Stem Cells

According to the cancer stem cell model (CSC), tumors comprise a subpopulation of cells able to self-renew and drive the processes of differentiation that contribute to tumor heterogeneity. CSCs are resistant to conventional therapies and are thought to be responsible for local relapse and metastatic recurrence during the evolution of several tumors, including breast cancer. Interestingly, the “CSC-state” seems to be a dynamic condition, capable of being acquired or lost by tumor cells. These changes include both epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming, the latter accomplished by the reactivation of key pathways, such as the mevalonic acid pathway, required for the synthesis of cholesterol and isoprenoids. In this sense, our area of research has four main research lines:

1- To study the role of different members of the mevalonic acid (MVA) pathway during the acquirement of the CSC-state in cellular models of breast cancer.

2- Development of mathematical/computational models of CSC dynamics in tumorspheres in collaboration with experts from the Mathematical Biology Group at The Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina.

3- Developent of injectable modified hidrogels for the local prevention of post-operative tumor recurrence.

4- To study anti-CSCs properties of native flora species from the province of San Juan, Argentina, in collaboration with local experts from the Universidad Nacional de San Juan and the Neurobiology Group at IBYME.