Research Program. Precision Nutrition and Cancer

Molecular Oncology Group


Objectives: The group is currently focused on three research topics:

1. Lipid metabolism alterations in cancer: identification of new biomarkers and therapeutic targets in diet-related tumors such as colon or pancreatic cancer. We are especially interested in identifying metabolic profiles associated to the disease progression together with treatment response and analysing their role from in-vitro cell systems to organoids and cancer patients. These analyses are mainly focused on the identification of metabolic pathways and distinctive oncometabolites that may constitute novel markers and targets for the development of future cancer precision therapies.


2. Metabolic reprogramming analysis in cancer and its relationship with other associated diseases such as obesity. We are interested in the molecular basis underlying the link between obesity and cancer, especially on the role of fatty acid metabolism and cholesterol reprogramming and the tumor progression.


3. Precision nutrition strategies in cancer. Analysis of the activity and mechanism of action of bioactive compounds and natural extracts as possible effective dietary supplements in the prevention and treatment of cancer and associated metabolic disorders. The objective is to establish the scientific basis for the development of precision nutrition strategies in oncology by including or avoiding specific products due to their effect on specific cancer signaling pathways.


Coordinator of Precision Nutrition and Cancer Lab


Members

Maria Elena Rodríguez

Senior researcher and Head of Research Line in Thyroid Cancer

Dr. Maria ER Garcia-Rendueles' career has been devoted to investigating thyroid tumorigenesis and tumor progression by using multidisciplinary genetic, biochemical, and cell biological approaches to understand the functional consequences of the key drivers of the disease. She has been focused on identifying potential targets and new approaches based on this dependency on new therapies. She obtained her Ph.D. with honors in 2011 by Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Spain. In 2012, she received a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Ministry of Education of Spain and joined Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York, where she was promoted to Research Associate in 2016. She has published in highest impact journals, including Cancer Discovery, JCI, Oncogene, or Clinical Cancer Research. She joined IMDEA in June 2020 as an independent investigator where she continues investigating the pathogenesis and the biology of thyroid cancers to identify new molecular-based therapies, under the funding of a Talento’s Fellowship.

Email: mariaelena.rodriguez@imdea.org
Phone: +34 91 727 81 00  

Members: 

Carmen Mazarío Gárgoles

Predoctoral Researcher | Molecular Oncology Group

I graduated in the Degree in Biomedicine at the Francisco de Vitoria University of Madrid in 2021 and obtained a Degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship Project Management at the Francisco de Vitoria University of Madrid in 2020. I did my final thesis at IMDEA Food Institute in the Molecular Oncology Group, which focused on identifying the mechanism of the YAP oncogene in the regulation of resistance to the chemotherapeutic vemurafenib in colorectal cancer and melanoma. I continued my training by obtaining a Master in Clinical and Applied Research in Oncology in 2022. In November 2021, I joined the Molecular Oncology Group at IMDEA as a Research Assistant to discover the role of YAP in thyroid cancer, in tumorogenesis and disease progression and its implication in drug response.

Email: carmen.mazario@imdea.org
Phone: +34 91 727 81 00

Students

Emma Cantero Bahillo

Nieves Siles Sánchez

Leire Azcona

Bacbuin Larry
 

                                  

