The L’Oréal-UNESCO program For women in science this Wednesday handed over its awards to research carried out by five Spanish scientists under the age of 40 who work in the health area. These prizes, awarded annually and worth 15,000 euros, aim to recognize female leadership and, specifically, young talent in the scientific field.
In the 17 years in which these grants were announced – worth 15,000 euros each – the program supported 77 researchers who develop their projects in Spain, granting them grants worth a total of 1.3 million euros, alternating areas of specialization between life sciences and material sciences.
Two investigations focused on the study of cancer
In recent years, cancer has become one of the main challenges for global public health. According to data from the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM), in 2022 it is estimated that a total of 280,101 new cases of this disease will be detected in Spain, compared to 276,239 diagnosed in 2021. However, there are still many unknowns around its development and expansion throughout the organization, according to the organizers.
specifically, the Colorectal cancer It is the third most common and fourth leading cause of death worldwide, with metastasis as the main threat to patient survival and this is precisely the focus of one of the research projects awarded this year. In this area, he works as a scientist jone mitxelena (Barakaldo, 1985), from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), whose purpose is to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in the spread of this type of cancer as a way to develop more effective treatments.
Neurodegenerative diseases and microbiota
In turn, the researcher at the University of Malaga, Melissa Garcia (Málaga, 1985), focuses on revealing the communication between immune and endothelial cells (those found in the inner lining of blood vessels, lymph vessels, and the heart) in the tumor microenvironment. The main objective of his proposal is to identify new factors involved in their intercommunication, finding new therapeutic targets and biomarkers that favor the future development of drugs that allow to delay tumor progression.
the project of Ana Belen Perez Oliveira (Murcia, 1981), a researcher at the Murciano Institute for Biosanitary Research (IMIB-FFIS), has as its object the inflammasomea set of proteins that intervene in inflammatory processes and that may imply a new therapeutic target to treat congenital anemia, that is, those that do not depend on iron levels. The aim of their work is to improve the lives of patients with this condition, whose prevalence in our society is considerably high and for which there are currently only palliative treatments. To do so, it focuses on discovering the role of this set of proteins in the regulation of red blood cell production, or erythropoiesis.
The work of the researcher at the Autonomous University of Barcelona Natalie Sanchez (Barcelona, 1981) seeks to clarify the relationship between Gut microbiota and the development of neurodegenerative diseases. His work can have a great influence on the way we understand these diseases and, therefore, inspire alternative therapies for their prevention and treatment.
Lastly, the cardiovascular damage and specifically atherosclerosis and aortic aneurysms, is one of the leading causes of adult mortality in Western countries. For this reason, Nerea Mendez Barbero (Madrid, 1985) focuses its work at the Health Research Institute of the Fundación Jiménez Díaz on prevention through the identification of patients at higher risk. His methodology is based on the location of molecular signals of cellular communication that occur in the blood vessel wall in the early stages of the disease.
The investigations were chosen by a jury made up of renowned scientists in the areas covered in this edition: Maria A. Blasco Marhuendadirector of the National Cancer Research Center CNIO; Maria Vallet-Regi, professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the UCM and academic at the Royal Academies of Engineering and Pharmacy; s Rafael Garesse AlarconProfessor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Autonomous University of Madrid, of which he was Rector until 2021.