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The EFE Agency has published an interview with Gloria Pascual, associate researcher in the Stem Cells and Cancer Lab at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona). In the interview she talks about the discovery made by Joan Massagué regarding the origin or metastasis.
The researcher explains that the study demonstrates what has been suspected for years, namely that “the metastatic process is highly influenced by environmental conditions within the tumour encountered by cells and does not depend so much on the acquisition of a specific mutation”.
Pascual adds that the final goal of research into metastasis is the discovery of new therapeutic targets that are specifically directed against the metastatic cell. “Dr. Massagué and his team have identified a protein, L1CAM, that mediates metastasis. This discovery paves the way for the development of new drugs to treat certain kinds of cancer, particularly those that respond to or have high levels of this protein,” she says.
About IRB Barcelona
The Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) pursues a society free of disease. To this end, it conducts multidisciplinary research of excellence to cure cancer and other diseases linked to ageing. It establishes technology transfer agreements with the pharmaceutical industry and major hospitals to bring research results closer to society, and organises a range of science outreach activities to engage the public in an open dialogue. IRB Barcelona is an international centre that hosts 400 researchers and more than 30 nationalities. Recognised as a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence since 2011, IRB Barcelona is a CERCA centre and member of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST).
