Research Program. Precision Nutrition and Cancer

Clinical Oncology Group

Group leader: Dr. Enrique Casado Sánz and Dr. Jaime Feliú Batle

Objectives: Cancer is a complex disease whose characteristics, prognosis and response to different treatments depend on several factors, which makes it imperative that cancer research must be done in a multidisciplinary way and with the joint effort of many researchers.

Under the premise that diet and lifestyle are key factors in both cancer prevention and treatment, our line of research focused on cancer-oriented nutrigenomics aims to deepen the knowledge of this pathology by studying highly efficient products and personalized strategies focused on the implementation of a Precision Nutrition that complements the individualized cancer treatments. To do this, we design and carry out clinical trials and nutritional studies that seek to find better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.

Our goal is to efficiently apply the knowledge of cellular, molecular, physiological, chemical or genetic processes to the search of more effective treatments or prevention and diagnostic techniques that improve the quality of life of the patients with whom we work.

Collaborator in the Precision Nutrition and Cancer Lab

Dr. Enrique Casado Sánz

Associate researcher, IMDEA Food. Group Leader of the Clinical Oncology Group.

Dr. Enrique Casado Sánz: Enrique Casado finished his undergraduateb studies in Medicine and Surgery (1992) and Biohealth Sciences (1993) in Complutense University of Madrid (Universidad Complutense de Madrid) (UCM). He obtained the Degree of Doctor of Medicine (1994) with Extraordinary Prize granted by UCM. He did his medical residency in La Paz University Hospital (Hospital Universitario de la Paz) (1993-97) and Master’s Degree in Palliative Care (1997) in Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), in combination with extended postdoctoral internships in University of Alabama (Birmingham) and University of California (San Francisco). He was the attending physician of Medical Oncology in gastrointestinal and thoracic cancer and laboratory coordinator for the Translational Oncology Group of Hospital Universitario de la Paz (Madrid), He is an associate professor of
UAM and visiting professor of UCM. He is currently the Director of the Medical Oncology Department at the Hospital Universitario Infanta Sofía (HUIS) de Madrid, Coordinating Professor of Oncology in the Universidad Europea de Madrid and Precision Oncology Laboratory (HUIS) Director. He has received 7 awards in recognition of his research work from institutions as prestigious as the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Dr. Jaime Feliú Batlle

Associate researcher, IMDEA Food. Group Leader of the Clinical Oncology Group.

Dr. Jaime Feliú Batlle holds a Degree in Medicine and Surgery from Universidad Complutense de Madrid issued in 1982. He specialized in Medical Oncology in Hospital Universitario de la Paz, where he is currently the Director of Medical Oncology Department. He is a professor of Oncology in the Medicine Area of Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) and Director of Master’s Degree in Palliative Care and Treatments for Cancer Patient Support of UAM. Furthermore, he is the current president of the Multidisciplinary Spanish Group of Digestive Cancer (GEMCAD).He has participated as a principal investigator or co-investigator in more than 70 phase I, II and III trials. He has written or co-written more than 200 articles for national and international journals, more than 60 book chapters and has presented a large number of communications in national and international congresses.

Members

Silvia Cruz Gil

Lab Technician

Silvia Cruz Gil obtained her Biochemistry Degree at Universidad Complutense de Madrid in 2013. During the last two years of her degree she collaborated with the Biochemistry II Department at Pharmacy School in Universidad Complutense de Madrid studying the molecular biology of hepatocellular carcinoma. Later, she continued her training by obtaining a Master in Molecular Biosciences at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in 2014. Meanwhile, Silvia joined ALGENEX (Alternative Gene Expression S.L.) in association with I.N.I.A. (National Institute of Agricultural and Food Research and Technology) for an internship. During this period she worked in the development of vectored vaccines. In October 2014, she started studies conductive to her PhD Degree at IMDEA Food Institute in the Molecular Oncology Group. Her research primarily focuses on the role of the lipid metabolism in tumor progression. In April 2016 she obtained a Boehringer Ingelheim Travel Grant to perform a short research stage in the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus(Dresden, Germany) to learn organoids technique under the supervision of Dr. Daniel Stange. Her thesis oral defense will be held at the beginning of 2019 titled “Lipid metabolism alterations in colorectal cancer: potential clinical relevance in the prognosis of the disease”.

