Staff member publications
Monferrer, E., Sanegre, S., Martínn-Vañó, S., GarcÃía-Lizarribar, A., Burgos-Panadero, R., López-Carrasco, A., Navarro, S., Samitier, J., Noguera, R., (2020). Digital image analysis applied to tumor cell proliferation, aggressiveness, and migration-related protein synthesis in neuroblastoma 3d models International Journal of Molecular Sciences 21, (22), 8676 
Patient-derived cancer 3D models are a promising tool that will revolutionize personalized cancer therapy but that require previous knowledge of optimal cell growth conditions and the most advantageous parameters to evaluate biomimetic relevance and monitor therapy efficacy. This study aims to establish general guidelines on 3D model characterization phenomena, focusing on neuroblastoma. We generated gelatin-based scaffolds with different stiffness and performed SK-N-BE(2) and SH-SY5Y aggressive neuroblastoma cell cultures, also performing co-cultures with mouse stromal Schwann cell line (SW10). Model characterization by digital image analysis at different time points revealed that cell proliferation, vitronectin production, and migration-related gene expression depend on growing conditions and are specific to the tumor cell line. Morphometric data show that 3D in vitro models can help generate optimal patient-derived cancer models, by creating, identifying, and choosing patterns of clinically relevant artificial microenvironments to predict patient tumor cell behavior and therapeutic responses.
JTD Keywords: 3D cancer modeling, DOCK8, KANK1, Ki67, Preclinical therapeutic studies, Vitronectin
Navarro, S., Moleiro, V., Molina-Estevez, F. J., Lozano, M. L., Chinchon, R., Almarza, E., Quintana-Bustamante, O., Mostoslavsky, G., Maetzig, T., Galla, M., Heinz, N., Schiedlmeier, B., Torres, Y., Modlich, U., Samper, E., Río, P., Segovia, J. C., Raya, A., Güenechea, G., Izpisua-Belmonte, J. C., Bueren, J. A., (2014). Generation of iPSCs from genetically corrected Brca2 hypomorphic cells: Implications in cell reprogramming and stem cell therapy 
Stem Cells , 32, (2), 436-446
Fanconi anemia (FA) is a complex genetic disease associated with a defective DNA repair pathway known as the FA pathway. In contrast to many other FA proteins, BRCA2 participates downstream in this pathway and has a critical role in homology-directed recombination (HDR). In our current studies, we have observed an extremely low reprogramming efficiency in cells with a hypomorphic mutation in Brca2 (Brca2Δ27/Δ27), that was associated with increased apoptosis and defective generation of nuclear RAD51 foci during the reprogramming process. Gene complementation facilitated the generation of Brca2Δ27/Δ27 induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) with a disease-free FA phenotype. Karyotype analyses and comparative genome hybridization arrays of complemented Brca2Δ27/Δ27 iPSCs showed, however, the presence of different genetic alterations in these cells, most of which were not evident in their parental Brca2 Δ27/Δ27 mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Gene-corrected Brca2Δ27/Δ27 iPSCs could be differentiated in vitro toward the hematopoietic lineage, although with a more limited efficacy than WT iPSCs or mouse embryonic stem cells, and did not engraft in irradiated Brca2Δ27/Δ27 recipients. Our results are consistent with previous studies proposing that HDR is critical for cell reprogramming and demonstrate that reprogramming defects characteristic of Brca2 mutant cells can be efficiently overcome by gene complementation. Finally, based on analysis of the phenotype, genetic stability, and hematopoietic differentiation potential of gene-corrected Brca2Δ27/Δ27 iPSCs, achievements and limitations in the application of current reprogramming approaches in hematopoietic stem cell therapy are also discussed.
JTD Keywords: Bone marrow aplasia, Cellular therapy, Fanconi anemia, Gene therapy, Hematopoietic stem cells, Induced pluripotent stem cells
