TGF-beta and cancer

Summary

The group consists of two principal investigators (Àngels Fabra and Isabel Fabregat) who lead independent laboratories, but who came together a few years ago to work in close collaboration and become more competitive. The common link between the two is their interest in the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, a cytokine with pleiotropic actions, the signalling of which is involved in human physiology and pathology. The group’s main aim is to establish whether the TGF-β pathway is a therapeutic target in liver fibrosis and cancer (IF Lab) and in cutaneous and uveal melanoma (AF Lab).

268 Publications

Strategic lines

• Molecular mechanisms involved in tumour cell migration, plasticity, invasion and metastasis: the role of TGF-beta in these processes

• Exosomes and MicroRNAs as promoters of the metastatic niche: crossing with the TGF-beta pathway

• The role of the NADPH oxidase (NOX) family as mediator of TGF-beta effects during liver regeneration, fibrosis and cancer

• The role of the TGF-beta/NOX4 axis in the regulation of metabolism

Selected Publications

- Lobe C, Vallette M, Arbelaiz A, Gonzalez Sanchez E, Izquierdo L, Pellat A, Guedj N, Louis C, Paradis V, Banales JM, Coulouarn C, Housset C, Vaquero J*, Fouassier L. ZEB1 promotes cholangiocarcinoma progression through tumor dedifferentiation and tumor-stroma paracrine signaling. Hepatology. 2021;74(6):3194-3212. doi:10.1002/hep.32069. IF:17,43.

- NADPH oxidase 4 (Nox4) deletion accelerates liver regeneration in mice.
Herranz-Itúrbide M, López-Luque J, Gonzalez-Sanchez E, Caballero-Díaz D, Crosas-Molist E, Martín-Mur B, Gut M, Esteve-Codina A, Jaquet V, Jiang JX, Török NJ, Fabregat I*. Redox Biol. 2021 Apr;40:101841. doi: 10.1016/j.redox.2020.101841. Epub 2020 Dec 23.PMID: 33493901 . IF: 11.779

- Gonzalez Sanchez E*, El Mourabit H, Jager M, Clavel M, Moog S, Vaquero J, Ledent T, Cadoret A, Gautheron J, Fouassier L, Wendum D, Chignard N, Housset C. Cholangiopathy aggravation is caused by VDR ablation and alleviated by VDR-independent vitamin D signaling in ABCB4 knockout mice. Biochim. Biophys. Acta-Mol. Basis Dis. 2021;1867(4):166067-166067. doi:10.1016/j.bbadis.2020.166067. IF:5,19.

- Soukupova J, Malfettone A, Bertran E, Hernandez Alvarez MI, Penuelas Haro I, Dituri F, Giannelli G, Zorzano A, Fabregat I*. Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) Induced by TGF-beta in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells Reprograms Lipid Metabolism. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021;22(11):doi:10.3390/ijms22115543. IF:5,92.

- Sabate Llobera A, Mestres Marti J, Reynes Llompart G, Llado L, Mils K, Serrano T, Cortes Romera M, Bertran E, Fabregat I, Ramos E. 2-[F-18]FDG PET/CT as a Predictor of Microvascular Invasion and High Histological Grade in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers. 2021;13(11):doi:10.3390/cancers13112554. IF:6,64.

Selected Projects

- 21PSJ005. Dissecting the role of the hepatocyte Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) pathway in the cellular interactome within the liver fibrotic niche. . FUNDACIÓN RAMÓN ARECES. 2021-2024. IP:FABREGAT ROMERO,MARIA ISABEL.

- 20MEC015. Diseccionando el papel terapéutico de la NADPH oxidasa NOX4 en colangiocarcinoma por medio de secuenciación masiva de RNA en célula única (NOX4CHOL). (PID2019-108651RJ-I00). MINISTERIO DE CIENCIA E INNOVACIÓN (MICINN). 2020-2023. IP:Vaquero Rodríguez,JAVIER.

- 20MEC023. DESARROLLO PRECLÍNICO DE UN NUEVO ACTIVO MODULADOR DE LA FIBROSIS Y LA SENESCENCIA PARA EL TRATAMIENTO DE LA ENFERMEDAD DE HÍGADO GRASO NO-ALCOHÓLICO (HEPATOSEN). (RTC2019-007125-1). CIC BIOGUNE; FUNDACIO IDIBELL; INSTITUT RECERCA BIOMÉDICA DE BARCELONA; MINISTERIO DE CIENCIA E INNOVACIÓN (MICINN); SENOLYTIC THERAPEUTICS SL. 2020-2022. IP:FABREGAT ROMERO,MARIA ISABEL.

- 19MEC012. Nuevas aproximaciones experimentales para analizar el papel de la NADPH oxidasa NOX4 en regeneración y cáncer hepáticos. Relación con la vía del TGF-beta. (RTI2018-094079-B-I00). MINISTERIO DE CIENCIA E INNOVACIÓN (MICINN). 2019-2022. IP:FABREGAT ROMERO,MARIA ISABEL.

- 19FIS026. Uveal Melanoma and liver metastasis: predictive use of molecular alterations and therapeutic opportunities. (PI18/01131). INSTITUTO DE SALUD CARLOS III. 2019-2022. IP:CAMINAL MITJANA, JOSE MARIA ; CO-IP: FABRA FRES, ÀNGELS.

More Information