Group Leader/s
intro
The main interest of our laboratory is the search for new tumoral biomarkers for the molecular diagnostics and the characterization of new therapeutic targets, the study of the molecular mechanisms involved in the epithelial-mesenchyma transition, tumoral progression and metastasis in colorectal cancer. Our strategy is based on the application of advanced proteomic tools, such as two-dimensional electrophoresis in combination with DIGE, mass-spectrometry and the use of protein microarrays, to the study of the alterations in proteins and antibodies that occur in plasma samples, tissues and/or tumoral cell lines.
Members
Ruben Alvaro Bartolome Conde |
José Ignacio Casal Álvarez |
Pablo Otero Nuñez |
Tania Calvo Lopez |
Íñigo Garay Echevarría |
María Cuerda López |
Maria Xiao Estaras Quesada |

Selected Publications
Bartolomé, Rubén A., Martín-Regalado, Ángela, Pintado-Berninches, Laura, Robles, Javier, Ramírez-González, Mª Ángeles, Boukich, Issam, Sanchez-Gómez, Pilar, Balyasnikova, Irina V., Casal, J. Ignacio [2023]. Schnurri-3 drives tumor growth and invasion in cancer cells expressing interleukin-13 receptor alpha 2. . 14:742-.
Bartolomé, R.A., Robles, J., Martin-Regalado, Á., Pintado-Berninches, L., Burdiel, M., Jaén, M., Aizpurúa, C., Imbaud, J.I., Casal, J.I. [2021]. CDH6-activated αIIbβ3 crosstalks with α2β1 to trigger cellular adhesion and invasion in metastatic ovarian and renal cancers. Molecular Oncology. :-.
Bartolomé, R.A., Pintado-Berninches, L., Jaén, M., de Los Ríos, V., Imbaud, J.I., Casal, J.I. [2020]. SOSTDC1 promotes invasion and liver metastasis in colorectal cancer via interaction with ALCAM/CD166. Oncogene. 39:6085-6098.
Bartolomé, R.A., Jaén, M., Casal, J.I. [2018]. An IL13Rα2 peptide exhibits therapeutic activity against metastatic colorectal cancer. British Journal of Cancer. 119:940-949.
Bartolome, R.A., Aizpurua, C., Jaen, M., Torres, S., Calviño, E., Imbaud, J.I., Ignacio Casal, J. [2018]. Monoclonal antibodies directed against cadherin RGD exhibit therapeutic activity against melanoma and colorectal cancer metastasis. Clinical Cancer Research. 24:433-444.
Torres, S., Garcia-Palmero, I., Bartolomé, R.A., Fernandez-Aceñero, M.J., Molina, E., Calviño, E., Segura, M.F., Casal, J.I. [2017]. Combined miRNA profiling and proteomics demonstrates that different miRNAs target a common set of proteins to promote colorectal cancer metastasis. Journal of Pathology. 242:39-51.
García-Palmero I, S Torres, RA Bartolomé, A Peláez-García, MJ Larriba, M Lopez-Lucendo, C Peña, B Escudero-Paniagua, A Muñoz and JI Casal [2016]. Twist1-induced activation of human fibroblasts promotes matrix stiffness by upregulating palladin and collagen α1(VI) . Oncogene. 40, 5224-36. doi: 10.1038/onc.2016.57
Torres S, I Garcia-Palmero, M Herrera, RA Bartolomé, MJ Fernandez-Aceñero, G Padilla, A Peláez-García, C Peña, M Lopez-Lucendo, A Garcia de Herreros, F Bonilla, JI Casal [2015]. LOXL2 is highly expressed in cancer-associated fibroblasts and associates to poor colorectal cancer outcome. Clin Cancer Res. 21, 4892-902
Bartolomé Rubén A., Irene García-Palmero, Sofía Torres, María López-Lucendo, Irina V. Balyasnikova and Casal JI [2015]. IL-13 receptor α2 signaling requires a scaffold protein, FAM120A, to activate FAK and PI3K pathways in colon cancer metastasis. Cancer Res. 75(12) 2434-44
Torres S, RA Bartolomé, M Mendes, R Barderas, MJ Fernandez-Aceñero, A Peláez-García, C Peña, M Lopez-Lucendo, R Villar-Vázquez, A Garcia de Herreros, F Bonilla, Casal JI [2013]. Proteome profiling of cancer-associated fibroblasts identifies novel proinflammatory signatures and prognostic markers for colorectal cancer. Clin Cancer Res. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-13-1130
Bartolomé RA., Barderas R, Torres S, Fernandez-Aceñero MJ, Mendes M, García-Foncillas J, Lopez-Lucendo M, Casal JI [2013]. Cadherin-17 interacts with α2β1 integrin to regulate cell proliferation and adhesion in colorectal cancer cells causing liver metastasis. Oncogene. doi:10.1038/onc.2013.117
Barderas R, Mendes M, Torres S, Bartolome RA, Lopez-Lucendo M, Villar-Vazquez R, Pelaez A, Fuente E, Bonilla F, Casal JI [2013]. In-depth characterization of the secretome of colorectal cancer metastatic cells identifies key proteins in cell adhesion, migration and invasion. Mol Cell Proteomics (doi: 10.1074/mcp.M112.022848)
Barderas R, Bartolomé RA, Fernandez-Aceñero MJ, Torres S, Casal JI [2012]. Interleukin 13 Receptor α2 plays a major role in cell adhesion, migration and invasion in metastatic colorectal cancer. Cancer Res (DOI:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-11-4090)
Babel, I., Barderas R., Diaz-Uriarte, R., Martínez-Torrecuadrada JL, Sánchez-Carbayo M and JI Casal [2009]. Identification of tumour-associated autoantigens for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer in serum using high-density protein microarrays. Mol Cell Proteomics 8, 2382-2395
R Barderas, J. Desmet, P Timmerman, R Meloen and J. I Casal [2008]. Affinity maturation of antibodies assisted by in silico modelling. PNAS. 105, 9029
Funding
Preclinical development and evolution of second generation antibodies for the treatment of metastatic colorrectal cancer. PMPTA22-00108, actuación coordinada ISCIII-CDTI para el fomento de la colaboración público-privada del Proyecto Estratégico para la Recuperación y Transformación Económica para la Salud de Vanguardia, en el marco del Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia. "Next-Generation EU"/PRTR
Translating tumoral biology into personalized medicine: Development of a prognostic and predictive test for stage II colon cancer patients (COLOPROOF). Proof of concept project 2022. MCYT PDC2022-133056-I00. MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and "Next-Generation EU"/PRTR
Preclinical development of monoclonal antibodies against IL13RA2 for cancer therapy – CANCERKINE. Proyectos colaboración Público-Privada 2021 MCYT-CPP2021-008337 (in collaboration with ProAlt y el CIEMAT). MCIN/AEI/0.13039/501100011033 and Next Generation EU/ PRTR
Towards precision medicine in colon cancer: biomarkers, tumor microenvironment and microbiota. CAM group networks – Biomedicine 2022
Dissecting the role of NPC2 and CD109, two novel metastasis effectors, in colorectal cancer (META2-EFFECTORS). Proyectos Generación del Conocimiento 2021. Modalidad Investigación orientada. MCYT PID2021-122227OB-I00. Financiado por MCIN/ AEI /10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, UE
Industrial doctorates in the Community of Madrid. V PRICYT (2016-2020) Community of Madrid, IND2022/BMD-23554