Cancer Biology Department

Malignant Tumors develop from normal cells through complex processes with multiple stages. The Cancer Biology Department includes 16 laboratories that investigate the genes and molecular mechanisms involved in the initiation, development and progression of malignant tumors. The elucidation of the molecular alterations by which normal cells acquire a transformed phenotype and the biological principles underlying tumor metastasis is needed to discover new biomarkers for diagnosis, prevention or therapeutic intervention in cancer. The research conducted in the department is mainly basic, but with a strong translational vocation, because the final goal of our research is to produce effective treatment and prevention strategies for the many different types of cancer, one of the leading causes of death in developed countries.
The Laboratories that make up the Cancer Biology Department address the study of the main types of tumor affecting our society, including colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer. In addition, they also investigate key oncogenic processes such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition and angiogenesis. This research requires a multidisciplinary approach that combines the use of animal models, cellular and molecular biology, bioinformatics and computational biology. Lastly, there are numerous scientific collaborations between IIBM researchers and clinical investigators that facilitate the transfer of the basic knowledge generated into clinical practice.

Head of department: de Cárcer Díez, Guillermo