The University of Cartagena (UCAM) is at the forefront of contributing to the development of precision medicine in the fight against cancer. The Chair at UCAM focuses their research on the molecular diagnosis of cancer and the innovation of treatments to block molecules involved in the development of metastasis. Currently, they are studying colorectal and breast cancer, two of the most common types of cancer in Spain.
Molecular medicine applied to cancer aims to identify the molecular patterns of cancers that will metastasize and then treat them using blockers of those same molecules. The team at UCAM, in collaboration with the Santa Lucía Hospital in Cartagena, has identified prometastatic molecules in colorectal cancer, allowing for more aggressive treatment and effective patient follow-up.
In the case of breast cancer, the team is focused on identifying the genes that generate immunosuppression in patients in order to determine who should receive immunotherapy. This approach has shown promising results, with more than 20% of patients with advanced cancer treated with immunotherapy being cured.
The research being conducted by the team at UCAM is providing valuable insights into the molecular diagnosis and treatment of colorectal and breast cancer, paving the way for more targeted and effective precision medicine in the fight against cancer.