The Hormones and Cancer research group is a consolidated IMIBIC group composed of basic, translational and clinical researchers. We investigate the cellular and molecular principles underlying natural neuroendocrine-metabolic regulatory processes and their dysfunctions in tumors and cancer. The group pays particular attention to the role of certain neuropeptide/receptor systems and their regulation by different mechanisms, especially alternative splicing and its related RNA control processes and associated signaling pathways, at the onco-endocrine interface. Currently, our work focuses on the pathophysiology of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of pancreatic origin (PanNETs), along with other types of neuroendocrine tumors, and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), where we investigate the actions of various molecular regulatory systems (including somatostatin, ghrelin, etc.) and the specific role of alternative splicing and other processes involved in the regulation of RNA biology.
Our studies have led to the discovery and characterization of new receptors, splicing variants, functions and mechanisms of action for different neuroendocrine-metabolic signals and drugs that control hormone secretion, tumorigenesis or cell death and survival in different types of cancer. Specifically, recent studies have allowed us to identify specific genes, related to regulatory machinery of RNA metabolism in the cell, altered both in PDAC (as in the case of the SF3B1 gene) and in PanNETs (as in the case of the NOVA1 gene), thus having discovered genes that seem to play a key role in these pathologies.
Our ultimate goal is to contribute to the discovery of new biomarkers for early detection, improved diagnosis and predictive prognosis of the tumors studied, as well as to identify actionable targets for the design of innovative personalized therapeutic strategies, which together will advance precision medicine in NETs and pancreatic cancer.