liver that could later be transplanted into a patient. For this, he details, a pig would be used, from which the animal's own cells would be "removed" to inject those of the patient in question or, failing that, stem cells. "It is necessary to increase the number of transplanted organs," recalls this young man from Almeria in reference to the fact that, in Europe, 23% of patients die while they are on the waiting list. Furthermore, in the coming years, cases not related to alcoholism are expected to increase.
The effect of the microenvironment
The research carried out by Vira Sharko also seeks to improve existing resources. Her work, directed by Ignacio Ochoa, aims to develop an in vitro model of colorectal cancer on a microfluidic chip, which is capable of simulating the microenvironment of a solid tumor of the intestinal epithelium. "These models allow us to better simulate real conditions compared to the 2D models that were used until now," explains this young Ukrainian who has lived in Spain for most of her life.
With them they will study the influence of the tumor microenvironment on the different stages of tumor development, in addition to facilitating the search for more effective treatments to increase patient survival. "The long-term objective is to significantly reduce failures when moving from animal experimentation to human trials," he emphasizes, after pointing out that one of the first steps in his thesis was learning to use a machine that allows adding dynamism to the model you are developing. He did it during a stay in Paris.
The desire and enthusiasm of youth join with the experience of their superiors to advance a little further in the fight against cancer in Aragon.
Alvaro Blanes. Liver transplant
How is a liver created?
The research in which Álvaro Blanes is working would start from a pig liver, from which the cells of the aforementioned animal would be "removed" and those of the human being would be introduced, preferably, those of the patient who plans to receive the transplant, although they could be stem cells.
How are cells achieved?
These human cells can be obtained through a biopsy of the patient's liver. The use of bioreactors and other systems allows their quantity to be increased until enough is obtained to implant them in the pig's liver.
What is the OBJETIVE?
Increase transplant possibilities and reduce waiting lists in this area.
Ana Redrado. New therapies
How are new lines of research created?
Researcher Ana Redrado, in a project led by Pilar Martín Duque, is working to develop a new therapeutic and diagnostic methodology through vesicles secreted by cells, including exosomes.
What is an exosome?
It is a sac that fills the cell inside and releases it to communicate with other cells.
What is the OBJETIVE?
Find a new therapy that accumulates irradiation and radiotherapy in specific places, which will minimize side effects and obtain a more targeted result. The aim is to diagnose and treat almost at the same time.
Vira Sharko. Colorectal cancer
How is the microenvironment of a tumor reproduced?
The reproduction of the microenvironment is essential to study the mechanisms that occur in humans and, to this end, the group in which Vira Sharko works is developing the use of microfluidic technology. It combines multiple cell types inside matrices with complex spatial structures and can include biomechanical stimuli, simulating "much better" the conditions in which a solid tumor reproduces.
What is the OBJETIVE?
Increase the effectiveness and reduce treatment failures when moving from animal experiments to human trials.
Aragon Health Research Institute
One of the purposes of the Aragón Health Research Institute is to bring basic and clinical research and health services closer to society. Its mission also includes the objective of creating a research, care and teaching environment to which health professionals, training specialists, postgraduate and undergraduate students are exposed, as well as constituting the ideal place for talent recruitment and placement. of large scientific-technological facilities.
Source: Heraldo de Aragón