by Comite Web | Apr 16, 2025 | Sin categorizar
- A study led by ALIPANC scientists from the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, IIBB-CSIC-IDIBAPS, in collaboration with researchers from the Mayo Clinic, IBYME (CONICET) and CaixaResearch Institute demonstrates the role of Galectin-1 protein in the nucleus of the cells surrounding the tumor, the fibroblasts, contributing to their activation.
- Activated fibroblasts favor tumor growth and dissemination, while conferring resistance to treatment. This fact could be one of the factors that explain the high aggressiveness of pancreatic cancer, with a five-year survival rate of only 10%.
- The conclusions of the study open the door to new therapeutic strategies to combat this type of cancer, focusing on the possibility of inhibiting this protein inside the cells that surround and protect the tumor.
One of the factors contributing to the aggressiveness of pancreatic cancer is its tumor microenvironment, known as stroma, which represents the bulk of the tumor and is made up of a network of proteins and different non-tumor cells. Among these, fibroblasts play a key role, as they help tumor cells to grow and increase their resistance to drugs. This study published in the journal PNAS has identified a new determinant factor affecting this characteristic of pancreatic cancer, a previously unknown function of the Galectin-1 protein within the nucleus of fibroblasts, where it plays a key role in controlling gene expression through epigenetic control. The next steps of the research will be to explore therapeutic combinations to inhibit Galectin-1 both extracellularly and intracellularly. In fact, this protein is also involved in key tumor processes such as blood vessel formation and resistance to immunotherapy. Therefore, this strategy becomes particularly important in view of the multiple antitumor capacity of the inhibition of this protein.
Link to article: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2424051122
Link to the group: https://alipanc.org/grupo/dianas-moleculares-del-cancer/
by Comite Web | Apr 8, 2025 | Sin categorizar
For the first time, in 2025, we are bringing the Digestive Disease Mechanism (DDM) Summit/Workshop to UEG Week, an exceptional 3-day programme focusing on the Pathogenesis of GI tract diseases (including intestine, pancreas, and liver). Led by the top experts in the field, Mathias Heikenwälder, Paco Real and Maria Sibilia, the workshop provides a dedicated space for basic scientists to present their latest findings, learn about the latest breakthroughs, and establish important new connections.
Speakers: Eduard Batlle, Spain; Tom Bird, UK; Valerie Chew, Singapore; Jerome Cros, France; Nabil Djouder, Spain; Yuval Dor, Israel; Henner Farin, Germany; Trevor Graham, UK; Dietmar Herndler-Brandstetter, Austria; Amaia Lujambio, USA; Laura Machesky, UK; Fanny Mann, France; Grainne O’Kane, Ireland; Susanne Roth, Germany; Guadalupe Sabio, Spain; Owen Sansom, UK; Dieter Saur, Germany; Robert Schwabe, USA; Victoria Stary, Austria; Tuomas Tammela, USA; Ganaganor Visweswara Shivashankar, Switzerland; Cun Wang, China; Jun Yu, China; Lars Zender, Germany
Join us in hearing cutting-edge research in artificial intelligence, spatial biology, immune evasion and metabolic reprogramming, among other topics! Featuring lectures, abstract presentations and interactive group discussions, this unparalleled event offers you a unique opportunity in the field of GI research.
This meeting aims at attracting the best Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows for a lively meeting fostering interaction among participants and Faculty.
UEG sponsors a large number of travel grants for those presenting abstracts.
UEG Digestive Disease Mechanism (DDM) Summit – Berlin – October 5-7, 2025
https://ueg.eu/week/programme/ddm-summit
by Comite Web | Apr 7, 2025 | Sin categorizar
On March 20th, the second Scientific Meeting of ALIPANC took place at the University of Barcelona’s Campus Clinic. Over 100 researchers from Spain and Portugal attended to share the latest findings on pancreatic cancer. The day began with a keynote lecture by Dr. Peter Bailey from the Botton-Champalimaud Pancreas Cancer Center. This was followed by short presentations from PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and team leaders from the ALIPANC network.
