Renowned musicians and performers get together to support cancer research at CNIO

On World Cancer Day, Enrique Arce, Luz Casal, María Hervás and Christina Rosenvinge will take part in #CNIOStopCancer, a campaign to raise awareness on research as the only path to find newer and more efficient ways to end this disease

The singer from Málaga Pablo Alborán has announced he will perform in a show to raise funds for cancer research at CNIO

#CNIOStopCancer gives visibility and support to the group of donors CNIO Friends, a source for engaging talent for the Centre

Donations received have helped establish an International Programme aimed at engaging scientific talent (CNIO Friends). In this framework, a number of cancer research projects have been launched in such fields as childhood cancers, metastasis, immunotherapy and new drug development

“Change starts when you say, ‘That’s enough!’” (Enrique Arce); “Research is the only path to win the war on cancer” (Luz Casal); “CNIO is one of the world’s leading cancer research centres, and you and I can support its researchers” (Christina Rosenvinge); “You can be sure your personal donation goes to cancer research” (María Hervás)… These are some of the messages that musicians and performers Enrique Arce, Luz Casal, María Hervás and Christina Rosenvinge want to share with society in the video launched by the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), within the framework of the #CNIOStopCancer campaign, celebrating World Cancer Day on February 4.

#CNIOStopCancer

#CNIOStopCancer is a campaign that highlights the importance of research as the only path to find newer and more efficient ways to end this disease. Besides, it reminds us that we can be part of the solution, giving money to CNIO through CNIO Friends online at https://www.cnio.es/en/cnio-friend/.

Recently, the artist from Málaga Pablo Alborán announced he would also support the group of CNIO donors in the show “Prometo Solidario”, to be held in Madrid on 4 April The funds raised will go to the research projects carried out at the Centre. Since tickets sold out in no time, a row zero has been created for people to donate here.

The #CNIOStopCancer campaign will be carried out in means of transport and shopping centres in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Murcia and Tenerife.

New immunotherapy and novel drug development projects

All the initiatives and the donations received since the community was established in 2014 have turned CNIO Friends into a source for attracting and hiring scientists. A CNIO Friends International Contract Programme was created for young scientists who carry out competitive cancer research projects, which today are exploring such fields as brain metastasis, childhood cancers or nanotechnology applications in cancer.

In the past months, three young researchers joined this programme:

Elena Fueyo holds a degree in Biomedicine from Universitat de Barcelona and a Master’s degree in Biomolecules and Cell Dynamics from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. After being granted a María Oliva-CNIO Friends Predoctoral Contract, she joined the Genomic Instability Group, led by Óscar Fernández-Capetillo, where she is studying the molecular mechanisms underlying how cancer cells avoid immune system response. Understanding these mechanisms is a major step towards developing new immunotherapies – a type of cancer treatment that uses the power of the patient’s own immune system to fight cancer.

Rebeca Jimeno holds a PhD in Immunology from Universidad Complutense de Madrid. After completing her PhD, Jimeno worked at King’s College London (UK) from 2015 to 2018. Having been awarded an Eva Plaza-CNIO Friends Postdoctoral Contract, she has came back to Spain as a member of the Breast Cancer Clinical Research Unit led by Miguel Ángel Quintela, where she will study how immunotherapy can be used in breast cancer. Immunotherapy helps the patient’s immune system target the tumour, with fewer side-effects in normal cells than conventional therapies like chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Moustafa Shehata holds a degree in Biotechnology from the University for Modern Sciences and Arts, Egypt. With a Carmen Gloria Bonnet-CNIO Friends Predoctoral Contract, he will study kinase protein structural biology at the Kinases, Protein Phosphorylation and Cancer Group, headed by Iván Plaza. This Group studies the 3-D structure of kinases, which have a role in the origin and development of cancer and in drug resistance in chemotherapy. Understanding the alterations of the kinase structure will help develop new therapies and improve existing ones.

This campaign was generously supported by Enrique Arce, Luz Casal, María Hervás and Christina Rosenvinge, as well as by companies like Act One Producciones, Exterior Plus, JCDecaux and La Roche-Posay, dermatologic brand of L’Oréal Spain.

The #CNIOStopCancer campaign video was produced by Amparo Garrido, Coordinator of the Office of Institutional Image and Outreach to Society at CNIO, and edited by Benito Macías.