most relevant publications

  • Lara Paula Fernández; María Merino; Gonzalo Colmenarejo; Juan Moreno-Rubio; Ruth Sánchez-Martínez; Adriana Quijada-Freire; Marta Gómez de Cedrón; Guillermo Reglero; Enrique Casado; María Sereno; Ana Ramírez de Molina. “Metabolic enzyme ACSL3 is a prognostic biomarker and correlates with anticancer effectiveness of statins in non-small cell lung cancer”. Molecular Oncology . 2020 Oct 30:14 doi:10.1002/1878-0261.12816.
  • Gómez de Cedrón M, Navarro Del Hierro J, Reguero M, Wagner S, Bouzas A, Quijada-Freire A, Reglero G, Martín D, Molina AR. “Saponin-Rich Extracts and Their Acid Hydrolysates Differentially Target Colorectal Cancer Metabolism in the Frame of Precision Nutrition”. Cancers. 2020 Nov 17. 12(11).  doi: 10.3390/cancers12113399.
  • Cruz-Gil S, Fernández LP, Sánchez-Martínez R, Gómez de Cedrón M, Ramírez de Molina “Non-Coding and Regulatory RNAs as Epigenetic Remodelers of Fatty Acid Homeostasis in Cancer”. Cancers. 2020 Oct 9: 12(10). doi: 10.3390/cancers12102890.         
  • Lara P Fernández; Marta Gómez de Cedrón; Ana Ramírez de Molina.     “Alterations of Lipid Metabolism in Cancer: Implications in Prognosis and Treatment”.          Frontiers in Oncology. 2020 Oct 28, doi:10.3389/fonc.2020.57742.
  • Sánchez-González C, Nuevo-Tapioles C, Herrero Martín JC, Pereira MP, Serrano Sanz S, Ramírez de Molina A, Cuezva JM, Formentini L. Dysfunctional oxidative phosphorylation shunts branched-chain amino acid catabolism onto lipogenesis in skeletal muscle. EMBO J. 2020 Jul 15;39(14):e103812. doi: 10.15252/embj.2019103812.
  • Marta Gómez de Cedrón, Lamia Mouhid, Elena García-Carrascosa, Tiziana Fornari, Guillermo Reglero, Ana Ramírez de Molina. “Marigold Supercritical Extract as Potential Co-adjuvant in Pancreatic Cancer: The Energetic Catastrophe Induced via BMP8B Ends Up With Autophagy-Induced Cell Death” Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2019; 7: 455. Published online 2020 Jan 24. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00455. PMCID: PMC6992545
  • Lamia Mouhid*, Marta Gómez de Cedrón*, Adriana Quijada-Freire, Pablo J. Fernández-Marcos, Guillermo Reglero, Tiziana Fornari, Ana Ramírez de Molina. “Yarrow Supercritical Extract Ameliorates the Metabolic Stress in a Model of Obesity Induced by High-Fat Diet” Nutrients. 2020 Jan; 12(1): 72. doi: 10.3390/nu12010072.
  • Gómez de Cedrón M, Laparra JM, Loria-Kohen V, Molina S, Moreno-Rubio J, Montoya JJ, Torres C, Casado E, Reglero G, Ramírez de Molina A. “Tolerability and Safety of a Nutritional Supplement with Potential as Adjuvant in Colorectal Cancer Therapy: A Randomized Trial in Healthy Volunteers”. Nutrients. 2019;11(9).
  • A more physiological approach to lipid metabolism alterations in cancer: CRC-like organoids assessment. Cruz-Gil S, Sánchez-Martínez R, Wagner-Reguero S, Stange D, Schölch S, Pape K, Ramírez de Molina A. PLoS One. 2019 Jul 24;14(7):e0219944.
  • ABCA1 overexpression worsens colorectal cancer prognosis by facilitating tumour growth and caveolin-1-dependent invasiveness, and these effects can be ameliorated using the BET inhibitor apabetalone. Aguirre-Portolés C, Feliu J, Reglero G, Ramírez de Molina A. Mol Oncol. 2018 Oct;12(10):1735-1752.
  • The role of glycosyltransferase enzyme GCNT3 in colon and ovarian cancer prognosis and chemoresistance. Fernández LP, Sánchez-Martínez R, Vargas T, Herranz J, Martín-Hernández R, Mendiola M, Hardisson D, Reglero G, Feliu J, Redondo A, Ramírez de Molina A. Sci Rep. 2018 May 31;8(1):8485. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-26468-4.
  • Targeting the lipid metabolic axis ACSL/SCD in colorectal cancer progression by therapeutic miRNAs: miR-19b-1 role. Cruz-Gil S, Sanchez-Martinez R, Gomez de Cedron M, Martin-Hernandez R, Vargas T, Molina S, Herranz J, Davalos A, Reglero G, Ramirez de Molina A. J Lipid Res. 2018 Jan;59(1):14-24. doi: 10.1194/jlr.M076752.
main research grants

Participant Investigator: Ana Ramírez de Molina

Project Title: Fórmulas nutricionales altamente efectivas para el control de la enfermedad crónica (FORDISCOVERY)
Date: 2020-2022
Funded by: Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. Programa Estatal de investigación, desarrollo e innovación orientada a los retos de la sociedad (PID2019‐110183RB‐C21)

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Participant Investigator: Ana Ramírez de Molina
Project Title: Nutritional strategies and bioactive compounds to target lipid metabolism alterations in cancer: Platform of Patient derived Paired Organoids for Precision Nutrition
Date: 2019-2021
Funded by: Fundación Ramón Areces

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Principal Investigator: Ana Ramírez de Molina
Project Title: Fórmulas terapéuticas de nutrición de precisión para el cáncer - ALIBIRD2020-CM
Date: 2019-2022
Funded by: Comunidad de Madrid (P2018/BAA-4343)

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Participant Investigator: Ana Ramírez de Molina
Project Title: Estrategias para promocionar la calidad de vida de pre-seniors y seniors basadas en la Nutrición de Precisión (NUTRIPRECISIÓN)
Date: 2017-2020
Funded by: Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial (CDTI). Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (CDTI IDI 20141213)

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Master contact and program coordinator: Ana Ramírez de Molina
Project Title: Estrategias para promocionar la calidad de vida de pre-seniors y seniors basadas en la Nutrición de Precisión (NUTRIPRECISIÓN)
Tittle: EIT-Food. Food-Connect
Date:2017- 2022
Funded by: European Institute of Innovation and Technology

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Participant Investigator: Ana Ramírez de Molina
Project Title: NUTRICIÓN DE PRECISIÓN PARA EL MANTENIMIENTO Y MEJORA DE LA FUNCIÓN COGNITIVA. HEALTH4BRAIN
Date: 2020-2023
Funded by: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Retos Colaboración) RTC2019-007294-1

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