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The FBG participates in the evaluation of IDIBELL’s study

By 1 de August de 2011November 18th, 2020No Comments
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 01.08.2011

The FBG participates in the evaluation of IDIBELL’s study

A study coordinated by the researcher of Key Biological Invasive and metastatic phenotype group of the Institute for Biomedical Research of Bellvitge (IDIBELL), Àngels Sierra, shows that overexpression of certain proteins in the primary tumor predicts the risk of developing metastasis in patients with breast cancer. Validation of these results in a large number of clinical samples (about 300) is being conducted with funding from Project Recovery Program at the University of Barcelona-Santander, run by the Fundació Bosch i Gimpera (Transfer Center knowledge, Technology and Innovation at the University of Barcelona), whose results are expected in early September.


So far, no known predictors of brain metastases, a complication that affects 30% of patients with breast cancer which develops metastases. These biomarkers allow prediction of risk both in patients with ErbB2-positive tumors (ErbB2 oncogene amplification) and triple negative tumors (estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and ErbB2 negative). It would be especially beneficial to label such patients more likely to develop brain metastases and in the central nervous system which dramatically defines the survival of patients.

The use of markers of brain metastasis will contribute to monitoring and personalized treatment of patients. On the one hand to know the presence of the biomarker will help the exploration plan aimed at early diagnosis and on the other hand, overexpression of these proteins may indicate the use of therapies to either prevent or treat brain metastasis, different than those applied now, some of them in the clinical development process.

The work has been the result of applying systems biology to the systematization of transcriptomics and proteomics information to generate networks of protein-protein interactions that define the characteristic phenotype of breast cancer cells with ability to metastasize to the brain.

The study, which was coordinated by the researcher Angels Sierra, laboratory Pathogenesis of Metastasis Group Key Biological invasive and metastatic phenotype of IDIBELL, is published in the American Journal of Pathology (doi:10.1016/j.ajpath.2011.04.037).

The Bosch i Gimpera Valorisation and Licensing Unit, as well as coordinating the project evaluation of this study is looking for an industrial partner with expertise in the development and commercialization of diagnostic tests to ensure the arrival of this technology patient. The Valorisation and Licensing Unit has the support of ACC1Ó for protection activities and marketing of technologies around UB.