The event featured a poster session showcasing 16 displays of new research from the community. Additionally, the community paid tribute to Elena Mora, recognizing her family’s dedication and support in the fight against pancreatic cancer. The day concluded with a final keynote lecture by Dr. Joaquin Arribas from the Hospital del Mar Research Institute. This year’s meeting also included awards for the:
- best short presentation: Isabel Villaoslada
- best posters: Adrián Santiso, Mikhail Chesnokov, and Ariel Acuña-Pincay
- winner of the networking activity held throughout the day: Marta Celma
Overall, the meeting reinforced ALIPANC’s commitment to advancing pancreatic cancer research and we look forward to the next edition!
by Comite Web | Mar 26, 2025 | Sin categorizar
PCE Early Career Investigator Scientific Stay Award – 2025 Edition
We are excited to share that the 2025 Call for the Short-term Scientific Stay Award is now open! Granted by the Pancreatic Cancer Europe (PCE) platform.
This opportunity aims to support early-career investigators in advancing their research.
Application
deadline: Monday,
April 14, 2025. Please find the details enclosed:
2025 PCE short-term scientific stay award – call
We would appreciate it if you could share this opportunity within your networks.
Thank you for your support!
ALIPANC team
by Comite Web | Mar 9, 2025 | Sin categorizar
This one-day Scientific Meeting is yearly event that brings together the members of ALIPANC, a coalition of over 65 research groups from Spain and Portugal centered on understanding and defeating pancreatic cancer. The scientific meeting is intended to provide an in-person platform to showcase the clinical and research progress of individual groups to the general community, promote discussions, and foster novel collaborations. The yearly meeting will feature 2 Keynote lectures, 3 scientific sessions, a poster session, and a “team dynamics” event to promote interaction between groups.
Venue: Aula Magna of the Campus Clinic of the Universitat de Barcelona (Carrer Casanova 143, Barcelona).
Date: March 20th 2025, from 09.00 to 18.00.
Sessions:
Keynote lectures:
Peter Bailey, PhD (Director of Translational Research, Botton Champalimaud Pancreatic Cancer Center). “Pancreatic Cancer and the role of extrachromosomal DNA”
Joaquin Arribas, PhD (Director of HMRI, Barcelona). “Immune redirection against HER2-Positive Tumors: From Breast to Pancreas”
Scientific sessions: These sessions will be exclusive for members of ALIPANC, where 20 min per speaker will be allocated (15 min talk + 5 min of Q/A).
Poster session: We will hold the first ALIPANC Scientific Poster session to give the opportunity to more groups to present their work to the community. Posters will be viewed during coffee breaks, lunch, and a dedicated session.
See more in our program: ALIPANC Program
This event is supported by:
ALIPANC maintains full autonomy in its development and organization.
by Comite Web | Feb 25, 2025 | Sin categorizar
Endothelial insulin resistance induced by adrenomedullin mediates obesity-associated diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a significant risk factor for the development of pancreatic cancer, while obesity is a well-established risk factor for type 2 diabetes. However, the molecular mechanisms linking these two conditions has remained obscure until now.
This manuscript by Cho et al, in which the group of Alfredo Martínez Ramírez has participated, has been recently published in Science. In this intensive work, the authors demonstrate that adipocytes (more abundant in obese people) secrete the regulatory peptide, adrenomedullin, which binds to its receptor in endothelial cells resulting in the activation of phosphatase PTP1B and in the blockade on the insulin receptor in these cells. This endothelial insulin resistance is a rather new concept and has important consequences in blood flow regulation. In addition, the authors have shown that using an adrenomedullin inhibitor is able to prevent insulin resistance even in obese mice, opening a door for pharmaceutical treatments to prevent type 2 diabetes initiation in overweight people.
Read the full article here: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr4731
More about the group of Alfredo Martínez Ramírez: https://alipanc.org/grupo/grupo-de-angiogenesis-alfredo-martinez-ramirez/
