As every year, World Cancer Day is commemorated on February 4. One of the greatest challenges of modern medicine is finding reliable diagnoses and effective treatments for the different types of cancer. According to a recent report by the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) and the Spanish Network of Cancer Registries (REDECAN), the number of cancer cases diagnosed in Spain in 2026 will reach 301,884, making cancer one of the leading causes of death.
For this reason, on the occasion of this day, the IQAC wishes to reaffirm its commitment to cancer research. “Through research, we aim to understand, prevent, and develop new ways to treat diseases, including cancer,” says Dr. Olga López, Director of the IQAC.
Currently, our Institute has 11 active cancer research projects, ranging from molecular design to validation in animal models, and carried out through cooperative research with other research centers and hospitals.
We would like to highlight some of the projects being conducted at the IQAC focusing on three of the main types of cancer.
Breast cancer is the most common tumor among women. It is estimated that the lifetime risk of developing the disease is 12%, or 1 in every 8 women.
The laboratory led by Dr. Laia Josa works mainly on the development of new therapies for breast cancer, such as photopharmacology—the use of drugs that can be activated or deactivated by external light. One of the goals pursued is to promote innovative ideas from the earliest stages.
“Thanks to a project funded by the Spanish Association Against Cancer, we are developing molecules that can be activated by external light. This allows us to direct these drugs specifically to the tumor, achieving more selective therapies with fewer side effects. In addition, through an ERC project (SeleCStem), we are developing new drug delivery systems for resistant cancer cells using molecules that take advantage of the unique expression of certain proteins in these cells,” explains Dr. Laia Josa.
Projects funded by the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) (IDEAS246647JOSA) and by the European Research Council ERC Starting Grant (101162465).
Glioblastoma is a type of cancer that originates in the cells of brain tissue. The ReachGlio project, co-led by Dr. Miriam Royo and Dr. Ibane Abasolo, aims to improve the delivery of anticancer drugs to the brain.
“The goal of the project is to generate nanoparticles containing drugs to treat glioblastoma, so that they can reach the brain more effectively and target the different types of cells that make up this tumor, which is the main challenge of all current treatments,” explains Royo.
This project, ReachGlio (TRANSCAN-3 JTC 2022), is funded by the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) (TRNSC235659ABAS), the Carlos III Health Institute (AC23-1/00011), and is managed by CIBER-BBN.
Dr. Ibane Abasolo coordinates the European project CancerScan (GA:101186829), which aims to predict the best treatment for each pancreatic cancer patient based on a biopsy.
“The goal of the project is to improve pancreatic cancer treatment in a highly personalized way by combining microscopy with artificial intelligence tools,” explains Dr. Abasolo.
The aim is to create a tool that enables more precise and personalized therapeutic decision-making.
World Cancer Day is an opportunity to reflect on the progress achieved and on the importance of continuing to invest in research lines that help develop new, more personalized, and more effective treatments.
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