On the trail of hereditary cancer in Aragon to create drugs tailored to the genetics of each patient

IACS, IIS Aragón and Unizar join forces to study hereditary cancer to advance the field of personalized precision medicine

Health systems around the world are looking for a new way of approaching medicine, one that is capable of focusing not only on curing diseases, but also on prevent and diagnose more accurately. This will be possible thanks to personalized precision medicine. The three main biomedical research institutions in Aragon have joined forces to advance this change and develop tools for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of different diseases, including those related to cancer.

A big challenge

Track hereditary cancer and eventually create effective drugs based on each patient's genetics It is the complex challenge on which the Aragonese Institute of Health Sciences (IACS), the Aragon Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón) and the University of Zaragoza (Unizar) have been working together for more than a year. The project covers the entire process of generating new therapies, from data search and analysis to testing on animal and computer models.

Personalized precision medicine is subject to obtaining and studying extensive experimental databases. Therefore, everything begins by creating a cohort of patients that lays the foundations for research. The IACS has already begun to design a cohort with samples of people who have a family condition compatible with the existence of a hereditary cancer but who have tested negative for all known targets. 

The 200 samples from this cohort are analyzed at the Aragon Biomedical Research Center (CIBA) in order to study their complete genome. The results will be incorporated into the Bigan platform to look for some unknown marker that allows us to determine in advance which type of people are more predisposed to suffering from that type of cancer.

The next step would be to create drugs that are truly effective depending on the genetics of each patient. Researchers from IIS Aragón will search for proteins that serve as biomarkers and therapeutic targets, something that will be verified later in tests in in vitro models, as a prior step to animal models.

As the last step of the project, from the Veterinary Facilities or the CIBA, Unizar will create a small platform for animal models, especially rodents, which allows us to take advantage of previous results and advance the study of various pathologies.

Biotechnology and Health

The complementary R&D&I plans of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities are a new instrument aimed at promote and establish collaborations between autonomous communities. The Complementary Plan for Biotechnology Applied to Health seeks to provide an integrative approach to respond to complex health challenges.

Aragón joined this Complementary Plan in 2022 with a total budget of 582.321 euros, of which 350.276 are contributed by the ministry and 232.045 by the three Aragonese institutions: Aragonese Institute of Health Sciences (IACS), Aragon Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón) and University of Zaragoza (Unizar) .

Data collection and analysis, the key

Personalized and precision medicine needs draw on large databases to be able to determine, reliably, the chances that a person may suffer from a type of disease depending on their genetics.

The Aragonese Institute of Health Sciences, a benchmark in Europe in the field of health data, has the specialists and technologies to analyze and take advantage of information obtained from samples, clinical data, genomic information and proteomic analysis of those who make up the cohort. In addition, it coordinates the Biobank of the Aragon Health System, where patient samples are collected, classified and stored for use in research. The combination of both tools allows for faster progress in research for the prediction and diagnosis of diseases.

Drug screening platform

The Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón) leads the line of work that will result in a Platform for Drug Screening and Analysis of Drug-Target Interactions. This project focuses on the molecular level to find new therapeutic strategies for personalized medicine, especially for cancer, infectious diseases, rare diseases and inherited metabolic disorders. 

Starting with the characterization of target proteins, Molecular experimental screening programs will be designed to identify bioactive compounds. Once selected, these compounds will be evaluated in preclinical studies to determine their toxicity and biological efficacy, using various model systems such as cell lines, animal infection models, and in vitro organoid and 'organs-on-chip' simulation models. This approach will allow the development of specific drugs and move towards personalized and precision medicine, reducing the need for animal testing.

A catalog of animal models for different human pathologies

The University of Zaragoza will create a catalog of animal models for different human pathologies that will be offered to the rest of the members of the consortium that develop possible therapies. This contribution is at the forefront of personalized medicine with the launch of the TAMP (Therapy Animal Models Platform), representing a significant milestone in biomedical research. This revolutionary platform offers already characterized animal models for various pathologies that allow specific treatments to be evaluated., making it possible to adapt medical interventions to the unique needs of each individual. In this pioneering effort, the University of Zaragoza contributes its vast experience, promoting collaboration between various scientific disciplines.

Animal models are essential in biomedical scientific research to study biological processes, diseases and drug effects. They range from simple organisms such as fruit flies to more complex mammals such as mice and rats, chosen based on the research question and similarity to human biological systems. They help understand human physiology, pathology and behavior, as well as develop and test new medical interventions. In this project, it will be especially rodents. 

This article has been developed with the collaboration of the Scientific Culture Unit of the University of Zaragoza, the Aragonese Institute of Health Sciences and the Aragón Health Research Institute

Source: Heraldo de Aragón