Group leader: Ander Matheu, Ph.D.
Biodonostia HRI. Ikerbasque Research Associate.. ander.matheu@bio-gipuzkoa.eusDr. Ander Matheu Fernández obtained his PhD under the direction of Dr. Manuel Serrano at the CNIO (Spanish National Cancer Research Centre) in 2005, and completed his postdoctoral training at the laboratory of Dr. Robin Lovell-Badge at the MRC-NIMR (London) from 2006 until 2011. In 2011 he joined the Biodonostia HRI as a Miguel Servet researcher (ISCIII) to head the Cellular Oncology Research Group. Since his incorporation, he has composed the multidisciplinary team of 20 members who work with him today. Dr. Matheu has participated in 95 publications in high-impact scientific journals (including Nature, Cell and Cell Stem Cell), more than 75 of them since joining Biodonostia, and being a senior author in 40 of them. He has also headed the writing of five book chapters and is the co-inventor of four patents at both national and international level. Dr. Matheu has led 25 national and international research projects, participating in more than 55 as a collaborator. These projects represent a total sum of €15 million, more than €6 million of which were awarded to his Research Group. His Group is part of the CIBERfes (Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Frailty and Healthy Ageing) and he is Associate Professor at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), being a Ikerbasque Research Associate. He has directed 11 doctoral theses between researchers of the Biodonostia HRI and doctors at the Donostia University Hospital (Donostialdea IHO) and has also supervised the final projects of more than 20 bachelor’s and master’s degree students. |
Strategic Objectives
The interest of Dr Matheu’s group originally focused on the characterisation of glioma stem cells and the identification of molecular mechanisms related with the ageing of neural stem cells. Hence its original name of Neuro-oncology. However, the research lines of the group have increased and extended and today include knowledge of the molecular mechanisms responsible for regulating cell plasticity and heterogeneity, their role in cancer and ageing processes, and the translation of this knowledge into clinical practice.
Main lines of research
Within the line of cancer research, the objectives of his group consist of:
- Determining the signalling pathways regulating the subpopulation of cancer stem cells present in the neoplasms of the central nervous system (CNS) and gastrointestinal cancers
- Studying the impact of cancer stem cells on the origin and progression/metastasis of the cancer
- Identifying molecular targets and markers of prognosis and/or response to treatment making it possible to establish alternative therapeutic strategies and stratification patterns of patients in Pediatric CNS tumours, and (iv) generating and/or validating pharmacological agents against cancer stem cells.
Within the line of research in ageing, the objectives consist of:
- Looking for biomarkers enabling the early detection of frailty and neurodegenerative diseases
- Identifying the mechanisms responsible for the successful ageing typical of 100 year-olds
- Characterising CNS and muscle stem cells in the search for molecular targets to palliate the functional decline associated with ageing and neurodegenerative pathologies.
Team Members
Name Surname |
Center | |
Sara Arevalo Lobera | Donostialdea IHO | sara.arevalolobera@osakidetza.eus |
Aizpea Artetxe Zurutuza | Biogipuzkoa HRI | aizpea.artetxe@bio-gipuzkoa.eus |
Jaione Auzmendi Iriarte | Biogipuzkoa HRI | jaione.auzmendi@bio-gipuzkoa.eus |
Estefanía Carrasco García | Biogipuzkoa HRI | estefania.carrasco@bio-gipuzkoa.eus |
Fernando Cossio Mora | UPV – EHU | fp.cossio@ehu.es |
Sara Cruces Salguero | Biogipuzkoa HRI | sara.crucessalguero@bio-gipuzkoa.eus |
Larraitz Egaña Otaño | Donostialdea IHO | larraitz.eganaotano@osakidetza.eus |
Joseba Elizazu Perez | Biogipuzkoa HRI | joseba.elizazu@bio-gipuzkoa.eus |
Nerea Iturrioz Rodriguez | Biogipuzkoa HRI | nerea.iturriozrodriguez@bio-gipuzkoa.eus |
Diego Marcos Pérez | Biogipuzkoa HRI | diego.marcos@bio-gipuzkoa.eus |
Verónica Moncho Amor | CIBERNED | veronica.moncho@bio-gipuzkoa.eus |
Manuel Moreno Valladares | Donostialdea IHO | manuel.morenovalladares@osakidetza.eus |
David Ignacio Ortiz De Urbina Ugarte | Onkologikoa Fundazioa | dortiz@onkologikoa.org |
Maddalen Otaegi Ugartemendia | Biogipuzkoa HRI | maddalen.otaegi@bio-gipuzkoa.eus |
Irune Ruiz Diaz | Donostialdea IHO | irune.ruizdiaz@osakidetza.eus |
Ander Saenz Antoñanzas | Biogipuzkoa HRI | ander.saenz@bio-gipuzkoa.eus |
Nicolas Sampron Lebed | Donostialdea IHO | nicolasmanuel.sampronlebed@osakidetza.eus |
Jhonatan Andrés Vergara Arce | Biogipuzkoa HRI | jhonatanandres.vergaraarce@bio-gipuzkoa.eus |
Jorge Alberto Villanua Bernues | OSATEK | jvillanua@osatek.net |