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Predoctoral scientist Cecilia Pesini, from Julián Pardo's group, has received 84.000 euros to develop new immunotherapy protocols against childhood tumors
The research by Patricia Sancho's team to identify a new exosomal metabolic signature in liquid biopsies that improves the management of pancreatic cancer will have 18.000 euros
The researchers from the Aragon Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón) Cecilia Pesini and Patricia Sancho They have received financial aid from the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) to support their projects related to the study of this disease. The AECC presents this contribution on the occasion of World Cancer Research Day (WCRD), which takes place on September 24. In total, it has awarded 107 grants amounting to 13 million euros, it has renewed 16 grants to researchers for an amount of nearly 1,8 million and the award of two more million in future patronages is still pending, continuing as the social and private entity. that allocates the most funds to cancer research.
Graduated in Biotechnology, Cecilia Pesini has received a predoctoral grant of 84.000 euros in total for the project 'Development of new immunotherapy protocols against childhood tumors', which is carried out at the IIS Aragón under the direction of Julian Pardo, principal investigator of the 'Immunotherapy, inflammation and cancer' group. The research focuses on neuroblastomas with poor prognosis in minors and how to inoculate NK cells (natural killers), since these have an innate ability to eliminate tumor cells.
For her part, Patricia Sancho has received an endowment from the section Ideas seed of 18.000 euros for the execution of a project entitled 'Identification of a new exosomal metabolic signature in liquid biopsies to improve the management of pancreatic cancer'. Sancho's group, 'Metabolism and cancer stem cells', is in the final stretch of its crowdfunding campaign to obtain funds to research new therapies that increase the life expectancy of patients with pancreatic cancer, since 90% of them die the year after being diagnosed.
The financial support of the AECC in Aragon It is completed with a third contribution for the clinical training of Dr. Sergio Felipe Pinzón Mariño, from the Miguel Servet University Hospital, optimizing knowledge in molecular biology. In total, aid to community research personnel amounts to 114.900 euros.
The AECC's aid comes from contributions from civil society, which allows us to continue maintaining oncological research as a priority for patients, especially in this context of general uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The awarded projects cover research into different types of cancer and are focused on finding new, more specific treatments with fewer side effects, on the diagnosis and classification of tumors to be able to select the most suitable treatment for each patient, and on better understanding the Possible causes of this disease and risk factors. Every day in Spain 300 people die from cancer. Currently, 90% survival has been reached in some tumors and on average, 57%, thus demonstrating that cancer research saves lives. For this reason, the AECC focuses its efforts so that research does not stop in the midst of the crisis generated by COVID-19.
About the Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón)
The IIS Aragón is the Health Research Institute of the hospital complex formed by the Teaching and University Hospitals “Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa” and “Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet” and Primary Health Care. The University of Zaragoza and the Aragonese Institute of Health Sciences are associated with this hospital complex through different legal instruments.
The objectives of the IIS Aragón are to bring together basic and applied, clinical and health services research; create a quality research, care and teaching environment to which health professionals, training specialists and postgraduate and undergraduate students are exposed, as well as constitute the ideal place for attracting talent and the location of large scientific facilities. technological.
