SUMMARY

Continuing our focus on breast cancer and receptor tyrosine kinases, during 2014 we completed the characterization of the role of the receptor tyrosine kinase HER2 in breast cancer progression and identified PELO as a negative regulator of the signaling pathways initiated by HER2. Importantly, the knock down of PELO increases the metastatic ability of breast cancer cells. In addition, we showed that breast cancer cells that express a fragment of HER2, known as p95HER2, are particularly sensitive to chemotherapy combined with targeted therapies.

We have also been collaborating with other VHIO groups, particularly with the Tumor Biomarkers group led by Josep Villanueva, to characterize how cancer cells remodel the extracellular environment.
We are extremely grateful to the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) for their continued, critical support of our research.
Lastly, but by no means least,

Our group continues to coordinate the Breast Cancer Program within the Red Territorial de Investigación Cooperativa en Cáncer, supported by the Insituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII). This network incorporates many of the most active groups working on breast cancer in Spain. We work in close connection to deliver on complex projects that require the input and expertise of multiple groups.

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