Email: silvia.cruz@imdea.org
Phone: +34 91 727 81 00

                                  

most relevant publications
  • Cejas P, Cavazza A, Yandava C, Moreno V, Horst D, Moreno-Rubio J, Burgos E, Mendiola M, Taing L, Goel A, Feliu J, Shivdasani RA. Transcriptional regulator CNOT3 defines an aggressive colorectal cancer subtype. Cancer Res. 2017 Feb 1;77(3):766-779.
  • Cejas P, Li L, O’Neill NK, Duarte M, Rao P, Bowden M, Zhou CW, Mendiola M, Burgos E, Feliu J, Moreno-Rubio J, Guadalajara H, Moreno V, García-Olmo D, Bellmunt J, Mullane S, Hirsch M, Sweeney CJ, Richardson A, Liu XS, Brown M, Shivdasani RA, Long HW. Chromatin immunoprecipitation from fixed clinical tissues reveals tumor-specific enhancer profiles. Nat Med. 2016 Jun;22(6):685-91.
  • Casado E, García VM, Sánchez JJ, Blanco M, Maurel J, Feliu J, Fernández-Martos C, de Castro J, Castelo B, Belda-Iniesta C, Sereno M, Sánchez-Llamas B, Burgos E, García-Cabezas MÁ, Manceñido N, Miquel R, García-Olmo D, González-Barón M, Cejas P. A combined strategy of SAGE and quantitative PCR provides a 13-gene signature that predicts preoperative chemoradiotherapy response and outcome in rectal cancer. Clinical Cancer Research. 17 - 12, pp. 4145 - 4154. AACR, 2011.
  • Ramírez de Molina A, Sarmentero-Estrada J, Belda-Iniesta C, Tarón M, Ramírez de Molina V, Cejas P, Skrzypski M, Gallego-Ortega D, de Castro J, Casado E, García-Cabezas MA, Sánchez JJ, Nistal M, Rosell R, González-Barón M, Lacal JC. Expression of choline kinase alpha to predict outcome in patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer: a retrospective study. The lancet oncology. 8 - 10, pp. 889 - 897. Elsevier, 2007.
  • Belda-Iniesta C, Perona R, de Castro Carpeno J, Chattopadhyay S, Casado E, Cejas P, Fresno Vara JA, Moreno Guerra C, Gonzalez Baron M. Do beta-tubulin pseudogenes really matter? The Lancet Oncology. 5 - 5, pp. 271 - 272. Elsevier, 2004. Impact Factor: 31,194. Q1, D1.
main research grants

Principal Investigator: Enrique Casado Sáenz
Project Title: Estudio de volátiles en el aliento para el diagnóstico precoz del cáncer colorrectal
Date: 2014-2015
Funded by: Asociación Española contra el cáncer

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Principal Investigator: Enrique Casado Sáenz
Project Title: Validación de una firma génica predictiva de respuesta en cáncer de recto (FIS PI11/02695)
Date: 2012-2015
Funded by: Instituto de Salud Carlos III

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Principal Investigator: María Sereno Moyano
Project Title: Identificación de marcadores genéticos predictivos de neurotoxicidad de oxaliplatino (FIS PI17-00087)
Date: 2013-2016
Funded by: Instituto de Salud Carlos III

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Principal Investigator: Jaime Feliu Batlle
Project Title: Análisis de biomarcadores relacionados con la eficacia de las terapias dirigidas al cáncer colorectal (FIS PI13/01659)
Date: 2014-2017
Funded by: Instituto de Salud Carlos III

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Principal Investigator: Guillermo Reglero

Co-Participant Institutions: Hospital Universitario Infanta Sofía, Hospital Universitario La Paz.
Project Title: Fórmulas terapéuticas de nutrición de precisión para el cáncer (ALIBIRD2020-CM)
Date: 2019-2022
Funded by: Consejería de Educación e Investigación. Comunidad de Madrid (ALIBIRD2020-CM P2018/BAA 4343)

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